Mosaico Cultural: How Southern Idaho’s Hispanic Community is Shaping the Region

Hispanic community fuels Southern Idaho’s growth in business, workforce and culture.

By Teree Caruthers on December 9, 2024

Southern Idaho’s rich cultural landscape is enhanced by a vibrant and thriving Hispanic community, which plays a crucial role in not only arts and culture but also workforce and economic development. The region boasts over 10,000 Hispanic-owned businesses. 

With a quarter of its student body identifying as Hispanic, the College of Southern Idaho (CSI) — the state’s first Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) — further fuels the region’s economy and adds to an increasingly diverse workforce. Culturally, the Hispanic community has made its mark on the region’s music, creative and performing arts scene as documented by initiatives such as the Idaho Mexican Music Project. 

Eulogio Mendoza, owner of La Campesina Market and Restaurant in Jerome, began his entrepreneurial journey in 1993 with the Video Mexico video store. 

“When I moved here from California, I thought this city needed something for Latinos like what they had in California,” Mendoza says. “I didn’t really see a lot of businesses for Latinos here in Idaho. That’s why I had the idea to open the video store. Then later, I opened La Campesina, which is a different concept. It is a restaurant and a market with a meat department and groceries as well.” 

©Journal Communications/Jeff Adkins

Mendoza says opening the restaurant was also a good way to introduce others to Latino food and culture. 

“When I updated the video store to include the market and restaurant, it was because I wanted something that wasn’t just for Latinos. I wanted something that everyone in the community could enjoy,” he says. 

South Central Idaho Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: Supporting Entrepreneurs

Mendoza’s business success is not an anomaly thanks in large part to organizations such as the South Central Idaho Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. 

“We support the economic growth, development and well-being of Hispanic-owned businesses. We are also helping entrepreneurs to create their businesses. We host networking events and connect them with any help they need,” says Jessica Gonzalez with the Chamber. 

Gonzalez says as the region’s Hispanic population has grown, so has the Hispanic-owned business community. The growth of Hispanic-owned businesses has also significantly bolstered Southern Idaho’s economy by creating jobs, fostering innovation and enhancing the region’s cultural diversity. 

“I came here from Mexico when I was 16, and I wanted to see my culture reflected in the restaurants and other places,” Gonzalez says. “I see it a lot more now. I live in Jerome, and there are a lot of new Latino businesses around town, and there is room for growth. There’s a great opportunity to bring new ideas to Southern Idaho so that people feel connected.” 

Magaly Arcos & CSI MarCom Team

College of Southern Idaho: Empowering Hispanic Students

CSI helps keep a pipeline of talent flowing to these new businesses. Its HSI designation not only reflects the demographic diversity of the student body but also highlights the college’s dedication to empowering Hispanic students and preparing them for successful careers. Recently, CSI partnered with the Jerome School District, which has a Hispanic student population that makes up about half of the student body, to increase the number of high school graduates attending college. 

“The Hispanic population in Southern Idaho is growing rapidly, and Jerome County and the Jerome School District form the epicenter of that growth,” says Jonathan Lord, vice president of student life and enrollment services for CSI. “That makes Jerome the perfect place to pilot some very intentional activities that we hope to replicate throughout our service area.”

Sophia McNeil

Idaho Mexican Music Project: Celebrating Musical Traditions

The region’s Latino community not only bolsters the economy and workforce but also enriches the arts. The Idaho Mexican Music Project, sponsored by the Idaho Commission on the Arts, is an ongoing initiative that documents local musicians and their unique styles through concerts, recordings and community events.

“A lot of people in the region don’t realize that these immigrant groups have incredible musical traditions, and they’re very welcoming. During the project, we went to quinceañeras (a celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday that is common in Latin cultures); we went to church services; we went to birthday parties and weddings; and we were invited everywhere,” says Steven Hatcher, folk and traditional arts director for the Idaho Commission on the Arts and director of the project.

Building Bridges: Connecting Urban and Rural Idaho

Hatcher says standout artists, such as Legendarios de Chihuahua and Damian Rodriguez, an agricultural rights activist and leader of the Tejano preservation organization Tejano 208, are working to cement the region’s musical legacies and help bridge cultural divides. 

“Part of my vision is to bring rural arts into urban Idaho and bring urban Idaho to the rural arts and build those bridges,” Hatcher says.