A Blueprint for Hispanic Outreach
William (Billy) Farias is not what one would call "diplomatic." He speaks his mind without reservation.
This is contrary to the indirect mode of communication that most Latin Americans use, so when the
Clearwater, Florida police department chose him as the liaison officer to head their new Hispanic
outreach initiative in 2000, he faced a challenge.
Officer Farias describes Clearwater's problem at the time as "sweeping the dirt under the rug until the
pile grew too high to deal with" as the Hispanic immigrant presence grew ever larger and the city's
agencies had no process to manage it. [1] However, this bilingual American with Cuban and Puerto Rican
roots has a special talent.
He is "simpático," or sociable. This is important because Hispanics are a people-focused culture. Farias
will reach out to anyone to talk about anything, and his word is his personal pledge. Also a cross-cultural
trainer, Farias loves to share his experiences working with the Clearwater police department.
Farias' personal story dissects Clearwater's 'from-the-ground-up' approach to serving a changing
community. Farias was among a handful of bilingual officers in Pinellas county, Florida when a rash of
Mexican immigrants moved into the city. As in many other U.S. cities and counties, the growth of
immigrant communities can start with a single immigrant.
Farias recounts the case of one highlands Mexican man who dreamed of a beach vacation in Florida.
After saving enough money for a trip to Clearwater Beach, the man decided to stay. As Farias describes
the situation, "the wages earned in Mexico could be as low as $4.50 per day whereas in Clearwater they
could earn up to $10.00 per hour in the service industry. This could include medical benefits as well as
vacation time and sick leave.
He continues, "at the beach they can work indoors and only 8 hours per day. They get uniforms and can
work as much overtime as is available sending millions of dollars back home each year." [