In 1929, on Beardstown's 100th anniversary, The Illinoian Star published an article called "Negroes Have Always Avoided Beardstown." It ended with the sentence, "Beardstown has never felt kindly toward the 'culled Gemmen' and while no violence has been attempted toward those of the class who happened into the city, it has always been quite evident that they were not welcome." This all changed in the mid-90s. The isolated, all-white river town 45 miles west of Springfield,...
more »In 1929, on Beardstown's 100th anniversary, The Illinoian Star published an article called "Negroes Have Always Avoided Beardstown." It ended with the sentence, "Beardstown has never felt kindly toward the 'culled Gemmen' and while no violence has been attempted toward those of the class who happened into the city, it has always been quite evident that they were not welcome." This all changed in the mid-90s. The isolated, all-white river town 45 miles west of Springfield, the state capital, began a major demographic shift when the Excel Corporation started recruiting workers at the Mexican border for its pork processing plant. Now 30% Hispanic, Beardstown is a microcosm of a national trend. In the 2000 Census, the increase in Hispanics was greater than the overall population growth in almost every U.S. county.
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!["I need to speak English because I have to help my family. Who's going to ask [questions of doctors, etc] if I don't do it?" said Victor Sanchez, reflected in chiropractor Ernest Tanner's mirror, as he translates to Jackie Tanner for his mother Maria. "Me and my brother and my little nephew -- my parents won't learn." Sanchez learned English not just from school classes, but also from typical Beardstown youth activities such as detasseling corn and going to McDonald's.](http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000wyCnc7NoAAY/t/150/I0000wyCnc7NoAAY.jpg)
