Hispanic and Latino/a/x/e Businesses and Organizations to Support
Every year from Sept. 15-Oct. 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories and legacies of Latino/a/x/e communities. This month recognizes the contributions of Spanish, Mexican, Caribbean, South American and Central American ancestries.
Within this month fall the anniversaries of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Chile. In honor of this, our Racial Justice and Public Policy Team curated a list of businesses to support throughout Minnesota. Let’s celebrate and uplift them this month and all year long!
Community Programs
CLUES
CLUES is Minnesota’s largest Latino-led nonprofit organization, founded in 1981 by and for Latinos. Their work is to ensure the advancement of social and economic equity and well-being for Latinos in Minnesota. CLUES has offices on the East Side of St. Paul, Lake Street in Minneapolis, and Willmar and Austin in greater Minnesota.
HACER – Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment through Research
HACER is the only advocacy-driven, Latino-specific research organization in the Upper Midwest. Founded in 1988, they began to address the lack of information about the Latine community and Latine issues in Minnesota public discourse.
Latino Economic Development Center
An association of Latino Entrepreneurs and leaders in the state of Minnesota. Their members have drive, passion and know-how that create the burgeoning Latino/a/x/e business community, which is the nucleus of a good quality of life.
La Oportunidad Inc.
La Oportunidad achieves its mission by providing bilingual and culturally relevant, research-based and family-centered programs for Latino/a/x/e children, youth, adults and families, including the El Camino (The Path) Children’s Program, the Latino Youth Program, the Padres (Parents) Program, and the Latinos Ending Abuse Program (LEAP).
Professional Services
Diversity Media Group
Diversity Media Group, LLC is a full-service Twin Cities video production company offering everything from web videos to TV commercials. Their mission is to boost video skills and leadership among youth, fostering essential life skills, with a focus on empowering BIPOC students as media producers.
Perez Jimenez & Associates, LLC – Professional Tax & Accounting Services
Perez Jimenez & Associates is a Latino-owned company in Minneapolis offering professional tax and accounting services.
Community Organizing
Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina (COPAL)
COPAL, Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina, is a member-based organization established in 2018 to improve the quality of life of Latine families. Over the past six years, COPAL has evolved to become a well-known, grassroots power-building, and visionary transnational organization.
Esperanza United
Their mission is to mobilize Latinas and Latin@ communities to end gender-based violence. Esperanza United was founded in 1982 by a small group of persevering Latinas as an emergency shelter in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Navigate MN
Navigate MN is an immigrant-led, multigenerational, Latinx-based community nonprofit organization 501c(3) that builds power for gender, racial and economic justice.
Restaurants & Entertainment
Hamburguesas El Gordo
Hamburguesas El Gordo is a restaurant serving authentic Mexican street food, including tacos and burgers, with multiple locations in the Twin Cities.
La Michoacana Purépecha
La Michoacana Purépecha offers the authentic, original experience of traditional La Michoacana shops, serving frozen treats like popsicles, ice cream and aquas frescas.
Los Ocampo
Los Ocampo is an authentic Mexican restaurant in the Twin Cities, serving Mexican cuisine made with recipes and spices that have been handed down for generations.
Teatro del Pueblo
Teatro del Pueblo is a small, nonprofit Latino/a/x/e theater located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fostered by the Latino/a/x/e community on the West Side, it has grown since its inception in 1992 to serve the Twin Cities metro area and greater Minnesota. Based in the West Side’s Latino community, Teatro del Pueblo promotes Latino culture by creating and presenting performing arts. Teatro develops and supports Latino/a/x/e artists, provides educational opportunities for all to experience Latino culture and promotes cross-cultural dialogue.
At YWCA Minneapolis, we believe racial justice, gender equality, and human dignity must be central to building a truly inclusive community. Supporting local Latinx businesses is a vital part of economic empowerment and equity. By backing these businesses, you help advance racial justice and gender equity within our communities.
Related Posts: 20 Hispanic & Latina Women to Know
If you share our belief in a fully inclusive community, consider volunteering your time and talents or making a financial donation today. Together, we can drive lasting change.