Claudia Thrane

When I moved to the United States and my first 5 de Mayo was around the corner, several people were curious about how I would celebrate what they might have though was a special holiday for me. Some assumed that because I am Mexican, I would enjoy a few Margaritas, eat tacos and dance wearing…

Iowans are not out of the pandemic woods yet. Times are difficult and the federal stimulus checks will be a relief for many, but not for all. Last month Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, giving a package of more than $2 trillion of economic assistance. This package will provide a…

Después de algunas semanas de hablar con los trabajadores latinos y otros trabajadores inmigrantes de la industria de empacadoras de carne, me di cuenta de que muchos de ellos tienen dos cosas importantes en común: una es el miedo a perder su trabajo, la segunda es la voz rotunda de sus hijos. Esta nueva generación…

After a few weeks of talking to Latino and other immigrant workers from the meat packing industry, I realized that many of them have two significant things in common: One is fear of losing their jobs, second is the resounding voice of their children. This new generation of young professionals are scared and angry. They…

My phone rang days after we published an article about the COVID-19 clusters surging in meat packing plants in Iowa. It was a woman, a plant employee, who told me, “We got a text to let us know that we have to show up tomorrow for work, first thing in the morning.” Although I didn’t…

My phone rang days after we published an article about the COVID-19 clusters surging in meat packing plants in Iowa. It was a woman, a plant employee, who told me, “We got a text to let us know that we have to show up tomorrow for work, first thing in the morning.” Although I didn’t…

The spread of the coronavirus in Iowa continues to increase, causing many of us in the immigrant community to worry for the most vulnerable among us: undocumented immigrants. Individuals are living in the shadows for lack of documentation in this country, but are working hard to make a living and help Iowa’s economy thrive. They…

During this time of crisis and social distancing, we keep talking about the heroes without a cape that are on the front lines working, even at their own risk and that of their families. The well-deserved list includes doctors and nurses that are working long hours to save lives, police officers that are making sure we…

During this time of crisis and social distancing, we keep talking about the heroes without a cape that are on the front lines working, even at their own risk and that of their families. The well-deserved list includes doctors and nurses that are working long hours to save lives, police officers that are making sure we…

During this time of crisis and social distancing, we keep talking about the heroes without a cape that are on the front lines working, even at their own risk and that of their families. The well-deserved list includes doctors and nurses that are working long hours to save lives, police officers that are making sure we…