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Kansas City has an immigrant population of over 130,000 people that is growing every year, adding to the area's labor force and tax base. Still, a high percentage of immigrant residents can't get the medical care they need — including Selene Rocha, an immigrant living in Johnson County.
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A recent Pew Research Center study estimated that 36.2 million Latinos will be eligible to vote in 2024, making them the largest racial or ethnic minority voting bloc in the United States. As Latino communities in the Kansas City metro grow in size, advocacy groups and supportive elected officials are working to educate and empower potential voters.
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Interest in Choose Topeka’s relocation incentive has spiked among first-generation Latino immigrants. Program officials say the city's established Spanish-speaking community is a big reason why.
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With bipartisan support, Missouri representatives voted 122-12 to approve the $2.2 million bill, which now goes to the Senate. The initial deployment of the troops will last at least 90 days but could be extended.
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More than 130,000 immigrants live in the Kansas City metro, about half of them Latino. This population is growing every year, adding to the area's labor force and tax base, but a high percentage of immigrant residents struggle to access medical care they need.
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Across the U.S., thousands of children and young adults serve as informal interpreters for family members that don’t speak English. For kids of Latino immigrants in Kansas City, being the family interpreter is an honor and burden. Plus: Gov. Laura Kelly is again calling for lawmakers to expand Medicaid to provide health care to about 150,000 low-income Kansans.
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Across the U.S., thousands of children and young adults serve as informal interpreters for family members that don’t speak English. Many of them find pride in being of service to their families, but experts worry that this pride may be masking more serious long-term effects.
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St. Charles County Council was considering a resolution opposing Latino immigrants from moving into the region. But the symbolic legislation failed in a 3-3 vote, with one of the co-sponsors absent.
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She came to the U.S. for grad school at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She was lonely. Then came an invitation for Thanksgiving — no turkey (strictly vegan) but a spirit that touched her soul. And her mango lassi was a hit!
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The St. Charles County Council decided not to act yet on a resolution condemning the International Institute’s efforts to bring Latin Americans to the region. The resolution opposes "the importation of illegal immigrants," but Institute leaders said people helped by their program are in the country legally.
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The halal eatery, opened in 2018, features African and Mediterranean fare, and is a favorite to locals in search of a warm, filing meal. Hatimi says he uses traditional cooking methods.
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After the Taliban seized control of Kabul, Kansas City welcomed hundreds of refugees from Afghanistan in 2021. Two years later, many refugees are in search of stable housing as the question of their immigration status remains in the air.