At least 100 worshippers gathered for Holy Assumption Catholic Church's second Spanish-speaking service in November.
One woman was in tears, hearing prayers in her native language for the first time in years, said the Rev. Ron Olson, of the Superior church. Another mass is planned for today to serve the area's growing population of Latinos.
That population, and the call for immigration reform by many, is why "Latino Voices" is being held Monday in Duluth.
The two panels -- one at the Center for Economic Development and one at the University of Minnesota Duluth -- are meant to introduce people to immigration issues and what types of reform are wanted, and will include local Latino community members who will speak about their experiences living here, and why they choose to.
Susana Pelayo-Woodward knew most Spanish-speaking residents when she came here from Mexico City in 1983, but as the years passed, the director of UMD's Office of Cultural Diversity discovered many new Latino residents at places such as Cub Foods or Target. They own businesses, are community leaders and work in education.
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"Duluth has a lot to offer," she said, as one reason the population is growing. "It's a safe community with good schools."
St. Louis County has seen an increase of 350 people who identify as Hispanic or Latino between the years of 2000 and 2008; the most recent data the state has available, said Tom Gillaspy, state demographer.
In 2000 there were 1,597 and in 2008, 1,947. Big box retailers and seasonal work for tourism and service industries where skilled labor isn't always necessary are some reasons why Duluth may be an attractive place to live, said Lyn Clark Pegg, an organizer of the panels.
Many Latinos migrate according to where work is, and many choose to come here to support their families by sending money back to their native countries, she said.
The area probably has its share of legal immigrants and undocumented workers, said Loren McGrail, moderator of the panels and coordinator of the Latino Voices project for the Resource Center of the Americas in Minneapolis.
Regardless of their documentation status, they are making economic and cultural contributions, she said, paying taxes and attending schools. Immigration reform, which lawmakers will focus on this year, should look at a system that keeps families together, and doesn't criminalize those here without documentation, she said.
"We have an incredible backlog of visas on hold," she said. "Sometimes it takes 12, 15 or 20 years to be reunited."
Because immigration reform will be discussed much in the coming year, people in the Northland need to be aware of the issues, Clark Pegg said.
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"We can't go on thinking that 12 million people don't exist," she said. "They are working every day" and are often treated poorly by companies who know they are undocumented and think they can get away with it.
"The majority of people who are here are forced to leave their home countries to survive and take care of their children," she said. "They are feeding our system but they aren't getting anything back."
