Latinos En Spokane
Who We Are
Latinos En Spokane is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization centered on supporting citizen participation, culturally-led community development, and empowerment of the Latino and immigrant population in Spokane County. We have centered our efforts on going to the community, listening to needs, building trust, and providing technical support and wrap-around services directly to families navigating the complexities of immigration, education, healthcare, housing, and city resources.
Our Vision is to be a transformative force for systemic change, racial justice, health and wealth, to empower Latinos, immigrants and marginalized communities of Eastern Washington. Our Mission is to lead our work by providing wrap-around services, building cultural landscapes, supporting entrepreneurs, organizing our community, and creating policies for justice and inclusion.
Past
Latinos en Spokane was founded in September 2017, by three Latino advocates from the Spokane community. Jennyfer Mesa, Misael Vences and Alberto Alberty. The intention to form a group was to connect with local Latino residents from all backgrounds and create a sense of community. We created an online space through social media to hold conversations, share information on local events, and provide information on local resources for businesses, immigration processes, community workshops, and to learn more about the Spokane community. The group was launched with 70 members, and in 2018 we grew exponentially to over 2000 members of the Latino community in the Spokane area.
Our social media space has allowed us to connect to the Latino community and gain an insight of community needs. Throughout this year we have partnered with local organizations like World Relief, Catholic Charities, Spokane Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, ACLU, local Latino businesses, and churches to provide outreach. We’ve held multiple immigration workshops on Know Your Rights, citizenship applications, scholarships, and Temporary Protective Status. In addition, we provide translations on local events and community resources. Many Latino businesses and organizations advertise their events and promotions in our group page. Moreover, our online group has become a trusted space where community members can ask for help, guidance, report BP/ICE activities and arrests, can inform of us on wage theft, and discrimination. Our group also serves as a safe space for community members to ask questions, inquire about employment opportunities, and where people can express concerns and provide recommendations.
Present
Latinos en Spokane works to support the Latino population in their integration, civic participation, and community development. Through our community events and workshops, we work with local organizations and service providers to help support the self-sustaining and empowerment of the Latino community in Spokane.
Our Mission is to build capacity within Latino immigrant families and support the advancement of Latino community members, leaders, business-owners, and organizations in Spokane; to address the needs of the growing Latino population through arts, culture, inclusive community engagement, and connections to local resources; to create physical, digital and cultural spaces to empower underrepresented community voices; and to serve as catalyst for immigrant rights, inclusive planning, and social/racial/economic/environmental justice for a more equitable Spokane County.
