ANN ARBOR—A practical manual for Spanish-speaking families residing in Michigan is among the new features on the University of Michigan’s Portal en Español.

The guide, produced by the U-M Law School’s Pediatric Advocacy Initiative, includes information for migrant workers and immigrant families about their basic rights. The 32-page guide covers topics such as medical, educational and children’s services, labor rights, rights of battered women, and resources for families, among others.

The Pediatric Advocacy Initiative is part of the Clinical Law Program and provides free, confidential services to Washtenaw County’s growing Latino community.

“We have seen first-hand how current laws and the political climate discourage many immigrant and migrant families from seeking out social and legal services,” said Minsu Longiaru, attorney at the Pediatric Advocacy Initiative. “We hope that this guide can be of use to families by including information about their rights along with where to go and what to do when those rights are violated.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2005 nearly 11,000 people — or 3.1 percent — of Washtenaw County’s population of 344,047 were Latino. The number of undocumented workers living in the county is unknown.

In 2005, about 400,000 people in Michigan — or 3.8 percent of the population — were Latino. The number of Latino births between 1990 and 2005 increased by 95 percent, said Ken Darga, a U-M demographer.

The manual is available through a new Portal en Español feauture called “Community Connection,” (Conexión Comunitaria), which will include information about organizations associated with the University that conduct public service and are linked to Spanish-speaking communities in Michigan, the United States and Latin America.

Many U-M organizations are actively involved in community outreach worldwide. Some U-M schools — such as Public Health, Social Work, Education, Nursing and the Medical School — have focused their efforts to helping disadvantaged residents in the Detroit area.

The University launched Portal en Español in September 2004. The Web site, which has more than 600 pages and has seen a 400-percent growth in traffic, has established itself as one of the largest Spanish-language university resources in the country. It was recently identified as a “Best Practice” in the nation by the College Board (Latino Resources for Increasing Participation and Success in Higher Education, October 2007).

“The U-M Spanish language initiative outreach, Portal en Español, gives education opportunities for potential students, knowledge about research for population around the world and now, the possibility for vital information for one of the most vulnerable populations in Michigan, the migrant and immigrant families who only speak Spanish,” said Lee Doyle, chief freedom of information officer.

Related Links:

• Portal en Español
• The Pediatric Advocacy Initiative
• Clinical Programs