Celebrating 25 Years of Latinx Culture on Flint’s Eastside

A community celebration at the Latinx Technology & Community Center on August 1 was focused on honoring the organization’s past while also sharing excitement about what is on the horizon in the future.

Asa Ascencio Zuccaro, who has been the executive director of the Latinx Center since 2018, chronicled the organization’s evolution in Flint as it celebrates 25 years in its current location on Lewis Street on the city’s eastside. But prior to moving into their current space, Zuccaro noted that the work of early organizers was vital to a standalone organization even existing in its present form today.

The organization was originally established in 1966, forming a Flint chapter of the American G.I. Forum. That initial mission was to provide advocacy and support for Hispanic veterans and families who were denied benefits from the G.I. Bill despite serving the country. In subsequent years, Zuccaro credited the foresight of several community pillars, including Dr. Hector Garcia, Domingo Berlanga, and Sixto Olivo, for helping the organization find its next chapter by forming an alliance with Mott Community College after it announced plans for three local technology centers. 

Berlanga helped acquire the current site, which was formerly a Citizens Bank branch, with Mott Community College funding renovations to support operations and community programs that serve the Flint area’s Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish-speaking residents. The organization also amended its initial mission in 2001 to ensure every child and senior on Flint’s eastside had a place to “log on, learn, and grow regardless of race.”

That mission grew and shifted once again in 2016, when the American G.I. Forum Board of Directors requested to take over day-to-day operations of the center from Mott and transition to full institutional management and community ownership of the program. 

“Those early days of stepping out on our own were defined by raw, unyielding grit,” Zuccaro wrote. “The organization was operating on sheer love and a minimal budget, proving that community ownership requires immense sacrifice. The organization survived because of the relentless devotion of volunteer leaders like Ralph Arellano, who served as our volunteer director of operations, alongside dedicated board members like Sixto Olivo, Aurora Sauceda, Art Luna, and many others. They poured their personal time, sweat, and hearts into this space so our neighbors would never find a locked door.”

That community spirit was on display during the 25th anniversary celebration. Food vendors offering a wide range of cuisines were in attendance, musicians and dancers took the stage, and games and entertainment was all focused on love and culture. 

It also gave a glimpse of the organization’s future. Just behind the main building, construction is underway on a bilingual early childhood center. Just across the street, the Latinx Center announced plans to convert a vacant building into mixed use retail and apartment space. Those projects will be the beginning of a Latinx District on the city’s eastside that showcases the many important ways Spanish-speaking residents and immigrant families in the community have contributed to Flint’s culture.

“At its core, this 25-year journey has been a masterclass in community organizing,” Zuccaro wrote. “Real transformation doesn’t happen because of one person or one era; it happens when an entire community organizes, aligns, and acts together toward a shared vision of advancement.”