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Iowa town translates its diverse population into a majority Latino city council

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

People who live in small-town America know that small towns are often diverse. You'll find historic Black communities, immigrants, Native or Hispanic populations who've been around longer than the United States. And that reality has led to a political change in one town. Here's Iowa Public Radio's Kassidy Arena.

KASSIDY ARENA, BYLINE: The eastern Iowa city of West Liberty is one of thousands of majority-minority rural communities in the U.S. It's not the first to challenge the concept of a homogenous white rural U.S. In fact, in 2020, nearly a quarter of rural Americans were people of color, and the numbers are growing. But in Iowa, West Liberty - with 4,000 residents - is the only town to now have a majority Latino City Council.

(SOUNDBITE OF STREET AMBIENCE)

ARENA: When you drive into Iowa's first majority Latino city, the first thing you'll see is a building with an enormous mural. It declares, you belong here, on the left; tu perteneces aqui, in Spanish, on the right. Two-term City Councilman Jose Zacarias is bundled in a jacket on a cold day, standing in front of the colorful mural.

JOSE ZACARIAS: And the message is the right message. It's in English; it's in Spanish. This is who we are, you know? Now people, Anglo people, are talking about - we are no longer two communities living in the same place; we are growing into one.

ARENA: This is exactly the kind of town the Center for Rural Innovation (ph) has been focusing on. The nonprofit promotes economic prosperity and diverse leadership throughout rural America. Director Matt Dunne says he sees it in rural America's makeup all across the country.

MATT DUNNE: One of the things that we've spent a lot of time on over the last several years is making sure that the country knows that rural America is not white America, that the diversity of people in rural places is part of its vibrancy and its potential.

ARENA: Jose Zacarias has been in West Liberty for decades after emigrating from Mexico. He first came here for a job in the town's meatpacking plant. Over time, he's watched the Latino community blossom, watching residents become citizens, then voters and, finally, political candidates. But it hasn't always been an easy transition.

ZACARIAS: The work that comes behind being a minority majority now, which is political education. How do you translate those numbers into political action?

ARENA: Zacarias says he finds that political success comes with grassroots organizing. For years, he's encouraged fellow Latinos to take the next step to run for office. Now, after November's election, 4 of the 5 City Council seats are held by Latino residents. That comes as Latinos remain underrepresented in city governments all across the country. Newly elected West Liberty City Councilwoman Dana Dominguez isn't surprised. Her family came here from Mexico, and she says many immigrants find obstacles to gaining political power. Many work exhausting, physical jobs, have busy family lives and, in some cases, difficult immigration status.

DANA DOMINGUEZ: I think there's a lot of barriers in the way, honestly. But I'm glad that we're here now. Hopefully, it encourages other people, too, to run in the future.

ARENA: Schools here now have a dual-language program, and last year, the city started a high school mariachi band.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ARENA: As West Liberty government celebrates its diversity, other small towns across the country may see it as a model for promoting a new type of political engagement.

For NPR News, I'm Kassidy Arena in West Liberty, Iowa.

(SOUNDBITE OF CITY OF THE SUN'S "IN THE BEGINNING") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Kassidy Arena

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.