History

Formally incorporated in 2005, Consejo Hispano is a community-based nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization. Although we became a nonprofit in 2005, the founding members had been working with the Latino immigrant community since 1992. As the only organization in Clatsop, Columbia, and Tillamook Counties in Oregon and Pacific County in Washington that provides services in Spanish to Latinx community members.

The Latinx and Spanish-speaking populations have become an integral part of the local labor force and continues to grow. Latinx and Spanish-speakers are in large part staffing low-wage/seasonal occupations on fish processing lines, in the service and tourism industries and increasingly, and in the forestry sector. In addition to this settled population, many Latinx and Spanish-speaking migrant workers move into our area during peak fish-processing season. Many of the youth and families we serve are first-generation immigrants who find language as a major barrier to navigating our local systems. This puts pressure on local human services and other organizations (legal, governmental, social, etc.) to respond to the various needs of this immigrant population. The work of the Consejo Hispano results in a proactive approach to helping youth and families integrate into our local community. As a group, we work to help youth and families move ahead financially and educationally to prevent the entrenchment of an isolated population relegated to lower-income jobs. We also strive to help the larger community understand the needs of Latinx and Spanish-speaking residents and give guidance to other social service agencies working with this population.