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Iowa Latino Hall of Fame shines light on achievements of Latino and Hispanic Iowans

Launched in 2017, more than 30 Iowans now sit in the Iowa Latino Hall of Fame housed at the State Historical Building in Des Moines.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Nearly 7 percent of Iowa's population identifies as Latino or Hispanic and that number is projected to double by 2050, according to the Iowa Data Center

The growth is no surprise. The Hispanic and Latin American community has long been a fabric of Iowa.

But, it wasn't until a few years ago the Iowa Latino Hall of Fame launched to recognize people for their meaningful work.

While having a coffee at Ritual Café in downtown Des Moines, Marlú Abarca, who uses she/they pronouns, talked about her roots and feeling proud to support a Latina-owned local business.

"You can always feel at home," Abarca said.

It doesn’t take much for Abarca to be in the spirit when they are at Ritual Café in Des Moines.

"My family celebrated the Day of the Dead growing up so I can always count on there being an altar here during Day of the Dead so it feels homey that way," they said.

Whether it’s conversation or showing pride in her Mexican roots, Abarca is proud of her heritage.

"This is the first tattoo that he did for me – 'dormir poco, soñas mucho'. 'Sleep little, dream much'," Abarca said.

Abarca's schedule is often jam-packed, but the days are filled with acts of service they believe in.

"Tuesdays and Thursdays, I also coordinate an ELL program out of a local church," they said.

That's just one of many initiatives Abarca's involved in around Des Moines because she wants to help and serve her community.

"How do we make sure that every Iowan knows how diverse we are as a state and how do we show youth that it’s okay to be proud of where you come from?" Abarca said.

Denise Diaz has owned Ritual Café for nearly 20 years.

“I'm a Chicana. I was born here in Iowa. I grew up in West Des Moines and there’s a great history of Latinos in Iowa," Diaz said. 

She knows her roots and how she’s connected to Iowa.

"My grandfather came over from Mexico to work on the railroads," she said.

It’s that sense of knowing and belonging that Abarca hopes Latino and Hispanic Iowans can find.

"I wanted to make sure that Iowans, no matter what their background was, knew about how diverse Iowa was so I was really happy when I was appointed to the Commission of Latino Affairs in 2016," Abarca explained.

That work, along with other efforts she was a part of, landed Abarca the ultimate honor last year: being inducted into the Iowa Latino Hall of Fame.

"I like… immediately started crying," Abarca said. "I’m 31-years-old and I never thought I’d achieve something like this and it means a lot that the nomination came from my community."

Launched in 2017, more than 30 Iowans now sit in the Iowa Latino Hall of Fame housed at the State Historical Building in Des Moines.

Abarca is now a selection committee member for an initiative she believes highlights her community’s contribution to the state and shows Iowans are diverse.

"I think the average Iowan doesn’t realize how important immigrants, in particular Latin American immigrants, how important they are to Iowa," they said. "There are school districts and industries that would close down if it weren’t for Latin American immigrants."

Ritual Café is a reminder of what’s possible because of Latin American immigrants and a symbol of what Iowa is for Diaz.

"This is like my home, an extension of me, so when I see people of all colors, especially mi gente, it makes me happy and really proud," Diaz said.

That shared, proud spirit uplifts Abarca.

"I want to leave Iowa better than I found it," Abarca said.

On Oct. 13, there will be six 2023 inductees into the Iowa Latino Hall of Fame. 

Abarca said anyone can nominate a person for future inductions, including allies who are not Latino or Hispanic.

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