State Hispanic commission visits east Idaho

To get a better handle on the challenge east Idaho Hispanic communities face, the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs visited four towns and cities and hosted a town hall meeting.

The town hall, which was held at Pocatello City Hall, started off with the commissioners recapping their visits in Pocatello, American Falls, Dubois and St. Anthony. While the challenges varied from each place, a common mention was language barriers in the communities.

Juan Alvarez, the chair of the commission, said language barriers was preventing the Idaho Food Bank from connecting with Hispanic communities in need.

There were some positives mentioned, including bilingual programs — especially in schools.

The commission combines the findings into a report for the governor’s office.

“It identifies what actions we recommend to be taken,” said Alvarez. “Many times they are actions we will take as a commission, actions we recommend to the local communities and actions we request the governor’s office to consider.”

In case you missed tonight’s town hall meeting and you would like to contact the commision, you can click here.