
The Office of Latino Affairs connects our Latino communities with state and local government, communicating issues, needs and concerns; providing programming to eliminate barriers to success. On January 25, 2018 the Iowa Commission of Latino Affairs held the first Latino Day on the Hill and had over 300 attendees.

2020 Iowa Latino Hall of Fame Honorees:
Elizabeth Balcarcel from Zacatecas, Mexico - Des Moines, Iowa
Claudia Gabriela Rivera from Mexico City, Mexico - Coralville, Iowa
Michael R. Reyes of Mexican heritage - Davenport, Iowa
Iowa Latinx Youth Leadership Award: Crystal Ambriz from Tijuana, Mexico -Columbus Junction, Iowa
Iowa LGBTQIA Leadership Award: Buffy E. Jamison from Des Moines, Iowa
Robert D. Ray Award for Equity and Justice: Henny Ohr from Seoul, Korea - Johnston, Iowa

Our focus: Equality, Dignity, Respect, Education, and Opportunities!

Many outstanding Latinos/as helped shape Iowa and many strong Latino leaders continue to contribute their talents and skills to improve the quality of life in this state. To recognize and honor these achievers and to provide visible examples for tomorrow’s Latino leaders, the Iowa Commission of Latino Affairs has established the Iowa Latino Hall of Fame in 2017 with the goal of ensuring that the efforts of Latino leaders are honorably recognized and celebrated.