When the Trump reelection campaign kicked off its “Latinos for Trump” outreach effort in Miami this summer, it didn’t have the benefit of any Latino Cabinet members who might appeal to the large number of Spanish-speaking voters in the state. So it turned to the next best thing: Vice President Mike Pence.

It’s hard to imagine someone less suited to rally Latino voters than Pence, a non-Spanish-speaking white guy from Indiana, a state whose Latino population clocks in at a mere 7 percent. Yet there he was, walking on to the stage to Free’s “All Right Now” in a hotel ballroom full of cheering Latinos. “Hola Miami!” he cried, giving a big thumbs up. Speaking for 40 minutes, Pence hammered home Trump’s biggest selling points with Latino voters: the roaring economy, the low Latino unemployment rate, and the president’s robust opposition to socialism, especially in places like Venezuela.

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Hearing the echoes of live music at a library is unusual. However, it draws a curious crowd.

This Sunday, the Monroe County Public Library celebrated Hispanic Heritage Day with performances by the Mariachi Band Zelaya, El Ballet Folklórico de IU and other dance companies.

The audience consisted of Bloomington families, IU students and library visitors of all ages.

A caricature artist drew sketches of families and couples. Young children were read to in Spanish, and completed crafts inspired by traditional forms of Latin American art.

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In a third defeat in less than a day for the Trump administration, a federal judge blocked it from vastly extending the authority of immigration officers to deport people without first allowing them to appear before judges.

The decision late Friday came before the policy, which was announced in July, was even enforced. The move would have applied to anyone in the country less than two years.

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In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the City of Bloomington Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs hosted an awards ceremony Monday night. It recognized the achievements of business owners, Monroe County Community School Corporation educators and students and other community advocates.

“This awards ceremony acknowledges the contributions of Latino and non-Latino alike to the community” Josefa Luce, Latino Programs director for the City of Bloomington said.

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First-generation college students often don’t know where to turn for help in the world of higher education. That’s magnified when you don’t look like the people surrounding you on campus.

Yoriana Gallegos experienced this firsthand. She was the first in her family to be born in the United States, so her parents couldn’t answer her questions or calm her fears about attending college. She didn’t know who to turn to.

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