Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin expands focus on Latino issues

Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin is a busy man these days.

Tuesday he spoke to Northfield Enterprise Center officials about how to support and promote local Latino entrepreneurs. He gave a report which you can download here or read at the end of this post.

This was just the latest move for Reginaldo, who is perhaps best known as a community liaison at Greenvale Park Elementary School. He is in fact, much more, including an entrepreneur, an agronomist and an experienced promoter of small business.

You may remember we have written about him in the last couple of weeks as he has been pushing local families and community leaders to create emergency plans. The main impetus was the immigration raids in Minnesota and elsewhere in December, but the plans also are important for families and communities facing storms or other emergencies. You can check the key story here.

Last Friday he brought together Latinos and community leaders at St. Dominic's Church (photo above).  He even drew Juan de Dios Matus Carreño, of the Instituto de Los Mexicanos en el Exterior Minneapolis, or Mexican Consulate, who gave support and encouragement to about 100 people concerned about the need for emergency plans.

City and school officials listened on translating devices to speeches and discussions in Spanish, a small taste of what many others in the room deal with every day. There was no denial that a key focus of the meeting was to help families and individuals who have dealt with or could face immigration issues, but the officials have indicated that the emergency plan they are developing would work as well after a tornado or other large emergency.

Here is Reginaldo's report... 

Work Report for the Northfield Area Latino Community

Summary

This report includes key aspects, or the culminating events that resulted from a process that was started last October, after I moved to the Northfield area and started looking for partners to launch a local initiative to organize the Latino community into two key aspects 1) Civic engagement, and 2) Economic development.

These two aspects became of high strategic value in designing a system of integration after the raids of December 12, 2006.  The civic engagement element became more urgent than the economic development, primarily because of the environment of instability and fear that was created as a direct effect of the raids.  In order to create an environment of stability, belonging and hope for our community, it was decided to pose the question to a group of Latino/a parents at Greenvale Park Elementary school on December 20, 2006.  The question was “would a contingency/emergency plan to protect the integrity of the Latino/a families in the Northfield area be of interest to you.”?

The question was answered with an unsurprising “yes”, 11 volunteers signed-up that night to help with the organizing effort.  An action plan was developed before Christmas, and on December 21, a “call to meeting” for January 5, to discuss a contingency plan in case of immigration raids in Northfield or surrounding areas, was sent to a selected group of city, school, and non-profit organizations leaders from across the city.  On December 28, 800 hand-outs were distributed from the parish office of St. Dominique Catholic Church with a call for a community-wide meeting of Latinos/as on January 12.

An article was written on the January 5, meeting by Anne Bretts from Northfield Citizens Online, a local non-profit (you can review this and other comments at http://locallygrownnorthfield.org/archives/259).  The contingency plan was presented and participants signed their organization’s commitment to support the different components of the plan (once finished, a copy of the plan will be available from www.mainstreetproject.org).

This meeting was attended by representatives from St. John's Lutheran Church (Peace and Justice Committee), St. Dominique Catholic Church, St. Olaf’s Center for Experiential Learning, Community Action Center, Northfield Area YMCA, Northfield Citizens On-line, Northfield High School (principal), Greenvale Park Elementary School (principal), Northfield School District (superintendent), Northfield Police Department (Chief of Police), City of Northfield’s Welcome Center, School District Minority Liaison.

On January 12, 2007 the previously approved plan was presented to the Latino/a community at St. Domique Catholic Church.  A count of participants indicates that 45 members from the Latino/a community were present, plus representatives from the wider community, for example a member of the steering committee working on Northfield’s Community Garden and a representative of ARTech Charter School were present. 

Representatives from the wider community who the participants at the January 5, meeting were also present on the 12, they include St. John's Lutheran Church (Peace and Justice Committee), St. Dominique Catholic Church, St. Olaf’s Center for Experiential Learning, Community Action Center, Northfield Citizens On-line, Greenvale Park Elementary School (principal), Northfield School District (superintendent), Northfield Police Department (Chief of Police), City of Northfield’s Welcome Center, and this time Beth Berry of the Las Familias coalition was present, a group representing a number of organizations working on improving Latino/a high school graduation rates and college enrollment. We were also honored with the attendance of Mr. Juan de Dios Matus Careño, representing the Mexican Consulate based out of St. Paul.

