During its early years, Latino Network played a brokering role for these community organizations, advocating for increased funding and service capacity. In 2001, after Jose Mejia Poot, an Indigenous-Mexican man, was tragically shot by Portland Police, Latino Network launched a campaign to shed light on the shortcomings of the various systems he intersected during the final two days of his life. The campaign resulted in the closure of Pacific Gateway Hospital, increased training for police, a reorganization of mental health services, and bi-lingual signage within the local transportation system.

Since 2001, we have assumed a formal role in several systems change efforts. We provide leadership to broad-based coalitions focused on reducing minority over-representation in the justice system and improving the educational achievement of immigrant students and students of color. We have also expanded our education and capacity building work in the grassroots community, developing programs that consciously foster leadership and self sufficiency.

During the fall of 1996 a group of Latino leaders came together in restaurants and hotel conference rooms to devise a strategy for how they would more effectively respond to the needs of our growing community.

Over the years, we had seen our population shift from a predominantly rural and migrant labor force to an urban community comprised of young, mostly low income, Spanish-speaking families who were now settling in the Portland-Metro area.

This burgeoning presence presented challenges for service organizations who had limited capacity to provide needed supports.