Rumors, fears keep many Latino immigrants away from food stamps

When Maritza Real tries to connect Latino immigrants to the federal food stamp program, her first step is often to kill The Rumor.

Many eligible immigrants, skeptical of food stamps, live with a very specific fear: "That once their children turn 18, they will have to pay [the government] everything they received, which is not true," Real said. "But we've heard it everywhere."

Real, who works for Community Action Partnership of Scott, Carver and Dakota Counties, doesn't know where it began. But the payback rumor and many more like it keep Latino families from the healthy food their families might need.

Latinos are more likely than whites to live in poverty and they have a harder time finding their next good meal, Census and other data show. Many, though, are reluctant to take advantage of food stamps.

Stigma, language, and complex eligibility rules all play into historically low participation rates among Latinos in the nation's largest nutrition program. The power of myth remains one of the biggest barriers, advocates say.

Some immigrants also believe applying for food stamps, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will hurt their chances at citizenship.

That was the worry recently at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, where Real set up a table with Spanish-language brochures and made fast friends with kids in need, including a 3-year-old ponytailed girl with a picture book.

The families who come to the church's Mission Outpost include Russian and Latino immigrants who stock up on fresh produce, bread, dairy and other kitchen staples.

Sonia came seeking food and help with medical insurance. The Mexico native asked that her last name not be used in this story because neither she nor her husband and two older children have legal permission to be in the country.

Her youngest, however, was born in the United States, so unlike the rest of the family, she may be eligible for SNAP benefits.

Still, Sonia is hesitant to apply for the program on her daughter's behalf.

"Sometimes you think you're running a risk -- that if you give so much information, you can have a problem in the future," she said. "Some people say you can be deported."

Real, who grew up speaking Spanish, tells parents like Sonia that as long as they're honest on their applications, there is help available for their citizen children -- and that they shouldn't go hungry.

At a nearby table, Real plopped a 6-month-old boy on her lap so his mother could fill out paperwork. The mother assumed food stamps were off limits to her family because she and her husband lack legal status but said friends told her that receiving the benefits didn't prevent them from obtaining legal residency.

Those positive community stories helped her overcome her fear and led her to apply for SNAP. She said she feels at peace knowing where her three children's next meals will come from.

That's no small thing. Unhealthy diets cause health problems. Latino children are also are more likely than whites to be obese and overweight.

"In the Latino community, there's a paradox because a lot of people would tend to think if you're food-insecure, you have a tendency toward malnutrition and being underweight versus overweight," said Eric Rodriguez with the Latino advocacy group, the National Council of La Raza. "That's where the types of food you have access to becomes very, very important."

Nearly 8 percent of the 465,000 people who receive food stamps in Minnesota are Latino, a group that the state acknowledges is underserved. Only about half of eligible Latino households are participating in SNAP.

Last year, a state grant helped pay for the Neighborhood House in St. Paul to hire a Spanish-speaking family worker. Along with a Hmong caseworker focusing on Southeast Asian clients, the outreach efforts led to the enrollment of more than 300 new families in SNAP, said Joan Schlecht of Neighborhood House.

Still, the divisiveness of the immigration debate here and across the country contributes to the belief that accepting food stamps will hurt the chance for citizenship.

"A lot of the conversation on immigration reform a year ago focused a lot on, 'Have you been paying taxes? Have you been doing what you're doing what you're supposed to do by not becoming a government's charge?'" Rodriguez said.

"In that polarizing debate, there's been a focus on who's deserving and who's not deserving," he added. "People are paying attention to that very carefully, and it's raised a lot of sensitivity about, 'When do I seek assistance when I need it for my family?'"

As much as outreach groups would like to boost participation, they are limited in how they do it. The farm bill signed this year by President Obama prohibits federal funds to be used in radio or TV ads, including those aired in Spanish.

Overcoming the challenges is difficult but not impossible. In the Twin Cities' southern suburbs, Real uses her shared background to help her clients feel at ease.

"I let them know my family's from Mexico, they immigrated here," she said. "I know my parents had fears, too, when they came to the United States."