Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Accordian-playing Hispanic drywall subcontractor finds success in Nashville





"Today, [Juan Francisco Martinez] is a U.S. citizen. His drywall business is thriving. He owns several rental properties in the area and a dance hall on Nolensville Pike. He also plays accordion with Misterio del Norte, a Nashville-based band that is about to release its sixth album and plays to packed audiences throughout the Southeast and Mexico."



"Martinez, who was named contractor of the year by the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, was among the early wave of Hispanic immigrants to Nashville in the past 20 years."



"Between 1980 and 1990, Nashville's Hispanic population rose by 454%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Between 1990 and 2000, the Hispanic population in Nashville grew an additional 630%, making Nashville one of the top 10 cities in terms of Hispanic population growth."



"Hispanic residents in the eight-county Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area totaled 40,139 in 2000, accounting for 3% of the population. There were about 1,200 Hispanic-owned businesses in Nashville last year and the number continues to grow, said Steve Uria, president of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce."



The Tennessean

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