Celebrating Latino Cultures
Caminando Juntos continues to welcome newly arrived Latino immigrants into our community. Many are coming from Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico, with a significant increase in those from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia. Reasons vary, but some are fleeing repressive governments which deny human rights, others because of cartels and drug violence. Many come because of poverty and dire economic situations which make it nearly impossible to provide for their children and families. They are grateful for our services and what Sioux Falls has to offer. This increase has led us to evaluate our ministry to see if we are still meeting the needs of our clients. One area in need of assistance is our immigration legal services. We partner where we can, but the reality we are witnessing is that many organizations are seeing this same increased need. Our hope is to find an immigration attorney with a heart for the mission to join our team.
In addition, we also respond in celebration of the beautiful and diverse Latino cultures that make up our community. This past May, we enjoyed the 15th Annual Wells Fargo Cinco de Mayo Fiesta. Around 6,000 people joined together at Falls Park to dance, play, eat and come together to appreciate a day with one another.
“People are migrating all over the world in unprecedented numbers and the United States is just one of many countries to which people are fleeing in hopes of finding safety and the opportunity for a better life. It is extremely frustrating that the lives of many who come are truly in extreme danger and our Congress refuses to do anything to fix our antiquated and broken immigration system that was created more than thirty years ago. The system is overwhelmed. It was developed for a different reality and cannot address today’s reality.” Sister Janet Horstman
“The 2024 Cinco de Mayo Fiesta was an awesome event with perfect weather and a feeling that everybody present was celebrating the vibrant life and cultures of the Latino community in the Sioux Falls area.” Matthew Tschetter