Over the past few decades,
Latino immigrants, primarily of Mexican
descent, have been immigrating
to the United States at increasing
rates in search of economic opportunities
that are not readily available in
Mexico and Central America. The
west side of South Bend has witnessed
this rapid influx of Mexican
immigrants, causing a shift in the
demographic composition of the
community. Over a period of ten
years, South Bend‟s Latino population
increased from 3% of the total population
in 1990 to 8% of the total
population in 2000