Ramon Ortiz, vice chair of the Latino Chamber of Commerce, said the pandemic has “peeled back the veneer of civilized society,” highlighting disparities across the country. In Wisconsin, where Hispanic and Asian or Asian American residents are among the fastest-growing populations, he said, those fighting for equality must understand the backdrop for their struggle.
Cap Times Idea Fest: The economic downturn is hitting Madison Latinos hard. Here’s what the city can do. | Neighborhoods


Eugenia Podestá, senior director of economic empowerment and entrepreneurship at Vital Voices Global Partnership and co-owner of Synergy Coworking is seen here at Synergy Coworking in 2017.
Wisconsin “has one of the greatest racial disparities between Black and white,” Ortiz said. “It has yet to even grapple with that, let alone try to address the complexity of Latinos and Asians within this new milieu of race and politics.”
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Ramon Ortiz, shown here in a 2016 file photo, is