Illustration by Kristian Knutsen and Scott Gordon; azimuth projection map via NS6T/Tom Epperly

Series: Wisconsin's Diverse Waves Of Immigration

Many distinct and ongoing waves of immigration have indelibly shaped communities across Wisconsin. The 19th-century influxes of immigrants from Germany, Scandinavia and elsewhere in Europe are strongly associated with the state's cultural identity, but the immigrant experience in Wisconsin is far more varied. Canada has been a small but steady source of immigrants throughout the state's history. Several increasingly large phases of immigration from Mexico and other nations around Latin America have left imprints around the state, ranging from Milwaukee to dairy and vegetable farms in rural areas. In recent decades, immigrants from Asia have likewise increasingly made their home in the state, with Hmong communities standing out. As new groups of immigrants arrive in Wisconsin, their civic, religions and economic contributions adds to the state's diversity.
 
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Chad Billeb, the chief deputy for the Marathon County Sheriff's Department, discusses the fears held by undocumented immigrants in central Wisconsin related to deportation, and what law enforcement in the region is doing to address their concerns.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is widening the definition of immigrants classified for "priority removal" and is calling for more assistance from local law enforcement. Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration executive director Dave Gorak discusses these policy changes.
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John Rosenow is a dairy farmer in Buffalo County who employs workers from Mexico. He discusses the federal government's plans to step up deportation, and how it could be detrimental to him and other dairy farmers.
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Immigration is at the forefront of the new administration of President Donald Trump, who issued a pair of executive orders that shift federal priorities. Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, discusses what these policies mean to immigration advocates.
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The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments whether the Trump administration has the right to shut down the DACA program. Voces de La Frontera's lead youth organizer and Alverno College student Alejandra Gonzalez discusses the status of the program and what it means to her as a DACA recipient.
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Advocates for immigrants are raising concerns over the effects of fear and confusion over changes to the federal public charge rule. Milwaukee's Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers director of patient and community engagement Caroline Gomez-Tom discusses the impacts of these fears.
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Just like other Cuban-Americans around the country, those who live in Wisconsin may find themselves involved in a complex discussion as the U.S. normalizes relations with Cuba.
For many Upper Midwesterners in the 21st century, not much could seem more familiar than the marks of Scandinavian influence on regional culture. But there was a time in North American history when Norwegians, Swedes and Danes were considered peculiar outsiders.
Few people would consider Wisconsin an ethnically diverse state, unless they're considering various strains of European ancestry. That is factually correct, but Wisconsin has seen many waves of change over the years.
Immigration and diversity are very much rural issues in Wisconsin. Some of Wisconsin's ethnic and racial minority groups are clustered in specific geographic areaa, but Hispanic people are widely distributed across much of the state.