Immigrant Voices
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Tapestry Farms Executive Director Ann McGlynn on bringing joy to the Quad Cities’ refugee community
Tapestry Farms provides resources to the Quad Cities’ refugee community. We spoke with executive director Ann McGlynn about how its mission has changed lives for the better.
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An immigration success story in the heartland
As ICE raids terrorize communities large and small, Americans should take a lesson from this Iowa town: We’re stronger when everyone is free to participate and contribute.
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Former Iowa legislator writes children’s book on fleeing war in Bosnia
Former Iowa legislator Anesa Kajtazović talks to Iowa Starting Line about her new children’s book.
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Immigrant Iowans, major ag workforce, wonder if they should stay here
by Mónica Cordero, Investigate Midwest/Report for America Leer en español Having spent more than half her life in Waterloo, Iowa, she has built a life here. It’s where she met her husband and where her only daughter, who wants to become a sonographer, was born. That’s why, after a day’s work at an area meatpacking plant,…
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Meet Lanon Baccam, candidate in Iowa’s 3rd District
Democratic hopeful Lanon Baccam’s origin story revolves around paying it forward and solving problems for others.
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The fight against ‘clearly unconstitutional’ Iowa immigration law
Recent Iowa immigrants and allies are still fighting against an Iowa immigration law they say unfairly discriminates against and targets them. Lawyers with the US Department of Justice and the American Immigration Council argued in court Monday that a judge should stop SF 2340 from going into effect July 1. The law would allow state…
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Advocates speak out against Iowa’s anti-immigration bills
As far as Cecilia Martinez is concerned, they are very much an Iowan despite what some Iowa lawmakers may think. Martinez, 27, moved from Mexico to Iowa when they were 1-year-old. They were educated in Iowa schools from kindergarten through college and continue to live, work, and advocate for various causes while residing in the…
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Thrane: Day Of The Dead Isn’t Just Mexican Halloween
With Halloween around the corner, I can’t help but think about the other celebration I grew up with: Day of the Dead. For some Latin American cultures, including my own, the celebration has a very different meaning. “El Día de Los Muertos” or Day of the Dead is an ancient tradition that dates to the…
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Padre Fabian Is A Pillar In Des Moines Latino Community
Padre Fabian Moncada impacts the lives of many from the pulpit of Our Lady Of The Americas, the iconic Catholic church on the east side of Des Moines. For decades, the parish has been considered a spiritual home for Latinos, and Padre Fabian, 49, has led the congregations since 2015. My first memory of meeting…
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Thrane: Let’s Make Iowa’s Afghan Evacuees Feel Welcome
The US military planes left Afghanistan on Aug. 30 after 20 years, marking the end of the longest war in American history. It was heart-wrenching to watch the images on TV of thousands of desperate Afghans trying to escape their country. Fortunately, nearly 37,000 Afghan evacuees will resettle in the US as part of the…
