Hispanics and the Global Heartland

The Heartland continues to experience an influx of Hispanic immigrant workers, as seen in the last decade. Hispanic populations increased more than three times as fast as the national population from 2010 to 2019 (19.2% compared to 6.1%). The fastest growth was in North Dakota (119%) and South Dakota (61%) and seven states saw growth of greater than 30 percent. Overall, the Hispanic population in the Heartland grew roughly 10 percent faster than the rest of the country. In Iowa, over one-third of all immigrants come from Mexico or Central America.

Hispanics are migrating to the Heartland for many different reasons. Some are leaving metro areas like Chicago or Los Angeles for states like Tennessee and Iowa for lower cost of living, affordable housing and for the chance at homeownership at an accessible purchase price.

The multifaceted Hispanic immigrant community parallels the 19^th century German and other Northern European immigrants in the Heartland. Like Hispanics, the European wave of immigrants comprised different ethnicities such as European-Germans and Russian-Germans but was lumped into the same identity because they spoke the German language.[ii] German immigrants first began arriving en masse to American port cities like New York, Philadelphia and New Orleans during the 19th century. They then began moving west to become prosperous farmers in the Heartland.

To preserve their culture and language, German immigrants introduced early childhood education with the concept of kindergarten in their German schools. Similarly, Hispanic immigrants’ influence has led to the creation of an English/Spanish dual-language school program in Omaha, Neb., where 13.9 percent of the population is Latino. The school program operates in 10 schools with 2,800 students providing Spanish-speaking students and English-speaking students with the opportunity to learn multiculturalism and bilingualism at an early age.

Like the Heartland European immigrants, Mexicans and Mexican Americans have been particularly critical in agriculture, manufacturing and construction, but their upward trajectory has been slowed due to a lack of services. In Tennessee, for example, Hispanic homeownership demand is growing, but Hispanics have difficulty finding Spanish-speaking loan officers or educational resources about credit and the home loan process.

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Karla López del Río is a community development professional committed to empowering working families to build wealth and thriving communities. Her work fosters partnerships among public, private, and grassroots organizations across Southern California that result in increased civic engagement, innovative community-led projects, and affordable housing solutions, including homeownership. Karla has served as the U.S. Census Bureau Lead Partnership Specialist for Riverside County during the 2020 Decennial. She is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Demographics and Policy at Chapman University.

Celia López del Río, researcher, is a research associate at Connexions Consulting, where she conducts research that advances knowledge in the community development field and its effects on working families. Her expertise and work in the commercial real estate community empowers minority-owned micro and small businesses with services and resources throughout Southern California. Celia is an active volunteer for working families and the communities she serves.

Image credit: Heartland Forward