Time to make newest
residents part of town

In the late 1980s and through the 1990s, officials in Free-hold Borough came to grips with the fact that a large immigrant population from Mexico and Central America was settling in the community. The new residents filled jobs in sectors of the economy that might otherwise have gone begging.

Although many of the immigrants were, no doubt, in America illegally, federal authorities told borough officials in no uncertain terms there was nothing they could do as local government representatives to address the situation.

While federal officials were aware of the situation, they did little about it, other than rounding up some immigrants at infrequent intervals and removing them from town.

Where those people ended up is anybody’s guess.

Freehold Borough and other Monmouth County communities that experienced a similar influx of immigrants — Red Bank and Long Branch, for example — were left to deal with the realities of a new group of residents.

There have been some bumps along the road, to be sure, but a new subcommittee in the borough has been formed to address the situation and to ensure that all who have come to Freehold will have the chance to assimilate just as previous generations of immigrants did in the early part of the 20th century.

In addressing this issue, borough Councilman Kevin Coyne said recently, "This is not a case of an ‘us against them’ kind of thing. We realize that we must acknowledge the changing needs of our town and the impact that this increase in our population has had on the borough."

Coyne dubbed some of the problems the borough is experiencing with its newest residents a "cultural education problem."

It’s a nice way of saying that some social practices that are a way of life in the immigrants’ native countries are not generally accepted in America. Examples of these "quality of life" issues include gathering in public places to drink outdoors; loitering; and going to the bathroom outdoors.

Officials also plan to focus on the issue of overcrowding of immigrants, primarily single men, in some residential complexes. This is a concern that has vexed the borough for more than a decade.

The subcommittee is working to document what the issue of overcrowding is actually costing the borough. Officials will also document what the actual impact has been and continues to be on the borough’s schools.

Plans to address some of these issues on a regional basis with officials from other towns facing the same questions may well be the best means of tackling the issue. Representatives from these towns may find a more receptive ear in Trenton with a Democratic administration in place in the governor’s office for at least the next four years.

The early years of the 21st century should give Freehold Borough officials a chance to address some of the issues that have festered over the last decade; to ensure that all residents are living in safe housing; and to help people understand what is and is not appropriate behavior.

Perhaps the coming years will also see the emergence of a person or persons from the Hispanic community to represent this new segment of the borough’s population. That, too, would be a welcome development.