DID YOU KNOW? Hispanic/Latinos are the fastest-growing minority group in the state.
Nearly 450,000 Latinos currently live in Wisconsin, making up 7.5% of the state’s population. Over the past decade, that number has grown more than 33%!
We’re nearing the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, an annual cultural celebration that started as a single week in 1968 and became a full month (Sept. 15–Oct. 15) twenty years later.
Latino or not, we wanted to share three ways you can observe Hispanic Heritage Month 2022 before it ends.
1. Shop at a Latino-owned business.
Small businesses are the backbone of our country, and Hispanic/Latinos own 2.8% of all businesses here in the Badger State.
Here’s the good news: In 2021, Latinos opened new businesses at the fastest rate in more than a decade, and 20% more than any other year on record. But they will only stay open with our help.
How You Can Help: Wherever you live, LatinBusinesses.com is a great resource to find Hispanic-owned businesses in your neighborhood. You can search by type of business/service and city to find options near you.
2. Support Latino families at the border.
The Statue of Liberty makes it clear: America IS great, thanks to immigrants.
The current administration agrees and, since January 2021, has reunited nearly 3,000 families. (The previous administration separated 4,000.)
However, many still need help finding their footing in their new country.
How You Can Help: Save the Children is a trusted, BBB-approved non-profit working to provide basic necessities for immigrant families along America’s southern border. Click here for more information on how to support its mission.
3. Vote!
Politicians have made it clear who is committed to fixing the inequities within the Latino community and who is not.
The Biden Administration, for example, has prioritized making insurance more affordable for Latinos, who have the highest uninsurance rate of any racial or ethnic group in America.
Through the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats have:
- Capped out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000/year for seniors (including 5 million Latinos)
- Cut health care costs by $800/year for millions of Wisconsinites, giving nearly 70% of uninsured Latinos access to a plan for $0/month
- Lowered energy bills by an average of $300/month (helping Latinos, who face an average of 24% higher costs than whites)
In addition to reuniting three-quarters of families separated at the border, the Biden Administration has also:
- Strengthened background checks on gun buyers (Latinos are twice as likely to die by gun violence than whites)
- Prioritized diversity among federal judge nominees (75% female, and 17% Latino)
Not only are certain candidates on the ballot this November, but specific issues, including the equitable treatment of all Americans.
How You Can Help: Register to vote, check your registration status, or make your Midterm election plan today!
Christina Lorey A former producer, reporter, and anchor for TV stations in Madison and Moline, Illinois, Christina has been a coach and mentor for Girls on the Run and has organized events for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
