The Hispanic population in Grand Rapids
n the 20 years since, the Hispanic population in Grand Rapids more than trip-led, from less than 10,000 in 1990 to more than 29,000 in 2010. In neighboring Wyoming and Kentwood, it more than doubled from 2000 to 2010. The number of Hispanics in Kent County quadrupled in 20 years, to nearly 60,000 in 2010.
It is a remarkable jump for a population first drawn to the region decades ago by seasonal agricultural work in apple orchards and blueberry and cucumber fields.
El Vocero — which started in 1993 with just Abreu, his wife and an early-version Apple computer — now has a staff of 14. What began as a 16-page tabloid and circulation of 3,000 is now up to 48 pages and circulation of 15,000, with each issue of the weekly Spanish language free-distribution publication brimming with 80-120 ads.
The bottom line of other Hispanic ventures is looking up as well.
Hispanic grocery stores have sprouted on the west side of Grand Rapids and south of downtown, meeting a need that big-box stores such as Meijer can't or won't fill. Hispanic-owned restaurants such as Lindo Mexico in Wyoming serve a growing customer base.