The agenda on January 12, included presentations from Gary Smith, the Chief of Policy on the importance of organizing emergency response plans in all cities across the country, and the importance of incorporating the raids as events that create conditions similar to other natural events with an economic, social and psychological impact in the whole community.  We then heard a message of support from the Mr. Juan Matus of the Mexican Consulate, and then from Marj Evans-de-Carpio of the Northfield’s Welcome Center.

The contingency plan was introduced to the whole community, feedback was requested and a vote was taking as to weather there was support to continue this planning and its introduction into the city-wide emergency planning process.  All Latino/a participants raised their hands in approval, there were no abstentions.  A meeting was then convene for February 11, at 8 pm. at the same location and residents from the different neighborhoods in the city volunteered to spread the word.

The contingency plan was presented as a key component of the creation of an environment where the local Latino/a community can continue to thrive, develop and integrate into the wider community.  In the creation of this environment, other aspects such as dealing with poverty through enterprise and economic development were addressed.  As a result, this meeting also generated two new levels of organizing at the civic engagement and enterprise development levels.

As part of the contingency plan, an emergency fund has been established under the Community Action Center’s sponsorship, contributions from families at the January 12, meeting totaled $292 which will allow us to open the emergency account.  During the January 5, meeting, both St. Olaf and the YMCA pledged to find a way to contribute to the fund as well.  As we go forward, the youth ministry at St. Dominique will continue to sale items on Sundays at church to keep growing the fund.  Talk of a fundraising dance among the youth is also underway.  The goal is to have $10,000 by December 2007. Checks for this fund can be written to the Community Action Center and sent to 1651 Jefferson Parkway Suite HS 200 Northfield, MN 55057, write “Latino Emergency Fund” in the memo.

Civic Engagement

Eighteen (18) volunteers signed to work at the city-wide level.  The goal of this larger group is to elect a smaller group to represent the needs of the Latino community and ideas to the EDA (Economic Development Authority), the major’s office, the city council, work with the police department on safety and community protection issues, etc. 

The role of this group will be to develop and implement a Latino-led integration strategy at this different levels of the city life.  Even though the process will be long and resources still need to be secured to conduct the work, this is an astonishing result in such a short period of time. 

Part of the plan in this area of organizing includes training of a Spanish speaking expert in Northfield's city planning, and other key aspects of the city’s inner workings.  This expert will then train the rest of the team.  Especially, we will target participation in, and understand of, the comprehensive economic development plan for the city of Northfield.  This group will meet again briefly on the 11. of February at St. Dominique's Church social hall to elect a smaller group to take on the leadership roles.

Enterprise Development

Nine (9) volunteers signed up to continue the work with the structuring, design and launch of the Northfield Latino Enterprise Center. This group will be meeting again before February 11.  Its first goal will be to raise at least $50,000 to launch the Northfield’s LEC.  Fundraising work is already underway and pledges are already being made by local organizations, the following weeks will define where the local organizations stand and what kind of financial support can be gathered locally. 

This local aspect will define weather Northfield is ready for a Latino Enterprise Center or more grassroots work is necessary.  This leadership group will eventually act as an oversight board to ensure that the Latino/a representation continues in the future of the Latino Enterprise Center together.  The next two weeks will also define a lot of where the fundraising is going.  A proposal has been submitted to the Southern Initiative Foundation and a meeting is scheduled for February 19, with officers of the Northwest Area.

Future Activity:

Tuesday, January 16, I will present at the Northfield Enterprise Center’s board meeting and hope to gain their approval to serve as a Fiscal Agent for the Northfield Latino Enterprise Center

February 6 at 8 am. I will present at the Downtown Developement Corporation on the Northfield Latino Enterprise Center and ask for money to fund the start-up stage.