Rural America is changing, particularly in population loss and demographic make up. With jobs shifting to urban settings and school closing in small communities many continue to follow migration patterns into cities to offset that.
If there is a group of people that finds light in the darkness and creates opportunity out of nothing – it’s us, the Latinx community, and we’re helping save Rural America. In fact it was reported in the 2010 Census that a little over 700,000 residents in Rural America were Latinx – that is almost 20 years ago. Now, in some small towns Latinx people make up half the residents; and this number continues to grow.
The Latinx community dramatically influences “agro-food systems, community life, labor force change, economic development, schools and schooling, demographic change, intergroup relations, and politics.”
But Latinx people are not only overcoming adversities, they also contributing and changing culture. Take the example of Kansas, where there is a subtle impact on language, accents, and change pronunciation of words. It is these subtle changes that pave way to dramatic long-term change for the future of Rural America.
Latinx presence permeates all aspects of the U.S. It is these stories that give life to this country.