Acknowledgements

This report was made possible by the support of the Georgia Latinx Alliance, The Latino Community Fund, and LISC Atlanta. The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the authors.

We thank Nikolai Elneser, Kaavya Muthuganesan, and the entire Neighborhood Nexus team for their invaluable expertise in data collection, analysis, and advisory support, all of which were essential in compiling the data and generating the insights presented in this report. Their contributions to the report’s editing and graphic design were equally key in bringing this report to completion.

We are also grateful to Johanes Roselló and the Ser Familia media team for their support in conducting the community engagement interviews and processing the testimonies collected, which serve as the central thread connecting the findings and highlighting our community’s voice.

Made possible by the financial support of:

The Latinx Alliance: a cross-sector leadership network of Latinx leaders – public, private,  nonprofit, philanthropic – focused on advocating for, and improving the well-being of, Latinx communities across Georgia. The Latinx Alliance is a  project of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta (CFGA).

The Latino Community Fund (LCF Georgia): a direct service and philanthropic intermediary that advocates and fills service and program gaps for Georgia’s Latino communities through its three pillars: Advance People’s Democracy, Protect and Build Communities and Expand Economic Opportunity.

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Atlanta: a nonprofit organization working to forge resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America–great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families.


Key partners in this report:

Ser Familia: a non-profit organization empowering Latino families through educational programs, workshops, and retreats that allow them to thrive and enjoy a healthy family environment. Our holistic approach brings a sense of wholeness to people’s lives that allows them to improve their “now” and face “what’s next” with a positive outlook. Our organization has the largest geographical footprint of any Latino organization in Georgia, with offices in Kennesaw, Norcross, Smyrna, and Suwanee.

Neighborhood Nexus is a nonprofit civic data intermediary that helps Georgia nonprofits find, understand, and use data to inform smarter policy, program, and funding strategies. We help Georgia’s social sector deliver the right services at the right scale to the people and places that need them most.

Brandshake Creative is a team specialized in hand-crafting brand identity and web experiences for the Atlanta community, such as the Atlanta BeltLine, Park Pride, Purpose Built Communities, Shaw and Atlanta Regional Commission.


Contributors:

The Latinx Alliance Transformative Narrative Workgroup.

The following individuals and leaders of organizations took the time to discuss with us their experiences, reflections and learnings:

Aceli Zenil, Amigos de la Comunidad

Alieska Custodio, Ser Familia

Brittany Lopez, U-lead Athens

Cristian Estrada

Daniela Rodriguez, Migrant Equity Southeast

Delicia Idett, Unidos Latino Association

Henry Reyes

Laura Murvartian, ARTE-GA

Leslie Gutierrez

Louis Negron, 100 Black Men of Atlanta

Luis Hernandez

Mauri Maza

Miriam Marin, Conectados Gainesville

Pedro Viloria

Rebecca Gibbons, Unidos Latino Association

Ulyssa Muñoz

Georgia-based artists and creators:

Angel Fabián Rivera

Bryan López

Gabi Madrid

Grupo Folklorico Aklla Sumaq

Isa Call Gómez

Kristina Cohen

LeylisMR

Marietta Murton

Melvin Toledo

Patrick Zae

Samantha Ramirez-Herrera

Interviews with Specialists:

Alejandro Coss, Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Georgia (LACC)

America Gruner, Coalition of Latino Leaders (CLILA)

Belisa Urbina, Ser Familia

Gilda (Gigi) Pedraza, Latino Community Fund

Jerry Gonzalez, GALEO

Luis Zaldivar, Georgia CASA

Maria Vinces Peck, She Lends

Maritza Morelli, Los Niños Primero

Michael Lucas, Atlanta Volunteers Lawyer Foundation (AVLF)

Rafael Villegas, Georgia Hispanic Construction Association (GHCA)

Roxana Chicas, Emory Nursing School

Santiago Marquez, Latin American Association of Georgia (LAA

References