STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

It was born out of negativity and misinformation. Now, nine years later, the Unity Alliance of Southern Idaho is creating friendship and understanding across different cultures and different backgrounds as it combats racism and celebrates diversity.

And the nonprofit organization wants to expand in the Wood River Valley.

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools,” the organization’s executive director Alejandra Hernandez said, quoting Martin Luther King Jr. “We want people to get curious, not furious.”

The Unity Alliance of Southern Idaho was formed in response to an incident in 2015 in which three boys under 14 years of age, all of whom happened to be newly transplanted refugees, assaulted a girl. A small but vocal group of residents and outsiders began speaking out against Twin Falls’ refugee population, said Twin Falls Police Capt. Matt Hicks and board president of the Alliance. National bloggers amplified the message of hatred and racism beyond Idaho.

They exaggerated the facts to make the incident seem more shocking than it was, and they portrayed the police department and community as being unresponsive, he added.

“I saw people saying things in my own community that shocked me,” he said.

Caught off guard, community leaders began long, hard discussions to find solutions, eventually forming the Unity Alliance of Southern Idaho to reunite Idaho’s most demographically diverse region.

“We recognized that the best weapon we have is to bring people together,” said Hicks. “We try to foster appreciation for the unique cultural and other contributions of one another.”

Hailey Police Chief Steve England has been involved with the group since 2021. Former Dist. 26 Rep. Sally Toone is also involved in the alliance which spans eight counties, including Twin Falls, Blaine, Camas, Lincoln, Cassia and Minidoka counties.

This past week they introduced the Alliance to residents of the Wood River Valley in hopes that the valley would see the benefit of becoming involved.

The Alliance offers a few key programs:

DEVELOPING AN OUTWARD MINDSET

The 12- to 16-hour course teaches participants how to work together and collaborate, said Hernandez. So far, 200 individuals have attended the Outward Mindset Training Program.

"It's not about standing against something. It's about making our community greater,” Alejandra said.

COMMUNITY UNITY TABLE DINNERS

The free dinners hosted in various communities have celebrated Bosnian, Salvadorian, Mexican, Congolese and farming communities through food, entertainment and a coming together of peoples. The Alliance hopes to stage a Community Table in the Wood River Valley, perhaps in January 2025.

Emily Nelsen, a retired elementary principal in the Shoshone school district said the community tables helped her build key relationships during a time the federal government was threatening to send immigrants back to Mexico and other countries.

“The best conversations happen around a table,” she said. “These community tables bring people together from diverse backgrounds. You sit with people you don't know and share culture and food. We've had a thousand people come together at these events over the past few years. They're a place where we can learn that together, with our differences, we’re way better than we would be on our own. That's the principle the United States was founded on."

PARENT COLLEGE

This bilingual program teaches parents how to become more engaged in their children's education. It provides personal enrichment courses for parents that includes strategies for promoting social, emotional, health and wellness and academic achievement in their children. It helps parents from other cultures understand what's expected in school, teaches them how children grow and learn and shows them how to advocate for their children.

To date, 300 parents have attended Parent College, learning such things as why they need to attend parent-teacher conferences. It makes everyone feel welcome and on an equal level, said Toone.

“It strengthens relations between families, schools and community,” added Hernandez.

In addition to those three programs, Unity Alliance provides a place for people to discuss problems communities are grappling with.

That includes the difficulties immigrants have with getting driver’s licenses and insurance. “Bureaucratically, we’re creating a space where people are forced to break the law,” noted Jason Shearer, executive director of the Wood River Community YCMCA. “They need a driver license to work but you don’t give them that right.”

A bill that would have addressed the problem was introduced in legislature but it died “for a bunch of ugly reasons,” said Rep. Jack Nelsen. “I don’t see it happening this year,” he added.

Another dilemma revolves around those who come here legally on a VISA and end up staying for decades while raising their families, said Hernandez.

“How do we address that in a way that benefits everyone?” she asked.

The Alliance is funded by individual donations and corporations like Chobani, D.L. Evans Bank, Idaho Milk Products and the Idaho Dairymen’s Association. A gala fundraiser, the United Taste of the Magic Valley,  will be held Nov. 1 in Twin Falls, shining the spotlight on such cultures as Kenya, Argentina and Ireland.

To learn more, visit https://unityalliancesi.org. Or, contact Alejandra Hernandez at 208-969-1766 or ahernandez@unityalliancesi.org