During Hispanic Heritage Month, leaders wanting to expand the economic power of Latino business owners are asking shoppers in Illinois and elsewhere to do their part.
An initiative called Aquí: The Accountability Movement launched a campaign asking Americans to commit to spending $30 at Latino-owned businesses during the 31-day commemoration.
Sindy Benavides, executive director of the group, said the goal was intentionally kept low so more people could commit, but she stressed that if just 10% of U.S. households participated, the campaign could generate $400 million for businesses run by Latinos.
"We know that there are many American households that are also hurting financially, and we wanted to make sure that this was something that was accessible across the board," Benavides said.
Benavides noted the effort has taken on greater urgency as aggressive federal immigration enforcement has hurt local businesses. A University of Illinois Chicago report found reduced foot traffic in Cook County alone resulted in more than $1.2 billion in lost retail and restaurant activity and $107 million in forgone local sales tax revenue.
Illinois is home to more than 156,000 Latino-owned businesses, among the highest totals in the country. And nationally, the Latino gross domestic product is $4 trillion, according to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Benavides added the campaign is both a celebration of Latino economic strength and a nationwide act of community resilience.
"When we're talking about the larger picture, this is impacting everyone. So buying Latino really is building America," Benavides asserted.
Aquí: The Accountability Movement began early last year to reshape narratives about Latinos, increase representation and hold public and private institutions accountable. Benavides noted the group’s current accountability work is examining what she described as the "economy of cruelty" around detention centers and identifying who profits from them.
Illinois News Connection originally published this story.
