Economic pressures, immigration crackdowns, and shifting political identities reshape this key community ahead of the 2026 elections.

A national vote would spotlight facts, sweep aside myths and let communities take down barriers and openly talk about culture and language.

As immigration enforcement intensifies and political rhetoric sharpens, Iowa MMJ and One Human Family QCA remind the nation that justice begins in community.

How progressive mayoral candidates Zohran Mamdani (NYC) and Katie Wilson (Seattle) mobilized young voters.

The peril of returning refugees to a nation under the brutal dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro.

Federal agencies continue to remove multilanguage resources from their website in response to Trump’s executive order declaring English as the official language of the United States.

Welcome to another episode of CTLN Latino News Opinion+ where we talk about major issues the Latinx and other underrepresented communities face in the state of Connecticut.  This week we spoke with Earl Randall from Capital for Change on the pandemic’s continuous impact on local organizations along with resources for small businesses and nonprofits in underserved communities.  https://youtu.be/1MM2Ml7zTz4 Capital for Change works throughout Connecticut in a variety of areas as the organization is “dedicated to providing flexible, creative, and responsive financial products and services that support an inclusive and sustainable economy,” reads its mission statement.  As the Director of Programs & Small Business Lending, Earl oversees and collaborates on a variety of programs—including MyHomeCT and the Westville Program—that look to support homeowners, landlords, growing organizations, and other residents across Connecticut.  Randall explained that Capital for Change has previously participated in small business programs, but in 2022 the organization decided [...]

Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic’s arrival, small businesses and nonprofits across the state continue to be disproportionately impacted.  Although public resources have been available to local businesses, those in underserved communities typically have more difficulty accessing these opportunities. Seeing as minority-owned and led organizations faced a variety of challenges before the pandemic, accessible resources have become more crucial than ever.  In CT, Hispanics make up 15.6 percent of the state’s workforce but only nine percent owned businesses, according to a 2021 report by the US Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy.  Associate Lending Manager of the National Development Council Jovanna Mejia was this month’s guest on the Latino News Network podcast, “3 Questions With…”, to speak on specific barriers minority entrepreneurs face and unique resources available to them. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3jSpItewokpQUnDCUSw0Xp?si=ObQ2hdSoSHmKBypeqpKhQQ The National Development Council is a national nonprofit that has served all 50 states for over 50 years. The [...]

MERIDEN — Though the inflation rate dropped in December 2022 to 6.5 percent for things like appliances and gasoline, food prices are still up 11.8 percent compared to a year prior in the U.S., causing grocery prices to rise. “Money is tight,” said Demetria Armour of Meriden, who was recently doing her grocery shopping at C-Town Supermarkets at 160 Colony St. “I mean, everybody seemed like they were struggling,” she said. “And it's just not good out here. You know, you work and you still don't have nothing. And it's really sad and only God is able to make it better.”  Read the full story by the Record-Journal’s Latino Communities Lab at: https://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/Meriden/Meriden-News/Meriden-shoppers-react-to-the-increase-of-grocery-store-prices.html Publisher’s Note: CTLatinoNews partners with the Latino Communities Reporting Lab in best serving the Hispanic-Latino communities of Connecticut.

Sazón paints a rich, nuanced picture of a state's food scene, its entrepreneurs, andthe neighborhoods they enliven. IL Latino News produces stories focused on the responses to the social determinants of health. Economic stability means that people have the resources essential to a healthy life. Factors affecting economic stability include affordable housing; employment that provides a living wage; things that support employment, like worker protections, paid sick leave, and child care; and access to reliable transportation. Bordering the Chicago River on the Lower West Side is Pilsen, a neighborhood rich in Latino culture and decorated with dozens of ornate murals and as many award-winning restaurants. One of the many Mexican-inspired eateries is "5 Rabanitos" in the historic district's West 18th Street. It's there that Alfonso Sotelo, the first part of the story of two brothers, immigrants achieving their "American dream," begins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3eOrwlwiSg Citlalli Magali Sotelo, Columbia College Chicago It is at the [...]

