A new report found factors like geography play a role in assessing Latino wealth gaps in the U.S.

The findings are from the Brookings Institution, which said there are regional differences between Latino wealth, assets, and debt.

Elvis Rivera, a member of the group Communities Organizing Latino Power and Action, has helped lead financial literacy classes in the Twin Cities. The group's Workers Center also assists with job training and resume building.

Echoing the report, he said there is nuance in helping Latinos overcome wealth barriers, noting there are often multiple generations in a household. He argued younger family members deserve prosperity, too, and it should not be assumed they are limited to low-wage jobs.

"We desire dignity, we desire power," Rivera pointed out. "And we desire to be catered to as it relates to laws, policies and resources, so that we can thrive also."

The Brookings report looked at six states, not including Minnesota. An example showed Illinois has the smallest Latino wealth gap, while it is substantially larger in New York. A separate state summary revealed southwest Minnesota has the highest concentration of Latino residents. It is an area where food manufacturing jobs are prominent, underscoring calls from advocates to create more opportunities.

Whether it is a food processing plant or a construction site, Rivera noted they are also having to respond to an environment where many Latino workers are still being taken advantage of.

"For example, wage theft is something that we're heavily working on addressing," Rivera explained. "Because we tend to see that a lot of folks that are brand new to the state may encounter job insecurity, exploitation."

The group's efforts coincide with recently adopted wage-theft laws in Minnesota.

Rivera, who has a background in finance, said he had to overcome misconceptions about his own ceiling as a working professional. He feels those beliefs still exist among employers and financial institutions. He stressed more culturally appropriate marketing and engagement efforts as Latinos try to build new lives here.

On May 21, the town of Sinclair is hosting a free screening of the Wyoming PBS documentary "100 Years on the Lincoln Highway" at the newly restored Parco/Sinclair Theatre - as part of Historic Preservation Month.

Monte Thayer - community events director for the town of Sinclair and the theater's manager - said the original Lincoln Highway runs directly in front of the cozy, old-style theater that most people in their thirties or younger have never seen.

"Everybody that comes here - whether they are performers or just attendees of an event - they just fall in love with the theater, and the old little ticket booth inside," said Thayer. "People just fall in love with it."

The theater was built in 1924, when the town was named Parco for the oil company running the nearby refinery.

The town's name changed after the Sinclair Consolidated Oil Corporation took over operations in the early 1940s.

The theater matches the Spanish Colonial Architecture style of the other original public buildings in town, and the interior renovation was completed in 2021.

Former Sinclair mayor Leif Johansson said the old boiler in the basement had to be removed because it was full of asbestos.

Workers chipped out the original concrete floor to make the space compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The original seats, which were too narrow for today's audiences, were replaced with larger seats.

"Before it didn't have a balcony," said Johansson. "We put in a balcony, and we put in a concession area, and larger bathrooms for people. It took a little over a year to refurnish it and get it going again."

Thayer said funds are still being raised to complete the exterior restoration. He said feedback from town residents on the decision to invest upwards of $2 million has been positive.

"They just talked about how it's improved the quality of life," said Thayer. "And this is coming from people that initially weren't in favor of the renovation, but now say that was the best idea this town could have done with that place, and it's just been a godsend."




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North Dakota high schools are in spring sports mode and there is lingering tension from winter sporting events, where Native American players endured racist taunts from non-Native fans, and one lawmaker wants more follow-through with the response.

Several incidents of players being subject to discriminatory behavior from the stands have prompted apologies from districts of opposing schools. The state High School Activities Association has responded, including by implementing a zero-tolerance policy.

Rep. Lisa Finley-DeVille, D-Mandaree, who represents the Fort Berthold Reservation, said the rules are not being widely enforced.

"The laws are there, they created them. It's about enforcing them," Finley-DeVille emphasized.

The Association also created a special committee to handle these matters, and Finley-DeVille noted she plans to engage with the panel over the summer. She hopes the input will lead to a better environment during games next year. The federal government already has its own civil rights investigation underway, stemming from an incident involving the Jamestown district last year.

Finley-DeVille appealed to the Department of Education Civil Rights Division last month with her own complaint. Meanwhile, she encouraged North Dakota to allow for Tribal Flag Songs to be performed before sporting events, just like the national anthem. She suggested it could help create more awareness among non-Native fans.

"The more education they (receive) about things, the better understanding they will have of Native Americans," Finley-DeVille pointed out.

DeVille acknowledged South Dakota already allows the practice. She added the department is evaluating whether her complaint against the Activities Association will lead to a separate probe. The Association did not respond to a request for comment.


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Minnesotans who haven't completed their tax returns yet might be fretting about meeting the April 15th deadline. For those facing language barriers or other resource issues, the concern is even greater, but help is available. In the Twin Cities and around Minnesota, there are free tax preparation sites staffed with multi-lingual volunteers, including those who speak Spanish. And the organization COPAL provides plenty of tax guidance to Latino populations in the communities it serves.

Claudia Lainez, Workers' Center director of the Communities Organizing Latino Power and Action said that includes assisting undocumented individuals as they get ready to file their returns. Despite certain myths, she said they are required to pay taxes like everyone else.

"And they pay a lot more taxes because, sometimes, they are not eligible for credits," she explained.

A key change this year is that these households are eligible for Minnesota's new Child Tax Credit. Undocumented people file their returns using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or I-TIN. COPAL and partner organizations can help secure this tool. On its website, the state Department of Revenue lists free preparation sites that help those who speak little or no English.

Some of these locations are by appointment only or have limited hours. Meanwhile, Lainez said part of their education is explaining to immigrants who are new to the state the importance of paying taxes.

"We have to provide information that taxes are good for the infrastructure of the city where you live in - for schools, for example, " she continued.

With less than two weeks before the tax filing deadline, she says there's also guidance for information seekers on how to get an extension. Certain sites in the state also help Hmong, Somali and Vietnamese populations.