Latino Outdoors inspires, connects, and engages Latino communities in the outdoors and embraces cultura y familia as part of the outdoor narrative ensuring our history, heritage and leadership are valued and represented. 

The history of Latinx people in the United States predates the founding of our nation, with roots in the land as indigenous people. Since becoming the United States, Latinx communities have shaped the fabric of this country  through contributions in the arts, food, civil rights, technology, government, and the environmental movement.     

As one of the most recognized National Monuments, the Statue of Liberty serves as a symbol of freedom and democracy and welcomes immigrants arriving from abroad. The plaque inside its pedestal reads,

        “Give me your tired, your poor,
        Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
        The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
        Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
        I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” 

Migration is a natural and vital occurrence in the world. From the iconic monarch butterflies, whose migration path is enriched by their role as pollinators, to our immigrant kin who make the difficult, life-altering decision to flee from their home countries to seek a better life. We stand united with all people who desire opportunity for themselves and their families, and we believe in the imagination, resilience and perseverance of immigrants and refugees. 

We call for the protection, safety and dignity of all immigrant and refugee communities and urge those in positions of privilege and power to do the same.  We stand in solidarity with the majority of Americans calling for an immediate end to the separation of families, the closing of children detention camps, and the establishment of a compassionate process for refugee/asylum requests.

Latino Outdoors strives to make the outdoors a safe and welcoming place for all people, regardless of  race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, ability, language, and nationality. This extends beyond our outdoor programming to our core values as an organization, especially one that understands the history and power of public policy and legislation in protecting public lands and landscapes that we enjoy today, but that many times came at the expense of communities that were marginalized and displaced. Latino Outdoors welcomes the full spectrum of people and stands in solidarity with all individuals, organizations, and societies that uphold this value.

Suggested Actions for All:

• Lead a fundraiser and/or a drive to gather food, resources, and supplies for immigrant-serving organizations

Suggested Actions for LO Outdoor Leaders:

• Create more inclusive, migration-themed programming (monarch butterfly, etc.)
• Work directly with immigrant-serving organizations to provide wellness programming for families

Consider Supporting:

• CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights)
• RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) 
• No More Deaths – No Más Muertes
• LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens)
  
• NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) 
• MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
  
• UFW (United Farmworkers)
• ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)
  

Latino Outdoors is a fiscally-sponsored project of Community Initiatives