COMING TO TERMS: WHAT IS "RACISM" IN IOWA?

Northwest Iowa is in many ways like home to me. I was born in Rock Valley, a small industrious town of a few thousand people. Following my parents divorce in the early 90’s I always seemed to have a home somewhere in Sioux or Lyon counties even though I lived in Minnesota with my mom and former step-dad. 

In high school, when I became old enough to work, I landed my first job at a hog barn artificially inseminating sows. The building held about 1,200 head and had an attached farrowing unit. There we would raise newborn pigs until we could wean and send them off to finishing barns elsewhere. 

I did my fair share of factory work, too, in northwest Iowa. I spent many, many hours during my college era under the hood of a welding mask at Sudenga Industries. Most of my time was spent welding flanges onto the long tubes of grain augers and any accessory parts they required for operation. But because I was part time help, I was first in line for the grunt work no one else in my department wanted to do. 

Fast forward to the off seasons of my seminary career, I found my way back to this part of the country for seasonal work. From 2013-2017 I worked as a highwayman with a company called EZ Liner. I made pretty good money painting highways throughout the midwest on a Monday-Friday basis for 14 weeks at a time. 

But at the end of every week, I remember the sense of relief that would sweep over me each time my crew would crest the hills and roll back into to this little pocket of the country I called home. 

So many strands of my life have been woven into and out of this place. And now I’m grateful once again to be living bak in Northwest Iowa, in a rural, farming-community like Hull. 

I can say that I’ve seen the world of northwest Iowa at different stages of my life as different snapshots in time. But in recent memory, there seem to be more and more moments that have caused me to pause and reflect on the reality of racism around the Hispanic and Latino residents who live here. 

I’m just thinking out loud. 

According to the US census, less than 3% of residents in Sioux County were Hispanic or Latino in the year 2000. But as of the most recent survey in 2020, the number of Hispanic or Latino residents is just over 13%. 

If this trend of continues, which may likely be the case, then 1 out of every 4 people in Sioux County will be Hispanic or Latino by the year 2030.

My first memories on the issue of race in northwest Iowa are vague. Minority reports slipped into everyday conversations: who farmers were or were not hiring, how the neighborhoods were slowly changing, awkward interactions at Wal Mart with non-English speakers. 

Looking back on it now, I think I had become desensitized to those comments and others like them. I would eventually come to hear them so often that they no longer registered as noteworthy bits of information in my mind. 

It wasn’t until college and seminary that I began to see the issue of race in the world of northwest Iowa differently. The language of “us” and “them” seemed to show up with more frequency and intensity. Or at least I began to notice this trend more often. 

“They are hardworking people. They do all the jobs we don’t want.”

“They stick to themselves. We don’t really know who they are.”

“When they cross the border, they bring all their problems with them and we end up paying the price.”

It would be hard to ignore the social issues that have developed in the past 20 years on the journey of integration here in northwest Iowa. And I’m not sure if this bumpy road has caused problems of racism to arise…or if along the way of stumbling that underlying problems of racism have been brought to the surface. 

I’m still thinking out loud. 

I don’t know. 

What I do know is that a couple of weeks ago there was an incident involving three Hispanic men about six blocks from the church where I serve and the home where my wife and I live. 

Before the sheriffs department had released its official statements on the matter and the status of its ongoing investigation, the Internet was roaring with its vicious rumors about what had really happened. 

Of course, people wanted to know what happened. People deserved to know what happened in their own community. 

But, as it was later pointed out to me, online forums and social platforms were buzzing with comments and jaw-dropping judgments about those who were involved based on their skin color and country of origin. Apparently the comment section on the Sioux County sheriff Facebook page regarding this press release was so toxic that the Sheriff's department posted the following statement...

“Everyone, please respect the families and everyone involved and withhold any more negative comments. While we know these issues are contentious, it’s during these times that Sioux County can and should rise above the norm, and live out our conservative values and faith. Justice has been served in the courts will make the final decision. Pray for the victims and for those who need healing and change their lives. Thank you to all who have helped out in anyway in this incident.” (Sioux County Sheriff Facebook page, October 15).

I’m just thinking out loud here…

But is it normal to be racist in northwest Iowa?

What does racism look like in these neck of the woods?

Do conservative values and faith really help us see the world and the many forms which racism can take on?



Questions For Reflection: How Do You See The World?

• What is racism?
• Is racism wrong? If so, what makes it wrong? If not, why might racism be okay?
• How might a Biblical worldview inform how we think about race and identity?
• How might other worldviews shape how we think about and respond to expressions of racism? What makes a Biblical worldview unique?