September 15-October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month.  It’s a good time to learn more about the Hispanic population in our area and our country, and to learn from events organized by UW-L and Viterbo.
Did you know that the Latino/a/Hispanic community La Crosse is very diverse?  Only about 1/3 were born outside the U.S., and Latinos in the area include not only people of Mexican origin, but also people from Central America and the U.S. commonwealth, Puerto Rico.  About 2/5 speak Spanish as a primary language; for another 1/5, indigenous languages are primary, and for the other 2/5, English is the first language.*
UW-L and Viterbo have planned a series of events that are free and open to the public:  Continue reading.
  • Wednesday, September 28, 5 p.m.,
    Graff Main Hall Auditorium, UW-L
    Poet Denice Frohman
    Denice Frohman is an award-winning poet, lyricist, and educator, whose multi-cultural upbringing inspires her to explore the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality907a0029-64b0-4eb5-a155-c77c165cc4b2
  • Thursday, October 6, 5 p.m.
    Centennial Hall (1309)
    “We Like It Like That”: The Story of Latin Boogaloo (2015)
    Introduction and discussion by
    Dr. Jonathan Borja (UW-L Department of Music)
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    *Source:  “La Crosse Area Latino/a Population and Demographics,” by Victor Macias-Gonzalez of UW-La Crosse

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The Diversity Council is proud to be part of a the vibrant range of conversations and initiatives in the La Crosse area aimed at creating a more welcoming environment for immigrants, who come to the La Crosse area from around the world.

La Crosse has an active Immigration Task Force and a Centro Latino.  And the La Crosse Area Latino Collaborative also engages in community outreach and programming, and houses an electronic resource guide to Latina/o serving businesses and agencies in the region. Continue reading.

At the Diversity Council’s September “Lunch and Learn,” Katie Rubin, Board of Immigration Appeals Case Manager at Catholic Charities, spoke directly to our audience of employers and civic leaders.  She helped raise awareness about myths that can contribute to prejudice against immigrants, as well as native-born Latino/as, Asian-Americans, and other groups.  She pointed out, for example, that undocumented immigrants pay taxes, even though they are barred from receiving many services paid for with tax dollars.

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According to the American Immigration Council,  immigrants and their children make up a growing percentage of Wisconsin’s population and electorate.  “Latinos and Asians (both foreign-born and native-born) wield 12.5% billion in consumer purchasing power” and “the businesses they own had sales and receipts of $4.7 billion and employed more than 26,500 people at last count.”

And yet, we know that issues related to documentation, language barriers, and discrimination can make it difficult for many immigrants to access resources in the area and to have a voice and rights in their workplaces, schools, and their communities.

We invite you to contribute to these conversations and help develop solutions to make our communities more inclusive of a variety of cultures.

Event Notice

Fierce Foundation's Empower Generations LIVE Event

FIERCE Foundation recognizes the transformative power of the 1Life Fully Lived approach, which personally guided Carolyn Colleen out of generational adversity and into success. Now, we’re excited to bring this […]

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Multi­cultural Resource Guide

This guide lists established and emerging resources that reflect and celebrate cultural diversity in our area.

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