Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment Through Research (HACER)

Description

Since its conception, HACER and its community partners have observed that there are vast gaps in knowledge between policymakers, government agencies, academic institutions, community-based organizations and community members regarding the issues and experiences of people of color. We have strived for over 25 years to address these knowledge gaps through our community-based participatory research projects, community assessments, and program evaluations; providing people of color a safe and empowering context in which to share their experiences to affect policy. To this end, HACER has conducted dozens of bilingual, bicultural research projects on the most pressing topics facing Latinos in Minnesota- such as immigration, social welfare, housing, community development, and criminal justice, recently focusing on public health and education.

As the only advocacy-driven, Latino-specific research organization in the Upper Midwest, grassroots organizations, service providers, and policymakers have come to rely on HACER to inform their work around institutional and policy issues that impact Latinos throughout Minnesota.