Digital Divide Still Wide for Latinos

According to Nielsen/ Net ratings only 8 million out of an estimated 33 million Latinos in the United States use the Internet. While the Bush administration claims the digital divide is narrowing, the Alliance for Latino Community Technology wants to draw attention to the lack of access to technology among Latinos. At the third annual Latin Communications Conference several organizations met to discuss the issue and to try to stop proposed cuts to two government programs they say have been instrumental in narrowing the digital divide; the Community Technology Centers Program and the Technology Opportunities Program.

Bruce Lincoln of Teachers College stressed that the digital divide is rapidly changing and it's no longer just a question of providing people with computers. "It's very important that people understand the digital divide that existed in 1998 is very different from the one here at the advent of broadband, and we try to make an economic case for why it's so important that in this go-around we don't just wire well-to-do communities but we wire all communities."

The article, entitled "New York's Latino Community Tries To Bridge The Digital Divide " appeared in the October 8th edition of NY1.

Published Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2002