Ernest Allen 
Jan. 3, 1993 
Ernest D. Allen, 49, Of Rr 3, Shickshinny, Died Sunday In The Berwick 
Hospital, Berwick.

A Job With 
An Altitude 
Bob Barrett Took Just A Few Giant Steps And Crossed The Length Of The Room.

By MARITA LOWMAN; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Monday, January 04, 1993 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A QUICK WORDS: MINORITY PACKAGE,
CENSUS 





lowly, steadily, Luzerne County's face is changing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Once a refuge for white European immigrants, there's a new trend of
diversity here. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As the number of white residents slipped from 339,744 to 321,855, the
number of minorities nearly doubled since 1980, from 4,700 a decade ago to
8,128 in 1990. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Minorities comprise 2.4 percent of the county population. Some, such as
Mary Lovett of Parsons, contend it's a conservative percentage. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 First, there is an unknown number of people who chose to ignore the 1990
census questionnaire. Then, Lovett said, there are many people with mixed
racial heritage who consider themselves white although their skin color is
different. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I believe there is a much larger percentage of minorities here than the
census indicates," said Lovett, who's black and a human resources manager at
Procter &amp; Gamble in Mehoopany. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The 2.4 percent figure represents a small but significant shift in the
county makeup. More significantly, it indicates that if the trend continues,
Luzerne County's economy, like the rest of the country, will depend on its
success in educating, training, employing and promoting minorities. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In the census, the largest increase is among blacks, counted at 2,101 a
decade ago but 4,013 in 1990. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Mixed-race residents who list themselves as "other" almost tripled, from
251 to 728. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The number of Asians and Pacific islanders jumped from 855 to 1,355;
Hispanics from 1,365 to 1,834, and Native Americans -- American Indians,
Eskimos and Aleuts -- from 128 to 198. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The growth has happened so slowly it has been almost imperceptible. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And it has been scattered. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Though the largest minority population resides in Wilkes-Barre, minorities
have settled in smaller numbers across the county, from the Back Mountain to
Hazleton, from Mountaintop to Pittston. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As their numbers rise, so does their voice. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Some, such as Larry Lovett, who's black, and Eric Lee, who's
Asian-American, shun a minority label in favor of individuality. Others,
because of racial heritage and small numbers, regard themselves as minority
groups. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Job control &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Many are striving to become a visible presence in local government and
private employment. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In 1990, two black men founded Northeastern Network, a coalition striving
for multicultural education in the local schools and racial diversity in
elected offices. The network's membership has risen to 170 blacks, Hispanics
and whites. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Minorities such as David Holloway, Rick Wright, Shirley Oxford -- all black
-- and Son Nguyen, who's Vietnamese, are taking charge of their own destiny.
Each has begun his own business. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Asians and Pacific islanders rank among the area's top professionals, many
of them physicians. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Thirty-three percent of Asians and Pacific islanders earn more than
$100,000 per year here, but they are the exception rather than the rule. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 There is a huge gap between the economic and political clout of whites and
minorities. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In the labor force, whites control the executive roles, top managerial
posts and high-paying professions. Most minorities are found in
low-to-moderate- paying, blue-collar jobs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Unemployment is particularly high among local minorities, except Asians and
Pacific islanders. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 So is poverty. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Poverty &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The poverty level for the 1990 census ranged from $523 a month for a
one-person household to $1,415 a month for a six-person household. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Economically, 10.9 percent of whites were below poverty in 1990. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But 45.9 percents of blacks and 33.3 percent of Hispanics fell below
poverty, according to the census. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Education plays a major role. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Education numbers &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In 1980, 52 percent of local blacks had a high school diploma. In 1990, 35
percent did, and 7 percent had college or graduate degrees. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hispanics face a similar dilemma. In 1980, 54 percent of all local
Hispanics had high school diplomas. By 1990, the percentage dropped to 28.6
percent, and 13 percent held bachelor of science or graduate degrees. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Sixty-one percent of local whites had high school diplomas in 1980, but the
1990 census shows a decline there, too. In 1990, 41.1 percent had diplomas,
but 13 percent had college or graduate school degrees. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Today, Asians and Pacific Islanders are the most educated of Luzerne County
residents. Twenty percent have a bachelor of science degree and 33.5 percent
also have a graduate degree. Asians and Pacific islanders are the least likely
school dropouts, according to the census. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Taking anything they can get &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Despite the edge Asians and islanders have in education, a large chunk of
their population is struggling financially, often because of a language
barrier. Forty-six-year-old Phi Pham, for instance, was a highly-educated
lawyer in Vietnam. Here, he visits the employment office in Wilkes-Barre
seeking entry-level, blue-collar work. In the United States just six months,
his thick Vietnamese accent and difficulty learning English is blocking him
from finding employment suitable to his education. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 His nephew, Son Nguyen, arrived here in his early 20s, finding both the
English and the transition easier to master. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Now 30, Nguyen owns the China Knight restaurant in the Midway Shopping
Center in Wyoming. He's one of the lucky ones. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "A lot of my Asian friends who've graduated from King's and Wilkes can't
get jobs here," Nguyen said. "Language is the biggest problem, and employers
go for the Americans first. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "My uncle has a master's degree and a law degree. For him to work for
minimum wage is a waste, but he'll have to take anything he can get." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Leo Cevuano is ready to settle for anything, too -- janitorial work,
security guard, anything. A strapping 50-year-old Filipino who migrated here
from Alaska, Cevuano's accent and dark skin create a double barrier for him as
he searches for work, he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 John Barnes, a Wilkes-Barre native, found success by leaving the area to
complete his education, establishing himself in the white-collar professional
world and then returning home. Barnes, 37 and black, is now the admissions
officer at Penn State Wilkes-Barre. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Vera Cornish is making similar gains. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Cornish moved up the professional ladder to become the financial aid
officer at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, and has become a major force in a movement
to install multicultural education in the local schools. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Some of their voices are soft, some are loud. Some demand change. Some
simply hope for it. Some say they're just regular people trying to make it in
tough economic times. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 One thing is clear. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For the first time, many minorities are knocking on the county's
traditionally white doors. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And Luzerne County's face is changing.

Census: County Is Changing Its Colors