SHELBYVILLE, Ky. — To make sure Hispanic customers get the pepperoni or jalapenos piled on their pies as ordered, workers answering the phone at Domino's Pizza can check a list of toppings written in Spanish.

        Increasingly in Kentucky, Hispanics who once moved in and out with the tobacco season are setting down roots and representing a bigger slice of business.

        “When they walk in, I notice the color of what is in their hand,” said Michael Lynch, co-owner of the Domino's.

        During the 1990s, Kentucky's Hispanic population tripled to nearly 60,000, according to the 2000 Census.

        A third of the people listing themselves as Hispanic were in the state's two most populous counties — Louisville's Jefferson and Lexington's Fayette — but the influx has spread to rural counties, many on the fringes of cities.

        The Tristate's Hispanic population more than doubled during the past decade, with the census placing the number in the eight counties at 22,000. In Northern Kentucky, Hispanics tend to live in Boone County, where the Hispanic population increased 435 percent during the past decade.

        Gilberto Esparza has opened the Hispanic Resource Center in Covington as another way to help. The center recently helped make funeral arrangements for a Mexican man beaten to death in Latonia.

        “For too many people, the language barrier is a major problem,” Mr. Esparza said Saturday.

        Tristate health agencies now regularly hold health fairs to reach out to Hispanics, who often do not seek critical medical help because of the lack of insurance or language barriers.

Bilingual ads, Masses

        To reach Spanish-speaking residents, sponsors put public service announcements on a local Spanish radio station, made announcements at the Spanish Masses at the cathedral, and publicized the event in local publications, including a Spanish-language newspaper.

        The Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department now distributes Spanish-language pamphlets on everything from diabetes prevention to nutrition for mothers-to-be.

        Schools have responded by offering special English classes and hiring Spanish-speaking counselors.

        Churches are also recognizing the needs of the Hispanic community. Two years ago, the Diocese of Covington created the position of director of Hispanic ministries to determine how the church could best meet the spiritual and physical needs of the area's Hispanic population.

Finding opportunities

        In Shelby County, the Hispanic population mushroomed from 90 in 1990 to 1,505 in 2000. The county's overall 2000 population was 33,337.

        “There is an opportunity in this land, and we haven't seen it before,” said Orlando Rodriguez, 33, who runs a small grocery store and restaurant in town that's stocked with products from Mexico, his homeland.

        Other Shelbyville businesses are reaching out to Hispanics holding down factory and farm jobs and moving into the economic mainstream.

        Republic Bank was host to a recent cookout to promote banking services catering to Hispanics with little or no grasp of English. A banner with a Spanish phrase hangs from the front of the bank. Its English translation is “We speak Spanish.”

        Some Hispanics carry around wads of cash, a bank executive said. Many are trying to save enough money for down payments on homes.

        “There is a large Hispanic population there that we would like to serve,” said Michael Sadofsky, senior vice president of marketing for Republic Bank & Trust Co., based in Louisville.
        Evaristo Jimenez, 20, a construction worker who moved to town seven months ago, said the signs in Spanish made him more comfortable.

        “You can understand everything,” he said, watching a load of clothes tumble in the washer. “You know what is going on in here.”

        In a way, Mr. Rodriguez has fulfilled his own American dream.

        When he first arrived from the Florida orange groves to work in the tobacco fields, he was 15 and couldn't speak English. He gained U.S. citizenship in the 1980s and opened his store 18 months ago.

        “I am here to stay,” said Mr. Rodriguez, now 33.

        He has brought a taste of Mexican culture to Shelbyville, a north-central Kentucky town known for fried chicken and saddlebred horses.

        Colorful pinatas hang above stacks of packaged tortillas. Jalapeno peppers are crammed into huge jars. A massive rack bulges with spices, herbs and chiles. Salsa music blares as a few diners dig into heaping platefuls of authentic Mexican dishes.

       Enquirer reporter Cindy Schroeder contributed to this article.
       

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