CT Latino News produces stories focused on the responses to the social determinants of health. Economic Stability is vital to affording lifestyle choices and paying for quality medical care that keeps people healthy. A well-paying, steady job is critical for food security and housing stability. Savings are essential for managing chronic conditions or emergencies. Connecticut’s public and private sectors are working together to provide flexible and accessible loans to over 100 small business owners and nonprofit leaders across the state’s diverse communities.  The Small Business Boost Fund was designed to address financial and technical barriers that specifically impact small businesses and nonprofits from marginalized communities, said Director Sheila Hummel of CT Small Business Development Office. “We’re trying to reach [residents] and get them help. Lots of times it’s technical assistance—helping you do your application or afterward too,” Hummel explained. “Maybe, after you get the loan, you’re having some cash flow problems or [...]

“We are much more representative of everyday American kids and international students as well,” said Dr. Wayne F. Lesperance, Jr., President of New England College (NEC), in an interview with New Hampshire Magazine. “So, seeing that diversity of background come in, whether it’s racial, ethnic, gender equity coming in … it’s a very rewarding and relevant change,” he says. “For no other reason, it changes what happens in a classroom. When you have people in a classroom that have different life experiences, different values, different religions, different origin stories, it’s enriching, it makes every conversation in a classroom that much better. I’m proud that this community embraces that.” Dr. Lesperance was recently named a leader in the Granite State as part of NH Business Review’s 2024 New Hampshire 200 list. “Today, about 33% of our students are students of color, and that includes an awful lot of Hispanic students. I was the first [...]

By Roseana Dominguez “You make me feel at home,” read a little post-it note, placed right at the center of the whiteboard in my classroom. I knew that for Elena, one of the English language learners in my 3rd grade classroom, home meant more than a roof over her head; it transcended borders between the United States and Mexico. Spanish was the only language Elena spoke at home and every word reminded her of love, comfort, and connection. Home was a place for authenticity where Elena could be herself and vulnerable.   Just last week, Elena’s general education teacher reached out to me concerned that she had not spoken many words. But in my small group setting, that same week, I heard her voice soar during a “If you only knew” portrait activity I had planned. Elena had drawn a beautiful picture that revealed details about her world. She sketched [...]

MERIDEN — Maloney High School has launched a new Spanish morning news broadcast so that Spanish-speaking students and parents can stay informed about the school community and receive important updates.  The student-driven news segment Noticias De Maloney grew out of a previous session known as Cafe y Charla (Coffee and Chat) hosted by the school as an opportunity for educators to engage with and inform Spanish-speaking students and parents about upcoming events.  “After speaking with the parents at the Cafe Y Charla, this idea came up as a way to always keep them notified,” said Marissa Cardona, college and career coordinator for Meriden Public Schools. “Then we all came together and started planning out the segment.” The new morning segment features two students recapping the latest news in Spanish, as well as informing students and parents about upcoming events. According to Cardona, they are hoping for now to put [...]

Education is the key to unlocking countless opportunities and achieving personal and professional success. However, only some have equal access to quality education, which can hinder their chances of reaching their full potential. Recognizing this disparity, the Hortencia Zavala Foundation (HZF) was established to empower students and provide them with the necessary resources to overcome educational barriers. Since its inception in 2017, HZF, a nonprofit organization, has worked with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) and its local professional chapters to identify worthy candidates for scholarship awards. In 2021, the Hortencia Zavala Foundation expanded its support of young journalists to include a 12-week journalism camp. Covering race, ethnicity, and culture: a guideline for fair and accurate storytelling, led by Hugo Balta, twice president of the NAHJ and Publisher of the Latino News Network (LNN), is designed to go beyond the inverted pyramid of basic news writing in examining the terminology, usage, and word choice of stories [...]

