Immigrant Voices
Marcano-Kelly: Understanding the Importance of My Voice

Marcano-Kelly: Understanding the Importance of My Voice

Guest post by Vanessa Marcano-Kelly, who served as one of the Spanish-language interpreters for Gov. Kim Reynolds last year during her then-daily coronavirus press conferences. Since my informal community organizer/interpreter days, I was aware that my job as an...

Thrane: Reynolds Wrong to Blame Immigrants

Thrane: Reynolds Wrong to Blame Immigrants

Some statements by Gov. Kim Reynolds make me question her level of knowledge about what happens on the US Southern Border. “Part of the problem is the Southern Border is open and we’ve got 88 countries that are coming across the border, and they don’t have vaccines so...

Midwest Dreamers Want Citizenship, not More Uncertainty

Midwest Dreamers Want Citizenship, not More Uncertainty

Although the latest federal ruling on DACA does not affect enrolled recipients, many of them are still frustrated by the program’s instability. “Every time this program is challenged, we feel that they are playing with us,” said Juan Antonio Garcia. “I would like for...

Meet Henny Ohr, an Advocate for Iowa’s Refugees

Meet Henny Ohr, an Advocate for Iowa’s Refugees

Henny Ohr has dedicated her life to empowering communities and showing what determination and caring for others can accomplish. She is the director and co-founder of Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center (EMBARC) in Des Moines. EMBARC is a nonprofit...

Honoring Iowa’s Migrant And Farm Workers

Honoring Iowa’s Migrant And Farm Workers

This year has been a year of learning, of reflection, of putting things in perspective for many of us. Most of us learned about the importance of slowing down and to be grateful for what we have. We also learned to recognize other people’s important work and sacrifice...