Spanish.

Hispanic Americans are residents of the United States who belong to a Spanish speaking ethnic group, and their number continues to climb. That is the basic reason for the training: a large and growing share of the people you serve speak Spanish.

The outline supports this with figures from the 1990 census. Nationally, Americans of Hispanic origin had passed 22,350,000, or 9 percent of the U.S. population. In Texas, persons of Hispanic origin numbered 4,294,120, which was 25 percent of a total of 16,986,510. An increase of about 21 percent was expected going into the 21st century. These are the outline’s numbers and they are old, but they are the ones the curriculum uses.

Most of this population is of Mexican birth and ancestry. Mexican Americans are a mixture of both cultures, Mexican and Anglo, and are concentrated in the Southwest, especially in California and Texas.

Family and community carry great weight in Hispanic American culture. Under questioning, a family member may “eye-check” other family members before answering, and may say “we” where you expect “I.” That can look evasive. It often just reflects that no individual in the family separates their affairs from the family’s larger concerns.

Under stress, a person with limited English often answers English questions in Spanish. That is not necessarily an attempt to hide information. A person who turns and speaks Spanish to family during an interview may well be gathering information. Do not assume a lack of comprehension, either. Listening and reading skills often far exceed speaking skills. Be patient and make sure the relevant information is gathered despite the language barrier.

Respect for authority is not the same as trust. Many Hispanic Americans are taught to show respect for figures of authority, but a history of prejudice and discrimination, and of Latin American dictatorships, makes trusting officials hard. Trust must be established through caring and consistent community policing. It helps to establish context. Most interviews benefit from a friendly greeting and a handshake, and from an explanation of why the information is needed.

Nonverbal behavior is easy to misread. Many Hispanic Americans are taught to avert direct eye contact with figures of authority as a sign of respect, not dishonesty. Native Spanish speakers often use a great deal of body language, such as pointing with the lips, tilting the head or raising an eyebrow to point, and shaking the index finger to say no. Emotional expression tends to be viewed as permissible, so animated speech and gesture do not mean something is wrong.

Some people show fear for no apparent reason, claim not to speak English, or balk at presenting identification. In some Latin American countries being stopped by police is genuinely fearsome, and it is common there for officials to take identification and not return it. Where you have no reason to think a fearful person is a threat, reassure them by word and deed.

Underreporting of crime is one of the biggest challenges in serving Hispanic Americans. Causes include fear of retaliation, a wish not to harm extended family, perceived indifference from law enforcement, lack of confidence in police, and prior experience of discrimination. People from countries with repressive governments may fear police more than they fear criminals. Derogatory language about Hispanic Americans is completely unacceptable, even in private conversation with colleagues. When in doubt about what a group prefers to be called, ask.

One effective approach the outline describes is the bilingual community service officer (CSO), a uniformed and badge-holding non-sworn officer. Even without fluency, courteous everyday Spanish such as “Buenos días,” “señor” and “señora” will probably be appreciated as a sign of respect and goodwill.