Conference

Latinx in Iowa: Not the New Iowans

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Abstract

The story of a place needs to include voices from multiple perspectives, and counter stories to the White narrative. In Iowa, that means including the story of Latinx people. As of 2017, there are 189,818 Latinx individuals in Iowa. They are members of rural, suburban, and metropolitan communities, and are surrounded by minimal or negative stereotypes of the Latinx community. Thorough representation of Latinx as Iowans, who have been here and contributed, benefits all Iowans. Accurate representation within the curriculum and state-funded sites is essential for educating all Iowans about Latinx current and historical contributions. The Historical Society Museum and website is the repository of cultural-historical knowledge of Iowa’s people. Using Critical Race Theory and LatCrit Theory, we evaluated their exhibits and teacher resources, seeking to recognize how and when Latinx people in Iowa were included. Our analysis found that representation of Latinx people ranged from invisible to marginal. We generated ideas for gathering testimonies and artifacts for the museum, and met with museum staff to discuss possibilities for improving representation of Latinx people within Iowa at this site. Conference attendees will be invited to “stay connected” following this presentation, to build coalitions around Latinx representation at the history museum.