Coming to the Heartland

Our Project

Coming to the Heartland documents the stories of Latin American/Latinx and African heritage individuals and families who migrated to Kansas and the Kansas City metro area. We believe that increasing the visibility of migration stories enriches the communities where we live. We have used these stories to work with educators to learn more about the lived experiences of Latin American and African immigrants, and their children, in Kansas.

As educators ourselves, we know what outsiders think of the Midwest, and we see how different the reality is from the imagination. The reductive but pervasive stereotypes about Kansas do more than erase a long history of immigration; they are potentially counter-productive to the health and wellbeing of our communities which include immigrant populations. Whether it is because of Kansas’s historical and current reliance on migrant labor or potentially advantageous economic and social conditions, there are today significant numbers of Latinx and African immigrant populations throughout the region.

Coming to the Heartland engages with a larger, nationwide conversation about shifting demographics and rapid cultural swings. This project builds on ongoing local and regional efforts to build a better future; we hope that it raises awareness, inspires new, better support structures, encourages belonging and community wellbeing through cultural competency and community building, and inspires proactive measures to address the most pressing issues faced by our changing population.