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Our town, our people — Maria Gonzalez

T-R FILE PHOTO - Marshalltown’s Maria Gonzalez, center, shows opposition to SF 481, an “anti-sanctuary city” bill passed by the state legislature and governor earlier this year.

“Our town, our people” is a weekly Q&A with a local resident who is active in the community. Have a suggestion for someone we should talk to? Email T-R news editor Emily Barske at ebarske@timesrepublican.com. 

Maria Gonzalez is a case manager for the tornado relief program with MICA and has lived in Marshalltown for 27 years.

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: “I am very passionate about community organizing. I volunteer in a lot of organizations, but I helped start an organization here in Marshalltown called Immigrant Allies. It is kind of like a resource organization, so we have a lot of information that we are willing to share out with the community; but we also do a lot of education. It’s not only about the passion, but also doing the work.”

Q: What community activities do you participate in?

A: With Immigrant Allies, we also have legal clinics, so once a month we’ll help people that have questions over immigration. We will do a clinic where they can come in and we’ll help them with an intake, and they’ll go ahead and talk to a lawyer. I volunteer in my children’s schools. I have also help with the choir at the church and the House Of Compassion.”

Q: What do you enjoy about this community?

A: “The diversity that we have. I think Marshalltown is very unique in the sense that we’re very diverse. I think that diversity brings so much to the community, and it’s very impactful, and I don’t think many communities have the same thing we do.”

Q: What changes do you feel need to be made in the community?

A: “I think we have a lot of work in coming together. I think we’re all very proud of this town, but it needs a lot of work. So, I think that if we were all to work together for the greater cause of this town, we would accomplish so much more.”

Q: What social stigma do you wish you could change?

A: “I feel like lately the word immigrant has been used in so many negative forms that now when you hear ‘immigrant’ it is linked to criminals. So, I wish there was a way we could change that. I think one of the ways would be putting a face to what immigrant means. People have to realize at the end of the day we are all human beings.”

Q: What advice would you pass on to young people?

A: “Take it one day at a time. I think when we are young, including myself, that we want to grow up so quickly. That we don’t enjoy each day that we have, and regardless of what’s to come tomorrow, you can’t live it, you can’t change it. All you can do is enjoy your day.”

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