Hispanic group helps with English and taxes

In 1989, Mexican immigrant Maria-Christina Poons, struggling to assimilate in her husband's community of Great Neck, formed a support group.

The members of the group, called the Hispanic Community of Great Neck, consisted of three people: Poons, her nanny and her housekeeper.

"It was a battle for me to be a part of a town that was so close-knit," said Poons, 68, who in 2007 became North Hempstead's first Hispanic Town Board member. "You were either Jewish or you were Catholic, and there was nothing in between. I happen to be Protestant."

Today, the Hispanic Community of Great Neck has about 300 members who came to the United States from throughout Latin America. The group's membership surged in the past two decades with the arrival of Salvadoran immigrants who worked in domestic service jobs in Great Neck.

A variety of services

The organization has helped immigrants with a variety of services such as getting kids enrolled in school programs, finding child care and help with translation. But along the way, Poons has emphasized two things: "Learn English and pay your taxes."

The organization teaches undocumented immigrants that they can pay taxes without having a Social Security number. A taxpayer identification number, obtained through the Internal Revenue Service, allows foreign nationals to pay taxes, said Carlos Menjivar, a Port Washington tax accountant who helps members of the group.

He helps them fill out a W-7 form, which asks for information such as name, address and nationality. An applicant has to file a tax return and show proof of foreign status, usually a passport issued by his or her native country.

Menjivar said he often has to allay fears that applying for a tax identification number will alert immigration authorities. "That's the first question that comes up," he sad. "Am I going to get in trouble?"

Summer enrichment

And having proof of paying taxes can pay off. At a recent meeting, conducted almost entirely in Spanish at John F. Kennedy Elementary School, parents were encouraged to take advantage of the Great Neck school district's summer camp program. Scholarships are available, and Stella Lawrence, a teaching assistant at the school and past president of the group, told parents they would need to provide a transcript of their tax return. Copies of a form that's used to request a transcript from the IRS were distributed.

"Don't despair," Poons told the group. "We're going to help you in many ways. But you have to do your part."

She stressed the importance of summer enrichment. "Don't leave your kids at home, they need to be in a summer program," she said. "Even if it's recreational, they're learning."

The group's current president, Ana Maria Herrera, urged those who are undocumented - the majority of those in attendance - to be truthful when applying for a tax identification number.

"Just tell the truth - you don't have to be afraid," she said.

Poons said leaders of the group often have to reassure members that paying taxes won't make the government come after them for being undocumented.

Navigating the school system

Cecilia Lopez, 51, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Ecuador, said the group has helped her navigate the school system for her two daughters. "They have a lot of information, whether you're a resident or not," she said. "I push my kids to go to the summer program because at home they're only watching TV."

Leticia Vidal, 26, a mother of two from Mexico, said she plans to apply for a tax identification number. "I don't pay taxes, but I want to pay taxes," she said of her job cleaning houses. "I'm going to try very hard to find a way to pay my taxes."

Susanne Marcus, who teaches English as a second language at Great Neck North High School, said the group leaders are able to quickly coordinate donations when a family is in need, providing, for example, maternity clothes, and turkey dinners on Thanksgiving.

"It's like a quiet underground," she said.

The Hispanic Community of Great Neck has outgrown its name, Poons said, and will soon be called Hispanic American Community of North Hempstead. Many of the group's members have become U.S. citizens, she said, or moved out of Great Neck into other areas of the town.