410 Forum — Opinion
Greeley Needs More Spanish-Language Services
By Desiree' Beckett
A long-time Greeley resident once told me that this is a great church town. Considering that there are over 100 places of worship here of at least 34 different denominations, I’d be willing to accept that. But before I completely agree I do have a problem.
Greeley has a large Hispanic population, about 30 percent according to the U.S. Census. Yet my research tells me that there are only five places of worship that offer Spanish-language services here. This just seems disproportionate to me. I believe that there are simply not enough Spanish-speaking services in relation to the size of Greeley’s Hispanic population.
First of all, let’s remember that just because someone is of Hispanic descent does not automatically mean that they speak Spanish. With that in mind, consider that, according to the US Census, Colorado ranks sixth in the nation with 19 percent of its residents being Spanish speakers. If we figure that 19 percent of Greeley’s population speaks Spanish, that means that there could be about 17,000 Spanish speakers here. Now if 20 percent of Colorado’s residents are Hispanic and Greeley’s population is 30 percent Hispanic, that number could be higher and we can see how significant the Spanish-speaking population is here.
So with such a prominent Spanish-speaking population in town, there are only five places to worship in Spanish? Again, it doesn’t seem proportionate. I grew up in Colorado Springs down the street from a Korean Baptist Church. The US Census tells us that, at 2 percent, there is not a significant Asian population in that city. Two percent, 30 percent; see the difference? Greeley has become more diverse in past years and will probably continue to become even more so. Why not accommodate the community with more of these Spanish-speaking worship services?
There can be a few arguments as to why I’m wrong. One would be that the places of worship in Greeley already accommodate the community and that if the city needed more Spanish-speaking services, they would have been established by now. Another argument is that there isn’t that much of a presence of Hispanic people and Spanish speakers in Greeley to truly warrant more of these services. One controversial argument that I have heard is that some churches will not implement Spanish-speaking services because of the “crowd” it would bring in, which might drive existing parishioners away.
I feel that if there is actually a need, it’s not being met. Measures should be taken to evaluate whether there truly are enough services. Of course it doesn’t seem that way to me, but a survey across the city (in English and Spanish to boot) could answer the question once and for all.
When people need or are accustomed to having a religious belief, they should be able to indulge it, just like those who aren’t religious shouldn’t have to. But for those who believe in a higher power, there are things that are important. These can include tradition, location and comfort level.
For some, yes, this comfort level may include attending a worship service performed in a language that you are familiar with. Of course not every Hispanic person in Greeley feels the need to attend a Spanish-language service, and not every Spanish speaker is even religious, for that matter. Yet and still, they are a formidable enough number that there are cultural accommodations scattered throughout town, such as markets, restaurants and other businesses who employ Spanish speakers. How about expanding these accommodations to that of a more divine nature?
