Todos Son Bienvenidos en Marshalltown, IA
Get to know Marshalltown, IA’s vibrant Latino community.
With a Latino population of more than 30%, Latino culture and traditions are deeply intertwined into the makeup of Marshalltown and generate a vibrant community of Latino-owned businesses. Community leaders bridge cultural gaps and make Marshalltown an even more welcoming place to live by supporting efforts like the newly revived el Festival Cultural, which celebrates the Latino community’s music, dances and people.
Bridge Builders
“You can’t talk about Marshalltown without highlighting its diverse population of residents. Many of its residents were not born in the United States, and their primary language is not English,” says Alfonso Medina, local restauranter. “The community, city government and leaders constantly strive to make sure important announcements or upcoming events are received and translated in their native language.”
From going grocery shopping to attending local community events, you hear multiple languages spoken, signaling that this community is no stranger to more than one culture or tradition, Medina says.
Through his restaurant, Medina promotes diversity and educates his neighbors about his Latino culture.
“We help the promotion of diversity in our community by being open to sponsorships for new sports clubs and educational events, and working towards becoming a place of free speech, respect and equality, which also happens to also sell good food,” Medina says. “We take advantage of the foot traffic in our business to talk to people and educate them on a one-to-one basis. We have found that this is the most effective way to find common ground.”
Cultural Ambassadors
Maria Gonzales, a match support specialist for Big Brothers Big Sisters, has a similar mission. Gonzales immigrated to the United States as a toddler and lived most of her life in Marshalltown. Today, through the organization Immigrant Allies of Marshalltown, Gonzales helps other newcomers successfully integrate into the community.
“Marshalltown is very unique in how diverse we are, and I think that helps us to be a welcoming community. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds that have immigrated to the town and built these really close family units,” Gonzales says.
“One of the reasons I decided to work with this organization is I thought it was important for us to be able to reach out and let people know our stories, who we are, where we came from and how we could connect with the community to better serve them. I pride myself in dedicating my free time to volunteering for other organizations as well as building those communication bridges between the immigrant community and those who have lived in Iowa perhaps all of their lives.”
Diversity at Work
Medina, who also co-owns a concrete company in town, says the city’s embrace of diversity has been good for business.
“Not only does it expand the pool of potential candidates for employment, but it opens up opportunities for growth. Being a diversity supporter and endorser will keep you in the forefront of your industry and help you stay relevant as industries evolve and change.” he says. “Marshalltown can prepare young children as well as adults who have not traveled much to experience what the rest of the world looks like, sounds like and tastes like. Multiple cultures, traditions and languages are spoken in our school district, making our youth better prepared for the global marketplace.”
Jesus Rios, sales/application engineer for Emerson, is a product of Marshalltown’s diverse educational system and says the support he received as a young child helped him achieve professional success.
“When I was younger, I attended after-school programs and met different people who took interest in me and what I was trying to do as far as school and life in general. Through those networks, I ended up working with Emerson when I was 16. That really changed my mind about the possibilities of things I could do within my own career and education,” Rios says.
Get to Know Marshalltown, IA
Want to learn more about living and working in Marshalltown, IA? Check out the latest edition of Livability Marshalltown, IA.
