Jewish and Latino communities share history, goals in Tucson

In the 1800s Jewish migrants came to Tucson and lived among the Mexican people already here. Both groups are working now on common issues and to make the city better.     - - Donna Poisl

By Ernesto Portillo Jr.

When Tucson passed from Mexican to American hands in the mid-1800s, newcomers began to flow from the East. Not all of them spoke English, either. Some spoke Yiddish or an Eastern European language.

Staking their future in Tucson, which was a very Mexican town, the new migrants shared space with the Spanish-speaking families, many of whom had migrated generations before. Both communities found common ground in the dusty streets of the Old Pueblo.

Today a small group of Jewish and Latino Tucsonans want to re-stake their historical common ground by starting a new dialogue, a new relationship that will lead them to working on common issues and a better understanding of Latino and Jewish cultures and issues.
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