OCEAN CITY, Md. - In the Southern-most part of Ocean City, the Inlet has become a major hub for a growing Hispanic community. People from all over Latin America, from El Salvador and Peru to Puerto Rico and Guatemala were enjoying the last real weekend of summer on Saturday.
And this has been the trend for the entire season. On any given beach-day in Ocean City, the Inlet will be packed with Spanish-speakers, choosing to vacation at this beach resort. On Saturday, one of those tourists was Maria Menjivar. Originally from El Salvador, her family has been living in the United States for more than a decade.
"There are many Latinos from El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico," she said in Spanish. "From all over. We like the beaches a lot around here."
She said that the community has been a very welcoming surprise in Ocean City.
"It's true that it really helps to have this community," she said. "It feels great because we work a lot. But we need to maintain our family. This is a good way to do that."
Ricardo Bravo was also at the beach with his family. The 15-year old's family is originally from Peru, but he has been living in Salisbury for the last 14 years.
"A lot of people help each other out," he said. "Hispanics help each other, you know. It's good to have a bunch of Hispanics in the community. It feels blessed to have them around here."
At the Inlet, it is evident that the beach owners are aware of this trend. Throughout the area, signs are in both English and Spanish. Jose Rodas said that the community is especially important for the children.
"It's very important for the kids," he said in Spanish. "Because for them, they love coming to the beach in order to bathe in the waters. And they just have fun."
Yaritza Coaudio was one of those children. While her parents spoke relatively little English, Coaudio is fluent, despite her young age.
"It does help to make people feel like this is their home," she said. "It's like a home in another home."
