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Nebraska Commission on Latino Americans highlights youth summit, translation services and asks for one staffer to meet rising demand
Summary
Executive director Maria Arriaga and commissioners described a growing Latino population, the Nebraska Latino Youth Summit (NELIS) and unpaid translation assistance the commission provides to state agencies; the commission asked for one additional staff position to expand services.
Maria Arriaga, executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Latino Americans, told the Appropriations Committee the commission has produced demographic and economic reports, runs the Nebraska Latino Youth Summit (NELIS) and provides translation and outreach services across the state.
Arriaga said the commission's history goes back to 1972 and that the commission's name was changed in 2010 to reflect broader representation. She asked for a modest staffing increase ' one additional position ' to meet growth in demand and to sustain translation and outreach work.
Chair Maria Whitmore, who testified after Arriaga, described NELIS 2024: organizers rebranded the summit, hosted it at the La Vista Convention Center and reported 460 total attendees with 395 students from across Nebraska. Whitmore said the summit's breakout sessions and hands-on experiences (for example, mechatronics and food-science activities) were particularly well received and that the governor delivered the keynote address.
Vice Chair Jaime Suarez, speaking from a business-owner perspective, highlighted the economic contributions of Latino-owned businesses, saying the number of Hispanic-owned firms in Nebraska grew substantially over the last decade and that Latino businesses employ tens of thousands statewide. Suarez testified the commission's work supports workforce development and entrepreneurship statewide.
Arriaga said the commission regularly assists state agencies and political subdivisions by translating documents (the commission provided examples including DMV materials) and by staffing interpretation lines; she told the committee these services are provided as part of the commission's mission and are not billed to agencies. Arriaga and other commissioners emphasized that the commission has just a small staff ("we are only 3 people," Arriaga said) and that a single additional position would help cover outreach, interpreting requests and other community-facing duties.
Committee members asked whether agencies pay for translation and whether a part-time position could meet needs. Arriaga said translation has not been billed to agencies and that a part-time position could work but would limit capacity. No formal committee vote was recorded at the hearing.
