Rural Narratives on Welcoming Communities

Latinos are the largest minority group in Nebraska and one of the fastest growing, especially in rural areas of the state. Being able to understand welcoming and integration of Latino immigrants from a community leadership perspective will help to create effective messaging and narratives to motivate inclusiveness and create rural places where everyone has a chance to succeed. We have found that there is a lot of good will, but often there is also fear of change or fear of doing the wrong thing, which may impede any action and therefore maintain the status quo. For this reason, we want to understand community leadership’s perspective on welcoming and work with partners to develop powerful narratives, provide access to resources, and disseminate best practices.