♪ THE RESULTS TOGETHER WITH ERIK VON ANCKEN. THIS IS NEWS 6 AT
5 GETTING RESULTS.
>> MATT: A NEW 6 CONTINUES.
ITS CELEBRATION OF HISPANIC
HERITAGE MONTH. TONIGHT WE
HIGHLIGHT THE ACHIEVEMENTS AND
CONTRIBUTIONS OF HISPANIC AND
LATINO NEIGHBORS IN OSCEOLA
COUNTY. IT IS A COMMUNITY THAT
IS SEEING EXPLOSIVE GROWTH
NEWS. 6 INVESTIGATOR ERIK
SANDOVAL CRUNCHED THE NUMBERS
TO SEE HOW MUCH THAT AREA IS
GROWING.
>> YEAH, WE LOOKED AT CENSUS
NUMBERS FROM 2010 AND WE
COMPARE THEM TO THE CENSUS
NUMBERS THAT JUST CAME OUT FOR
2020. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
MOVING INTO OSCEOLA COUNTY WHO
IDENTIFY AS LATINO OR HISPANIC
IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN THE
STATE. AND THAT IS GIVING
BUSINESS OWNERS A BIG REASON
TO CELEBRATE.
>> THESE ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT
BRANDS FOR STELLA SYRACUSE. A
TOMATO EXPRESS STARTED IN
1991. IN SAINT CLOUD WORK AT
TOMATO EXPRESS NOW LOCATED IN
KISSIMMEE. WE STARTED AS A
SMALL PRODUCE STAND IS A
SECOND HOME SURROUNDED BY
FAMILY.
>> INCLUDING HER
>> SHE SAYS THIS IS HER LIFE
AND HER ENERGY AND HER EVERY
DAY. WHEN WE STARTED IN SAINT
CLOUD, THERE WERE 0 HISPANIC
OWN STORES OR ANYTHING THAT
OFFER.
>> THAT MEANS SO SHE SAYS TO
ME EXPRESS, WORKED TO FILL
THAT NEED EXPANDING FROM THAT
1200 SQUARE FOOT PRODUCE
STAND. THESE HERE ARE WINERIES
FROM ARGENTINA TO AN 8,000
SQUARE FOOT GROCERY STORE. BUT
NOW HAS COMPETITION TODAY. YOU
HAVE A HISPANIC SUPERMARKET.
>> PRACTICALLY EVERY CORNER,
WE FOUND OUR NICHE IN
PROVIDING SPECIALTIES FROM OUR
HOME COUNTRY OUT OF
CONVENIENCE. AND WE ADDED
OTHER SOUTH AMERICAN
SPECIALTIES AND THAT’S WHERE
>> WE FOUND OUR NICHE. THAT’S
OUR MARKET. THOSE NEW STORES
ARE OPENING BECAUSE OSCEOLA
COUNTY’S HISPANIC COMMUNITY IS
GROWING RAPIDLY. ACCORDING TO
NEW CENSUS NUMBERS, THE TOTAL
POPULATION IN OSCEOLA COUNTY
GREW BY MORE THAN 119,000
PEOPLE OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
89,000 OF THOSE NEW RESIDENTS
IDENTIFIED AS HISPANIC OR
LATINO, AN INCREASE OF 73%.
MORE THAN 50,000 NEW RESIDENTS
IDENTIFIED AS MORE THAN ONE
RACE THIS SEGMENT HAD THE
BIGGEST JUMP UP 183% OVER THE
LAST DECADE. AND YOU DON’T
HAVE TO LOOK TOO FAR TO SEE
THE SIGNS OF THAT GROWTH,
BUSINESSES, CHURCHES, EVEN FOR
SALE SIGNS ARE OFTEN HURRICANE
MARIA’S IMPACT ON PUERTO RICO
FORCED MANY FAMILIES TO
RELOCATE TO FLORIDA FOR YEARS
AGO. BUT SYRACUSE’S SAYS SHE’S
SEEING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE
MOVE HERE FROM BRAZIL,
VENEZUELA. AND YES, HER HOME
COUNTRY OF ARGENTINA. SHE SAYS
MANY OF THEM ARE LOOKING FOR
THE AMERICAN DREAM. VERY PROUD
OF WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED.
>> AS A BUSINESS AS A FAMILY.
>> AND I JUST LIKE THE WORLD
TO KNOW THAT WE’RE WE’RE HERE
TO GIVE AND HOW HOW COOL IS
THAT? HOWARD AND RICHIE AS
THAT.
>> AND THE GROWTH ISN’T
STOPPING. SYRACUSE’S SAYS
RIGHT NOW SHE IS STARTING TO
SEE ANOTHER EXPLOSION OF
GROWTH IN THE OSCEOLA HISPANIC
COMMUNITY. AND IT’S NOT JUST
THEIR WE’VE GONE THROUGH ALL
OF THE CENSUS DATA AND WE HAVE
A COUNTY BY COUNTY BREAKDOWN.
JUST LOOK FOR THIS STORY.
>> ON CLICK, ORLANDO DOT COM
UNDER THE INVESTIGATORS. AND
ERIC, AS YOU KNOW, IS THAT
SINCE THIS WAS UNDERWAY, WE
WERE COVERING IT HERE. THERE
ARE AND CONTINUE TO BE BIG
CONCERNS OF PEOPLE OF COLOR
WERE UNDERCOUNTED. YEAH. AND
JUST PICTURE THAT THESE
NUMBERS COULD ACTUALLY BE
BIGGER. IF KNOW, IF THAT WAS
THE CASE OF THE CENSUS
QUESTIONNAIRES. SO THEY WERE
READY TO GO OUT. COVID
HAPPENED AND IT REALLY MADE IT
HARD FOR A LOT OF THE CENSUS
WORKERS TO GET OUT AND KNOCK
ON DOORS. MAKE SURE EVERYBODY
WAS COUNTED. AND, YOU KNOW,
THERE ARE TECHNIQUES IN PLACE
ON HOW TO COUNT IF THAT’S THE
CASE. BUT, YOU KNOW, THOSE
TECHNIQUES STATISTICALLY TEND
TO OVER UP RESENT THE WHITE
POPULATION. SO, YOU KNOW,
THESE NUMBERS TO YOUR POINT
COULD BE A LOT BIGGER. VERY