Education is the key to unlocking countless opportunities and achieving personal and professional success. However, only some have equal access to quality education, which can hinder their chances of reaching their full potential. Recognizing this disparity, the Hortencia Zavala Foundation (HZF) was established to empower students and provide them with the necessary resources to overcome educational barriers. Since its inception in 2017, HZF, a nonprofit organization, has worked with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) and its local professional chapters to identify worthy candidates for scholarship awards. In 2023, Ignacio Dominguez-Coronado, a student at California Baptist University, became the twelfth student to receive the award. Ignacio Dominguez-Coronado In 2021, the Hortencia Zavala Foundation expanded its support of young journalists to include a 12-week journalism camp. Covering race, ethnicity, and culture: a guideline for fair and accurate storytelling, led by Hugo Balta, twice president of the NAHJ and Publisher [...]

“Ms. V., do you have a sanitary napkin?”  This is a common question Mai Villasenor hears throughout the school year. Whether it’s in class, where she supports her assigned students as a special education classroom assistant (SECA), or during one of the extracurricular activities she sponsors, like the Filipino American Club, Villasenor finds herself discreetly passing period products to students. On the days when she isn’t carrying a menstrual pad herself, she directs students to one of Lane Tech College Prep’s restrooms, but they aren’t always stocked. The main office serves as the schools most trusted source for students’ menstrual needs. “You can always find them in the main office. But who thinks to go to the main office for a pad?” she asks. Villasenor is a former Chicago Public Schools (CPS) student herself and remembers machines installed on the bathroom walls of Lincoln Park High School that required [...]

Poor nutrition, stress and a loss of physical activity when schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic appear to be worsening the problem of childhood obesity nationally and in Connecticut. Nationally, obesity among youth ages 2 to 19 increased from 19.3% in 2019 to 22.4% in 2020, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The same age group saw the rate of increase in their body mass index (BMI) double during the pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. The heaviest youths experienced the highest gains. In Connecticut, the obesity rate among ages 10 to 17 rose from 13.3% in 2018-19 to 15.3% in 2019-2020, according to the Johnson Foundation report. Pediatrician referrals of children have nearly tripled at the Pediatric Obesity Center for Treatment, Research and Education at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford. In 2019, it had 890 referrals, which grew to 2,491 in 2021. It now has a [...]

Like many women throughout Connecticut, Isabella Vasquez of New Britain has missed or postponed health care appointments due to the pandemic. For the 23-year-old house cleaner, postponing medical appointments became necessary when the COVID-19 crisis-affected childcare for her 2-year-old son. “I would have to not go to my appointments sometimes because I didn’t have childcare,” she said. “When COVID struck, that’s when daycare became less reliable.” If her son sneezed or had a runny nose, daycare would not accept him, Vasquez explained. More women than men have either missed medical appointments or postponed the care they thought they needed during the height of the pandemic, according to a DataHaven survey released in October of more than 5,000 randomly selected state residents. The 2021 Community Wellbeing Survey found that 12% of women didn’t get the health care they needed in the last year, compared to 10% of men. Similarly, 34% of women [...]

The Latinx community is one of the most diverse in the United States. The American cultural melting pot has always included those who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central American, and South American descent. Unfortunately, these communities do not always have access to the mental health care that they deserve. It is time to learn more about how these barriers can be broken so that all communities have the same access to mental health assistance. There is no race or ethnicity that will find themselves immune from mental health issues. They significantly affect all walks of life, at all times. The statistics that have been compiled about the sheer number of Latinx community members who are currently suffering from mental illness are sobering. Over 18% of the US population is estimated to be Latinx or Hispanic. Of this population, 16% have reported having mental illnesses within the past [...]

School districts across Connecticut are struggling through staffing shortages, causing delays and school cancelations. Stonington and Torrington Public Schools closed Tuesday and Hamden High School. In addition, Shelton Public Schools run on a two-hour delay, and Ansonia Public Schools closed for the week. "Our schools are open. I think we got our schools open safely, but there are some kids now who are not coming into the classroom and that makes teaching complicated," said Gov. Ned Lamont at a news conference Tuesday. "We're doing everything we can to make sure your school can open safely. You can see that we're making that our number one priority and I think we can succeed." Lamont and other officials doubled down on in-person learning, and the Connecticut Department of Public Health released new guidance Monday to keep kids in school. This is the third calendar year of the pandemic, and the omicron variant has once again forced school [...]