Immigrant Voices

I met Sara Huddleston a few years ago while searching for contacts in the Latino community in Storm Lake. Most everyone I spoke to would tell me the same thing: “You have to talk to her, she is an icon in our community, and she will help you for sure.” Now Huddleston is running for the Iowa House of Representatives in District 11 for the…

Who could forget Donald Trump’s speech more than four years ago when he said: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you, they are sending people that have lots of problems, and they are bringing those problems with us. They are bringing drugs, they are bringing crime, they are…

Every time a new business opens, I get excited, but when a new business is opened by a young, entrepreneurial Latino couple, I’m thrilled. When I first moved to Des Moines, there were not that many Latino restaurants or places to go to, but after twenty years, I can now eat my favorite food without…

There are only 38 days until Election Day, and some of us cannot wait to see change. For many in the Latino community, this administration has been a nightmare from day one, with us enduring the insults of then-candidate Trump to suffering growing persecution and inequality from his administration. In a survey conducted by the…

There are only 38 days until Election Day, and some of us cannot wait to see change. For many in the Latino community, this administration has been a nightmare from day one, with us enduring the insults of then-candidate Trump to suffering growing persecution and inequality from his administration. In a survey conducted by the…

One of the greatest satisfactions of working with youth is having the chance to witness their growth and transformation — you get to see their lives change and where life takes them. I was given that privilege for nine years when I worked with young individuals in the juvenile court system.  Part of my work…

I have been helping my grandson with his schoolwork for about four hours and I am about to throw the iPad through the window. This is the beginning of the school year and I have no idea how we are going to do this. While taking a break from class, I realized that I am…

I have been helping my grandson with his schoolwork for about four hours and I am about to throw the iPad through the window. This is the beginning of the school year and I have no idea how we are going to do this. While taking a break from class, I realized that I am…

I have been helping my grandson with his schoolwork for about four hours and I am about to throw the iPad through the window. This is the beginning of the school year and I have no idea how we are going to do this. While taking a break from class, I realized that I am…

Parents are their children’s first fans and cheerleaders. They are the first to encourage and support whatever interest or sports they may want to pursue from the very first moment. Maria Coronado is no exception, and she has cheered her son, Joe Colon, since he first joined wrestling. I met Maria Coronado a few years…