Topeka ? As the number of Hispanics in Kansas increases, many find themselves working low-paying jobs, in part because of the lack of education and/or an inability to speak English.

“They come to the United States thinking it is easy to make money but they don’t speak English and they have to take the low-paying labor jobs,” said Lydia Gonzales, of Garden City.

“Everywhere you go, you see them. They do the work the other people won’t do and they work a lot of long hours just to be able to survive in the United States,” she said.

Gonzales has been active for years in the League of United Latin American Citizens. Three years ago she retired from Garden State Community College, where she worked to get Hispanic students to attend college.

“If you have a better education, you can get a better job,” she said. “If they aren’t educated, they are going to be out on the streets.”

David Burress, a Policy Research Institute economist at Kansas University, agreed.

“Typically when an immigrant comes here, he has disadvantages. He may not be as well-educated, may not know the language and may not have the contacts,” Burress said. “All of this means bad jobs.”

‘Gini coefficient’

According to 2000 Census figures, the statewide median household income of whites was $41,873, compared to $32,623 for Hispanics, based on 1999 incomes. The 2000 numbers also showed that Hispanic population doubled from 1990 to account for 7 percent of Kansans, while whites made up 83 percent of the population.

Another measurement is the disparity of income among groups. Calculations are made using the “Gini coefficient,” a statistical formula used by economists to measure the gap between the rich and poor.

It measures the mathematical deviation from perfectly equal distribution of income within a given population group. A group with income distributed evenly would have a coefficient of 0; the widest disparity would be 100.

“The higher up you go on the income distribution, it is more and more whites,” Burress said. “It is the way we are. It is our history.”

Recent census data analyzed the Gini coefficient for counties where at least 3 percent of the population was Hispanic. In Kansas, there are 36 counties where direct comparison between whites and Hispanics can be made, although Hispanics are in all 105 counties.

Statewide, the Gini figure for whites was 43.0 compared to 40.7 for Hispanics. Douglas County had a Gini number of 45.9 for whites and 42.7 for Hispanics.

Lumped together

Burress said the Gini numbers indicated that in most counties Hispanic incomes were more closely lumped together than among whites and the median household income indicated Hispanics were lower paid as a statewide average.

“If the number is lower, it means the incomes are closer together. It means the incomes are more equal and you don’t have a big split between the rich and poor,” Burress said. “This is probably because there aren’t many rich Hispanics in the state.”

Finney County, which includes Garden City, led the state with its Hispanic population at 43 percent, followed by Seward County with 42 percent and Ford County with 38 percent. All three counties are home to the meatpacking industry where many Hispanics work.

‘Harder to rise’

In Finney County, the Gini number among Hispanics was 36.9 compared to 41.1 for whites. In Seward County it was 38.9 for Hispanics and 40.4 for whites. But in Ford County, it was 42.8 for Hispanics and 40.1 for whites

“It’s not impossible for Hispanics to move up the economic ladder, but it is a lot harder because they are starting lower. The lower you start, the harder it is for you to rise,” Burress said.

The Gini difference between Hispanics and whites was most pronounced in Edwards County, where the coefficient was 29.8 for Hispanics and 45.8 for whites. The least pronounced difference was Wichita County where it was 40.4 for Hispanics and 40.6 for whites.

In metropolitan areas, where there are more higher-paying jobs, the Gini difference between Hispanics and whites also was less pronounced.