BILOXI – The new immigrant population on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is not only spawning more Latino-owned business, but also giving a significant boost to already established businesses in Biloxi, writes the Jackson Clarion Ledger. 

According to the newspaper, thousands of Latinos have flocked to the Mississippi Gulf Coast looking for jobs and a fresh start. Since Katrina, business owners in Biloxi such as El Rancho restaurateur Enrique Vanegas have seen profits and customer traffic take off.

Vanegas, originally from Mexico, told the newspaper that locals business owners are now opening convenience stores, gasoline stations, liquor stations and “a lot of businesses and services.”

Pragediz Diaz, owner of a small family retail store, La Bamba, says that her business has increased by 80 percent since Katrina, although she frequently hears from new Latino residents about their struggles to find housing.

“There’s a lot of work. Nobody has anywhere to live. Every day they come and ask, ‘where is an apartment to rent?’” Diaz told the newspaper, adding, “A lot of them sleep in their cars.”