La Alianza Photo
The Latino population in the Wood River Valley is large and growing. You see it in the numerous Spanish weddings and quinceaneras held at the nexStage Theatre. You taste it in the number of fabulous one-of-a-kind Mexican restaurants in the county. You hear it from the voices of children who benefit from dual emersion programs at Hemingway Elementary and Bellevue.
The last official census, taken in 2000, estimated that eleven percent of Blaine County is Hispanic. Given that the last estimate was a little over seven years, we can only suspect that percentage is higher. In fact, Blaine County School District claims that 20% of its students are Latino and 60% of the students at Woodside Elementary in Hailey are Latino.
Peruvians, Guatemalans, Costa Ricans and Mexicans make up the majority of Latinos. And, they are active members in our community -- running businesses, constructing houses, teaching ESL, broadcasting on television and radio, serving unbelievable ethnic food, building churches and communities.
The growing population now needs a cultural center, a clearinghouse of information for the Latino community. Welcome, La Alianza or The Alliance, a community center and support group for Latinos all over Blaine County run by Interim Director, Rebecca Hornbach. La Alianza will provide critical services such as immigration and legal services, translation and ESL in collaboration with CSI, computer training and other useful skills.
The official opening for La Alianza is today, March 26 at the College of Southern Idaho’s Hailey Campus. Come celebrate starting at 4:30pm.
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