Fort Wayne, Indiana Mayor Hires Latino Immigrant Liaison
5 June 2009, 9:45 AM. By Alex Alvarez
Fort Wayne, Indiana Mayor Tom Henry has hired a liaison to advocate for and help him better communicate with Latino immigrants moving into his town. Palermo Galindo, who is fluent in Spanish, has previously worked at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, with the Indiana State Lottery (so many immigrants, after all, love lotería), and with other multicultural outreach and non-profit organizations.
Mayor Henry explained his choice in a formal statement:
Fort Wayne has welcomed thousands of New Americans to our city in the past two decades. It is my responsibility as mayor of all Fort Wayne residents to make sure their interests are heard and lines of communication and City services are open to everyone.
Is “New Americans” the new, PC term for immigrants? We’ve never heard this phrase before.
Galindo’s job description includes working to make sure Latinos are included in the services and programs offered by the city, as well as with Fort Wayne’s Community Development Department staff for neighborhood planning, the 2010 Census and the city’s Complete Count committee.
We understand that it’s difficult to be a recent arrival to a new city, not to mention an entirely new country, and that Latino immigrants are not exactly always welcomed with open arms and so could use a little help and advocacy when it comes to melding into their new communities or, as is sometimes the case, having their communities adapt to them and their specific needs.
But why do Latino immigrants need this, and this our opinion, “extra” help? Why not work as an individual to ask for, or demand, that you are counted or look into city services and programs oneself? If this is your choice and this is your circumstance, why not do all that is possible in your power to help yourself participate and get the most out of your community? Why must the city make sure to guide you?
We’re not saying Galindo’s position is negative - we know that this is not an easy time for Latino immigrants moving to the U.S. - and we know people like Galindo are needed in many communities, but there is something to be said for curiosity and a desire to help oneself, even in (especially in) tough circumstances.
What’s your take on this? Do you think more cities should elect special advocates and liaisons for the Latino immigrant community? How far does outreach need to… reach?
City hires advocate for Hispanics, immigrant [News-Sentinel]
(2) 
Post Your Comment
Did you know you can now share a link, image or video?
Click to submit your own notas.
I lived in Resistencia (Argentina) for over a year and almost as long in Hanoi. No one did any outreach toward me. Which is good cause I would have smacked them for their insolence.
What’s so bad about the extra help? In many ways, this country does so little to reach out to its immigrant communities. The expectation is that the immigrant has to adapt and acclimate to the United States. Many Latin American immigrants come from countries that are unresponsive to their needs and problems, and thus many might rely on more informal networks to solve their problems. The fear of deportation for those without documentation might drive others away from the government as a source of legal protection. Programs like these express a non-discriminatory environment open to all immigrants from Latin America. So, hey, what’s wrong with a little extra help? We sure could use all the help we could get.