Latinos: The Future of Many Iowa Rural Communities
by Guest Writer on September 17th, 2009
Written by Francisco Hernandez
A Latino-owned business in Marshalltown, a Main Street community in Iowa.
When I arrived to Newton, Iowa, from Guanajuato, Mexico, 14 years ago, finding an original Mexican restaurant in town or hearing Spanish spoken in the streets was very, very rare. Today, things have dramatically changed. Mexican restaurants exist in abundance and the Spanish language can be heard in even the most remote rural communities of Iowa.
During a fairly short period of time, Latinos in the Midwest have become an increasingly important population. The challenges and needs of this population cannot, and should not, be ignored any longer. Towns like West Liberty and Columbus Junction, with Hispanic populations of approximately 40%, are just a couple of vivid examples of a “Latinization” process occurring throughout the rural landscape of the Midwest.
Despite the negative rhetoric about Latino immigrants that is dispensed by many politicians and media outlets, the truth of the matter is that in Iowa, many communities strongly depend on the Hispanic population to stabilize their population and to contribute to the socioeconomic and cultural environment in the region. Hispanics in Iowa provide an infusion of labor; new business creation; additional sales tax revenue; exposure to Latin American food, dance, and festivals; and many other contributions.
Francisco Hernandez with Agustin Ordaz, a Latino business owner from a Main Street community in Marshalltown, Iowa.
This summer, I worked with Main Street Iowa program and the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) creating partnerships and building bridges in an attempt to fill the gaps between Hispanics, Main Street Iowa, and IDED. Assessing the challenges and opportunities of Hispanic business owners operating in Main Street communities is not an easy task, but in this critical demographic change, it is imperative to find better ways to improve the programming offered to this diverse and ever-growing population.
Over the summer, I visited 12 Main Street Iowa communities with significant Latino populations. I was sad to realize that many of my fellow immigrants still lack the basic knowledge of services available at the state level. Many current and prospective business owners are, unfortunately, oblivious to the available financing, technical assistance, and social networking that could help them be fully integrated into the state’s mainstream economic system. In order to spread this knowledge, I met directly with Latinos, but also with local chambers of commerce, Small Business Development Corporations, Iowa State University Extension offices, and other organizations that work in these communities. I wanted to know how to strengthen the ties between Latinos and the existing service network, so that anyone who works with Hispanics in the state can offer more effective resources and referrals.
Providing the necessary tools for a new population’s successful integration into a community is a huge challenge, but Main Street Iowa has taken the first steps to becoming a great catalyst to assist in these efforts. I hope my research will help them to provide many of their already successful programming and networking services to a more diverse group of business owners. Successfully tapping into the ever-growing, hard-working and risk-taking Hispanic population can prove to be a great challenge, but it also offers great opportunities in an increasingly competitive and global environment.
September 15- October 15 is Latino Heritage Month. Learn more about the stories of Latino Heritage in Preservation.
Francisco Hernandez is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies at Iowa State University. Over the last 14 years he has been involved in various forms of outreach and assistance to Latinos throughout Iowa.
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