As you drive past the ivy-covered entrance of Mann’s Mobile Home Estate, you will pass by turquoise and neon orange trailers with middle-aged men in sombreros blasting ranchera — a form of the traditional music of Mexico. In a side yard, several mothers direct young teens as they repetitively practice a series of dances for an upcoming quinceñera. The high-pitched screams of kids riding BMX bikes are mixed with notes from a guitar accompanying a nearby porch-side bible study.

This east Columbus neighborhood has become one of many new homes to the growing Latino population in the Midwestern United States. Between 2000 to 2010, the U.S. Census identified a 153.9 percent increase in the Latino population in Columbus from 17,575 to 44,359. The Hispanic population is currently contributing to 25 percent of the national population growth. The Pew Research Center projects that by 2027, minorities will outnumber whites nationally who are under 30 years of age.

Many Latinos have chosen to move to Columbus as opposed to previous destinations such as southern California, Chicago and other southern U.S. cities because of lower cost of living and more job availability. However, they face unique challenges such as language barriers, cultural differences, unequal education rights and limited employment options. They regularly reside in segregated trailer parks where they can afford the housing and begin to seek out a new life. 

“At the beginning, it was sad,” Fabiola Garcia, a Columbus resident, said.  “We came here without a single cent and started from the very bottom.” 

In 2000, Garcia, her husband, Eulalio Prieto, and their newborn daughter Yaremi came to Columbus from Mexico City. For the next three years, they slept in an unfurnished basement and shared a small house with four other people. 

Prieto worked 50 to 60 hours a week at an egg-processing plant in Johnstown, Ohio, that was an hour drive from Columbus. However, neither of them could apply for a driver’s license. Prieto was dependent on co-workers to give him rides, but they were inconsistent, and he would frequently wait for hours. He was also in constant fear because he knew the local police would regularly throw Latinos in jail or worse— deport them if they knew they were undocumented. 

“I didn’t know what to do,” Prieto said. “I knew my family had to eat and pay for the bills, and that was worth the risk.” 

Garcia used to work as a full-time housekeeper to help support her family. She worked the night shift and often did not return to her home until 6 a.m., exhausted from her long shifts. 

“The first three years were the most difficult for us,” said Prieto.  “We didn’t know how to drive, we had no transportation and we didn’t know anyone.”

The Prieto family has since begun to find some stability and are starting to carve out a new beginning in their 60-foot trailer. Prieto works as a car mechanic and Garcia sells empanadas to Latino workers during her lunch break out of her dented 2003 Honda Pilot.  

The Prieto’s story is like that of many new migrant families that come to Columbus. It’s common for new migrants to start out in manufacturing and processing plants but later switch to construction or start their own companies. The average income for Latinos in Columbus was $14,241 in 2007 with 22.1 percent of the community living in poverty. Though, many service and construction jobs are seasonal, and during the winter months it can be difficult for individuals to find work to support themselves. Some families resort to visiting local food pantries to  reduce their food expenses for the month. 

  When families first arrived to east Columbus, many of the trailers had been abandoned for several years and had broken windows and doors, little insulation and peeling paint on the exterior. Now, if you walk through the neighborhood, you’ll find a thriving and vibrant community of young Latino families that are seeking a slice of the American Dream. 

“People need to learn to accept Latinos in Columbus,” Garcia said. “We won’t be leaving here anytime soon.”