"The relationship between blacks and Hispanics has been tenuous as immigration of Latinos has picked up steam locally. Formerly all-black neighborhoods have become browner as immigrants have moved in, causing some strains along economic and ethnic lines."

Concerns about potential rifts between African Americans and Latinos over economics and immigration is leading to a public hearing.

Roberts

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts will convene the ad-hoc Community Building Committee July 25 at the Government Center, Room 267. The meeting, scheduled for 1 p.m., is open to the public

Roberts said a heated exchange over immigration at a recent Tuesday Morning Breakfast Forum led her to convene the panel. Forum participants grilled Latin American Coalition Executive Director Angeles Ortega-Moore on the influx of Latinos in Charlotte.

"It sounded like leaders in the African American community weren't comfortable with immigration and it's impact on the African American community," said Roberts, who attended the forum. "There are rumblings and hearing those comments, I think there's a need to listen to those concerns."

The committee will bring together the National Conference of Community and Justice and Community Building Initiative to discuss recent trends and concerns of immigrants and natives.

"I'm glad she's doing it," said Dianne English, CBI's executive director. "There's probably on of the realities is immigration gives us a chance to look at things related to race and communities. There are certainly hard edges that immigration as a container is part of the issue."

The meeting will also include representatives from the Latin American Coalition responding to a Latino needs assessment compiled by UNC Charlotte and panel its implication for Mecklenburg. The panel will also discuss the impact of Confederate History Week, which has touched off controversy the past two years when commissioners approved an official celebration. The Democratic majority split on support for the May commemoration, with African Americans Norman Mitchell and Valerie Woodard voting against it. A third black commissioner, Wilhelmenia Rembert, supported it, as did Roberts, a Democrat.

The relationship between blacks and Hispanics has been tenuous as immigration of Latinos has picked up steam locally. Formerly all-black neighborhoods have become browner as immigrants have moved in, causing some strains along economic and ethnic lines. Everyone - native-born and immigrant alike - faces adjustments, Robert said.

"The reality is the Latino population has grown so fast we haven't had a chance to catch up," she said. "There are misunderstandings on all sides right now."

English said CBI research has found growing concern as immigration reform has become more of a national issue. Regardless of class or ethnicity, opinions vary about what political and community leaders can do.

"You kind of wonder," she said. "It's a quarter with a gazillion sides. Are we scratching something because it itches or is it itching because we're scratching? But something's definitely there."

Said Roberts: "It's not just African American versus Latino; it's Latino versus white and Latino versus Asian, too. I think we need to educate everybody. We don't want to look at educating minorities (exclusively) when we need to educate whites, too."