Navigating a new country, culture, bureaucratic system and language is no easy task. Sal Lujano Jr. said he watched his family do it firsthand when they came to Newton from Mexico. “When we first came here, we didn’t have a bilingual person to go to with many things,” he said. “My dad had to figure it out all on his own.” He said it doesn’t have to be that way anymore. He, along with seven other professionals in the community, have been working to create a group named “Latinos Unidos.” The group, with members fluent in Spanish and English, aims to help Spanish speakers in the city navigate a world that’s primarily in English. That might mean putting them in touch with services or providing help setting up a bank account or getting a loan. Lujano, a loan officer at People’s Bank and Trust said his experience growing up and, in his job, drove home the need for such an organization. “Speaking to other people it wasn’t just financing,” he said. “I got tired of seeing Google Translate documents floating around.” Daniela Rivas, who is the City Manager, is also part of the group. One of the goals she stated when coming to the city was to find ways of bringing more people and community members to the table and have them represented and participate in the process. “Our vision is empowering, advocating and celebrating Latinos to achieve their full potential,” she said of Latinos Unidos.
Source: Harvey County Now
