GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — The Grand Haven Hispanic Heritage Fiesta has seen huge success in its short time since starting in 2019. The Ottawa County community developed a new organization off its success and plans to continue highlighting Hispanic culture beyond just the event through the Tri-Cities Puentes Initiative.
“The mission really of the organization is to raise awareness about Hispanic cultures," Tri-Cities Puentes Initiative Volunteer Board Member Christina Rodriguez Scarpino said.
Rodriguez Scarpino says the Hispanic population is large and growing in the area and that it was time for an organization that highlighted that.
“We have more than 10,000 Hispanic immigrants within our county," she said.
And while organizing fun events is a priority for the organization and community, the Hispanic immigrant population brings much more to the table than just that.
“Within Ottawa County, the immigrants pay about $116.9 million in taxes each year. So it, it really is a huge tax base for our community," Rodriguez Scarpino said.
