UnidosUS Affiliate of the Year

Conexión Américas recognized as the UnidosUS Affiliate of the Year

NASHVILLE, TN — The nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization — UnidosUS — named Conexión Américas as national Affiliate of the Year at its Annual Conference, “Beacons of Change,” held in Kansas City, Missouri, on Thursday, August 7. The award is the highest honor UnidosUS bestows annually on one of more than 300 community-based organizations in its Affiliate network, recognizing their exemplary work in serving their community and advancing the mission of UnidosUS for strong and vibrant Latino communities.

“We’re incredibly proud to receive this honor on behalf of our incredible team, board members, volunteers, and the 15,000 Latino families we proudly serve every year,” said Tara Lentz and Martha Silva, Co-Executive Directors of Conexión Américas. We thank UnidosUS for being our national family, elevating our local work to a national platform, and reminding us that juntos, sí se puede, together, we can,” added Martha and Tara.

Conexión Américas, a city- and region-focused nonprofit based in Nashville, Tennessee, serving Middle Tennessee, has been a powerful force in protecting Latino families from harmful legislation, advocating for civil rights and advancing economic mobility. From defeating a city-wide English-only ballot initiative to helping stop legislation that would deny immigrant children access to public education, their strategic coalition-building and community advocacy efforts have delivered meaningful, lasting impact.

“Conexión Américas has been a steadfast partner to UnidosUS almost since their founding and a trailblazer in Tennessee, from helping defeat a city-wide English-only ballot initiative to protecting immigrant students’ right to a public education,” said Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS. “Their work in advancing economic opportunity — whether through their Escalera program’s impressive college-going rates or their leadership as the only Spanish-language VITA site in the state for filing taxes — is nothing short of inspiring. As our first Affiliate in Tennessee, they’ve set a powerful example of what it means to lead with integrity, vision and deep commitment to community.”

Through programs that serve more than 15,000 Latino children and adults annually, Conexión Américas is helping families break cycles of poverty and build pathways to opportunity. Their education initiatives boast an 87% college-going rate among students who participate in Escalera, a college readiness program for first-generation students, while their economic mobility programs support over 800 job seekers and 1,000 entrepreneurs each year. As Tennessee’s only Spanish-language Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site, they’ve helped hundreds of families file taxes and claim refunds.

“Conexión Américas exemplifies what it means to be a trusted, community-rooted organization. For decades, they’ve built deep relationships with Latino families and partners across Tennessee, always showing up with integrity, collaboration and responsiveness,” said Irene Cuyún, vice president of Affiliate Partnerships & Development at UnidosUS. “In a rapidly shifting environment, they continue to be a steady and reliable force — listening to their community, taking action and adapting to meet urgent needs. We’re proud to honor their extraordinary leadership and impact with this year’s Affiliate of the Year award.”

Every year, UnidosUS awards the Affiliate who demonstrates exemplary organizational leadership, is innovative in their programmatic approach and active partners with UnidosUS to drive collective impact. This year, UnidosUS focused on three core areas: responding to external forces that could harm the community, safeguarding the civil rights of our community and advancing economic mobility through programs and policy.