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.
 
In the rural Wisconsin city of Abbotsford, on the border of Marathon and Clark counties in the middle of the state, about 500 of 2,300 residents are Latino, drawn there to work on the dairy farms, in the factories, and at one of the region's big employers, the Abbyland Foods meat processing company.
The first week of the Trump administration brought a hail of executive orders, including two that marked an abrupt shift in U.S. immigration policy.
Around 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 7 in a classroom on Madison's south side, a group of mostly Latino immigrants and English as a Second Language teachers sat in a circle listening intently as two special guests answered their questions.
Milwaukee's first community of Mexican immigrants flourished briefly but was shattered by the tragedy of the Great Depression.
As one of the state's largest industries and the core of its Cheesehead identity, dairy production is heavily dependent on immigrant workers.
Immigration as a top line issue for dairy farmers would have been unthinkable just a generation ago when Wisconsin's agricultural landscape was dominated by small and medium-sized dairy farms run by the families that owned them.
Immigration is an engine of change that has shaped Wisconsin throughout its history, reflecting the broader story of newcomers building new communities around the United States.
While place of birth is straightforward for most people, for a few the waters are uncertain.
Nearly one year after she attended President Donald Trump's first speech to Congress, Lupe Salmeron feels uncertain about her future as a "Dreamer" in the United States.
Mexican immigrants and their descendants born in the United States comprise a growing and increasingly visible group of communities around Wisconsin.