Oklahoma Tornado 2013: How The Disaster Is Affecting Oklahoma's Growing Latino Community

Oklahoma's growing diversity has left Latinos leaders wondering how to specifically care for the countless Latinos who have been affected by the tornado.

According to the Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber Of Commercer, about 10 percent of those devastated by a tornado that hit Moore, OK Monday are Latinos.

Moore is a prime example of the changing communities of Oklahoma. The town just outside of Oklahoma City was part of a sudden growth in Latinos over the past decade.

One in four of Moore's 39,000 residents are white, with 5,000 being Latino and the remainder split between Asian, Native American and black.

Latinos also make up 10 percent of the entire Sooner State, which houses approximately 4 million people.

At the beginning of the decade, there were about 1,500 Latino businesses. That number has since swollen to 8,000, according to the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

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"The [Latino] community in the Oklahoma City area is a pretty good size," David Castillo, leader of the Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce said. "Most of the community is new, the growth began about 15 years ago. Many are from Mexico, they're Mexican-American. But the Latino community has a variety, you have second- and third-generation Latinos."

The rise in the Latino population is most notable within the education system, as children of immigrants and Latino-Americans are climbing in numbers. Of the 43,000 children within the public schooling system in Oklahoma, about half are Latino.

PHOTOS: The Aftermath Of The Disaster In Oklahoma

Despite increasing numbers and a bustling growth of Latino and Spanish-language churches and organizations, Castillo said that the state still lacks an appropriate support system for its Latino population, especially in times of crisis. He said groups across the state will be working together to address the most immediate needs of the community affected by the tornado.

"It's hit close to home," he said.

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