Standing with Iowa’s Latino community year-round

September in Iowa marks the change of seasons and proliferation of pumpkin spice. But the month is also punctuated with events across the state celebrating Latino heritage. Bright colors, lively music, and tempting scents of food draw in thousands to celebrations of Latino heritage across Iowa. Iowa depends heavily on Latino workers, in all industries, and with the people come businesses and the sharing of cuisine, culture, and values that have been integrated in many ways into the lives of Iowans.

But Iowa’s love of the culture has not always translated into love of the people. Inaccurate portrayals of Latinos as lazy, criminals, and non-assimilators are propagated by those who have little experience with the community. Never mind the irony of portraying a group of people of being lazy while at the same time claiming they are stealing jobs from Americans. And for those who self-proclaim themselves to be allies, this allyship often fades into the shadows after the fun of Latino heritage month passes. The quiet removal of the heritage month banners on social media and advertisements occurs while the real work of standing up for human rights and dignity remains largely ignored.

Across the country what we have witnessed is not an increase in deportations – Obama deported far more people than Trump has – earning him the title “Deporter in Chief.” What we have seen is an increase in the unjustified violence and terror associated with the entire detention process. From inhumane and harsh treatment in detention facilities, to women and children being battered during raids. When asked for comment about ICE agents wearing Chucky masks and other horrifying costumes to further invoke terror during operations, the Department of Homeland Security’s only remark was “Happy Halloween.”

Your Instagram post of supporting Latino business is nice. But legally intervening during ICE raids, actively teaching people about their rights, and standing up for someone who is being discriminated against is what needed. Doing the hard work consistently is what creates a true ally.

Tar Macias and his wife Erika connect Latino communities with each other and with other communities through the Hola America Media Group and Hola Iowa. Last month the publication highlighted a number of ways people can be allies, including through education, service, and financial support of Latino businesses and media. Macias told me “During the tough times, that's when you realize who the true allies here are.”

And times seem tougher than ever. Macias connects the difference in 2025 with increased access to information that confirms people’s own biases. “They don't have to wait till the 10:00 news or for the newspaper to come out the next day. They get on their phone, and their algorithm is saying, OK you like this. So I am only going to show you that type of information.”

Further compounding the issue, in September the Supreme Court ruled in that racial profiling is acceptable for federal agents to stop and potentially detain a person.

Our government has paved the way for English speaking citizens to get harassed by agents who have shown that due process in many cases is not even an afterthought. Macias’ family has been here for seven generations. “They're always very intimidating and aggressive. So in a way, I always thought that I was safe. But now I don't know if I'm safe from that. I never thought it would affect somebody like me, but now with the Supreme Court ruling, just because of the color of my skin, I could be stopped by people demanding my proof of citizenship.”

Criminality is a large misconception surrounding the Latino community. The Macias’ work to challenge this false narrative. “That's why 25 years ago I started Hola America to combat the misinformation, because for everyone those stories, everyone of those stories that from somebody from our community that does something really bad.”

Another misconception is origin and demographics of the Latino population in Iowa. “Seventy percent of Latinos in Iowa were born in the U.S. I think people don't realize this that the Iowa Latino community is very young.” Macias went on to explain that the median age is 24 compared to the rest of Iowa, which is 38.

Kelly Cambell is one of the youth doing positive things in Iowa. The intern with the Latino Leadership initiative believes that “Policies and media representation must also shift from viewing immigrants as an issue to recognizing them as contributors to our communities and economy.”

Campbell has been inspired by her own immigrant family, especially her father. “He came to this country at 17 with nothing but determination and faith, working tirelessly for a better life.”

And she also wants to see a change in the narrative. “When people take time to get to know immigrants, to hear their stories and see their contributions, the fear-based narrative loses its power. We need to create more spaces that represent immigrant voices, promote education and highlight the share values that connect us all.”

The Catholic Bishops came together last Wednesday to issue a statement condemning U.S. immigration policy and calling for dignity and the importance of basic human rights. This kind of statement is rare because it required two thirds of member agreement among bishops, a feat not often accomplished. I would hope that others could find the courage and gumption to take action when they see our community members being harassed, attacked, and often unlawfully detained.

With the detention and near deportation of a U.S. citizen in Iowa last week, the time could not be more urgent.

Campbell finds hope in the efforts she sees in her community. “What keeps me going is seeing firsthand neighbors helping neighbors and other leaders stepping up. Having hope drives progress, and I believe we all play a role in strengthening that.”

Chris Espersen is a Gazette editorial fellow. chris.espersen@thegazette.com