“Even for the region of the southeastern United States, South Carolina still has a pretty small percentage of Hispanic people,” said Kathleen Broussard, sociologist and demographer at the University of South Carolina. “It is interesting that it’s growing (and) that speaks to the growth the whole state is experiencing in population.”
Immigrants contribute to many of the growing industries in the state such as construction, manufacturing and service, Broussard said. That growth is expected to continue to attract immigrants to the Palmetto state.
An ‘open community’
Tem Miles was first elected to office in West Columbia in 2013, when he was a write-in for city council. in 2019, he successfully ran for mayor and still holds the city’s top office today.
During that time, he’s watched West Columbia and the rest of Lexington County become more diverse, with new Hispanic-owned businesses and restaurants. Schools are adapting too, adding dual-immersion programs to accommodate bilingual students.
“I’m incredibly happy about the number of folks we have who are here in our community, and all they bring to our community,” Miles told The Post and Courier. “We have, purposefully, over the last decade, strove to tell folks that West Columbia is an open community. We want everybody to feel like West Columbia is a place that they can come to.
“They can have a business, they can make a home, they can participate in our society, and we welcome folks to come.”
The city has hired five bilingual staff members who also speak Spanish to help with communication, Miles said. It uses a language line to assist when needed.
New culture and flavors
At Plaza Garibaldi, Telez manages a nine-person team. He’s worked with the supermarket chain since the first location opened on Sunset Boulevard in West Columbia in 2005, starting as a dishwasher and moving up to manager at the third location located on Decker Boulevard in Columbia in 2017.