Las lecciones aprendidas durante la pandemia de COVID han resultado cruciales para una organización que respondió al huracán Helene.

Centro Unido, que atiende a la población hispanohablante del condado de McDowell, intensificó sus servicios durante la pandemia para ofrecer pruebas, clínicas de vacunación e información fácil de entender.

También ofreció asistencia financiera para ayudar a las familias del oeste de Carolina del Norte a evitar desalojos y acceso a servicios públicos.

La directora ejecutiva interina de Centro Unido, Laura Zapater, dice que aprendieron mucho durante la respuesta a COVID y que eso hoy les resulta útil.

"Fue muy valioso para organizarnos rápidamente tras el huracán Helene," asegura Zapater, "porque sabíamos que nuestra comunidad iba a tener más dificultades que otras para recibir los recursos y el apoyo necesarios."

Zapater dice que la gente de la comunidad que hizo fila en la puerta de Centro Unido volvió a tener electricidad tras el huracán.

El grupo sigue prestando ayuda, aunque señala que el cambio de administraciones presidenciales ha generado nuevas tensiones en su trabajo.

Zapater dice que durante la pandemia de COVID, Centro Unido trabajó con otras organizaciones latinas para compartir recursos y ampliar su impacto. Establecieron relaciones y trabajaron en subsidios en conjunto.

Dice que este trabajo se extendió para los afectados por los huracanes cuando las organizaciones en áreas como Asheville luchaban por obtener suministros.

"El acceso era más complicado," explica Zapater. "No podían conseguir suministros tan rápido como nosotros, porque McDowell era más accesible. Teníamos diferentes camionetas y los voluntarios decían: "Vamos a llenar el vehículo y llevarlo". Así que éramos una especie de centro para otras organizaciones más hacia el oeste."

La Fundación Kate B. Reynolds se ha asociado con Centro Unido y ha otorgado subsidios.

Jason Baisden, del fideicomiso, dice que el apoyo a organizaciones como Centro Unido se aleja del enfoque tradicional de ayuda "de arriba hacia abajo".

"Sin la aportación de las organizaciones de base, a veces se obtienen soluciones que no son óptimas, agrega Baisden. "Podría ser mejor si se recibiera la participación de la comunidad, porque esa gente es la que vive la situación. Ellos saben muy bien lo que ayudaría a resolver estos problemas."

Nationwide, it is estimated about one-third of Americans either adhere to Christian Nationalist ideals or sympathize with them.

Groups working for social justice in Washington state are organizing to counter what they see as a movement harmful to democracy.

Aaron Scott, author of "Bring Back Your People: Ten Ways Regular Folks Can Put a Dent in White Christian Nationalism," is the keynote speaker at this weekend's Peace and Justice Action Conference in Spokane.

It is estimated 16% of people in Washington support Christian Nationalist ideas and although it is hardly a majority, Scott said the movement should not be disregarded.

"We can't afford to say, 'Well, we're not going to really deal with that stuff, that's a side conversation,'" Scott explained. "Because clearly we are now in a moment where it is not a side conversation. It is the central conversation."

Scott noted white Christian Nationalist groups embed in rural areas, building churches and securing funds to win local elections. Their beliefs often appear as anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ. He pointed out the ideology thrives where voter suppression and disengagement are high and encouraged people to stay engaged in their communities.

Christian Nationalists want the U.S. to be declared a Christian nation, with laws based on their far-right values. Though the ideas can seem threatening, Scott stressed arguing with strangers is usually not an effective way to change someone's mind. Instead, he suggested having direct, thoughtful conversations within trusting relationships, reinforcing their values of honesty and compassion.

"You can do things like point to the way this person lives their lives and the values that you know they hold, and highlight, like, 'This does not seem aligned with this,'" Scott advised.

Scott, who also works with the Episcopal Church, emphasized the core of Christianity runs counter to the ideas of Christian Nationalism. He added many Christian groups recognize the movement provides cover for white supremacy and are concerned about the threat it may pose to their religious communities as well as democracy. Scott acknowledged it takes time and commitment to counter extreme ideologies.


get more stories like this via email

In a nationwide movement, Latinos are being urged to boycott retail stores tomorrow that have curtailed programs promoting fair hiring practices.

The diversity, equity and inclusion framework has been a cornerstone for many large retailers for several decades but attacks by President Donald Trump and the GOP have led such giants as Walmart, Target, McDonald's and others to scale back their DEI initiatives.

Caroline Tso Chen, associate professor of taxation at San Jose State University, said one person might not be able to make a huge difference but if 20% of people joined "Latino Freeze Day," the effect would be substantial.

"By basically telling those companies, we do not approve of what you are doing and we will take our money and we will spend it elsewhere," Tso Chen explained.

The annual purchasing power of Latinos in the U.S. continues to grow, now topping more than $3 trillion. New Mexico is among the top 10 states with the largest Hispanic/Latino buying power, which has increased due to population growth, labor force participation and educational attainment.

DEI programs have been around since the 1960s and are meant to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups historically underrepresented or subject to discrimination. As an Asian woman, Tso Chen noted she knows what it is like, but added Friday's boycott would need to be just the beginning.

"You can't make this just February 28," Tso Chen stressed. "In order to make any sort-of significant economic impact to any of these retailers, it is going to have to be for an extended period of time."

The Latino Freeze Movement is encouraging supporters to find alternative ways to purchase what they need at other retailers, including local stores, swap meets, farmers markets, secondhand stores or negotiating trades.


get more stories like this via email

Lessons learned during the COVID pandemic have proven crucial to one organization responding to Hurricane Helene.

Centro Unido - which serves the Spanish-speaking population in McDowell County - stepped up its services during the pandemic to provide testing, vaccine clinics, and easy-to-understand information.

It also offered financial assistance to help western North Carolina families avoid evictions and utility disconnections.

Centro Unido's Interim Executive Director Laura Zapater said they learned a lot during the COVID response that is useful today.

"It was really helpful in the way that we could quickly organize after Hurricane Helene," said Zapater, "because we knew that our community was going to struggle more than other communities to receive the resources and the support needed."

Zapater said people in the community were lined up at their door as soon as Centro Unido had power again after the hurricane.

The group is still helping with hurricane relief, although she notes the change in presidential administrations has put new strains on their work.

Zapater said during COVID, Centro Unido worked with other Latino organizations to share resources and expand their impact. They established relationships and have worked on collaborative grants.

She said that joint work extended to hurricane relief when organizations in areas like Asheville struggled to get supplies.

"The access was harder there," said Zapater. "They couldn't get supplies as soon as us, because McDowell was more accessible. So, we had different vans and volunteers were like, 'Hey, I'll load the van, I'll take it to them.' So, we were kind of like a hub for other organizations more towards the west."

The Kate B. Reynolds Trust has partnered with and given grants to Centro Unido.

Jason Baisden, senior program officer with the trust, said support for organizations like Centro Unido move away from the traditional "top-down" approach to relief.

"Without the input at the local level, the grassroots level, sometimes you get solutions that aren't optimal," said Baisden. "They could be more optimal when they get the input from community, because those folks are the ones living it. They pretty much know what would help solve these issues."