U.S. Culture and Ethnicity.

Dissertation Title:  Hispanics in the Suburbs – Community Adaptation in Olathe, Kansas

Dissertation Summary:  This study examines how the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, Kansas, is adapting to a large influx of Hispanic immigrants.  I will look at the historical role of this minority group in Olathe; the perceptions and adaptations made by businesses, social-service organizations, health-care providers, churches, police and others that serve the community; and differences in the cultural landscape of areas with a significant Hispanic population versus those that are not.  Instead of following the familiar part of focusing on adaptation of a minority population to the larger culture, my study reverses the perspective, emphasizing the acts and nonacts of community organizations and businesses.