From laying bricks to staffing hospitals, from opening restaurants to raising families, Hispanics and Latinos are part of Baltimore’s heartbeat. But it took tragedy to make that visible.

When the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on March 26, 2024, it was six Hispanic and Latino workers – members of our communities – who lost their lives.

For a brief moment, the headlines remembered us. But in many ways that support proved transitory.

The Baltimore Community Foundation raised over $16 million through its “Maryland Tough, Baltimore Strong Key Bridge Fund,” claiming it would reinforce “community resilience.”

None of those funds were distributed to the bereaved families of our communities. The workers who are building this city were once again left behind. (A fraction of the funds eventually went to them after this was exposed.)

“We Are Baltimore” seeks to end the silence. This 50-minute bilingual (Spanish and English) documentary was created to tell stories that have always mattered, even when no one was listening.

People from all walks of life are included – healthcare workers, students, artists, chefs, athletes, teachers, construction workers, entrepreneurs – as well as multiple generations, gender identities and sexual orientations.

The film includes Puerto Ricans, Ecuadorans, Guatemalans, Mexicans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Salvadorans, Peruvians, Dominicans, Hondurans, U.S. Americans and Spaniards. Their different accents, dialects and expressions reflect the richness of our communities.

Moving away from the myth of a singular Hispanic or Latino identity, we instead uplift our pluralism as our greatest strength.

Personal Journey

What motivated me to work on this project alongside Nuestras Raíces (“Our Cultural Roots” in English) was one clear observation:

Our community wasn’t getting the attention it deserved. We’re constructing buildings, paving roads, launching businesses and contributing to the city’s fabric. Yet the dominant narrative in politics and the media continues to portray us as criminals, social burdens or scary outsiders.

That old narrative needed to be replaced by one told from the inside.

In 2023, at 18 years old, I left the rural familiarity of my hometown – Huntingtown in rural Calvert County – to pursue International Studies at Towson University. I knew no one in Baltimore.

One afternoon in February 2024, I saw a Facebook post from Nuestras Raíces, a Highlandtown nonprofit dedicated to educating, promoting and preserving Latin American and Hispanic cultures. They were looking for artists.

I reached out and soon found myself across from Angelo Solera, a Spanish man and the organization’s founder and executive director. An hour-long conversation turned into a months-long collaboration. By March 2024, we were filming “We Are Baltimore.”

Rejecting Stereotypes

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Baltimore’s Hispanic and Latino population nearly doubled between 2010 and 2023, from about 26,000 (4.19%) to over 46,000 people (8.20%). Despite this growth, our communities are still underrepresented in the system and vulnerable to harmful political rhetoric. In 2025, the return of the Trump administration reignited xenophobic narratives and ramped-up ICE operations.

On January 20, 2025, the administration revoked the Sensitive Locations Policy, which previously protected undocumented immigrants from detainment in places like hospitals, schools, churches and parades to name a few. Fear spread across our communities with many avoiding public spaces and essential services out of fear of arrest, separation or deportation.

“We Are Baltimore” is a response to that climate. It challenges the dehumanizing generalizations that reduce us to stereotypes. It centers our humanity, variety and contributions. It’s a rejection of the rally-around-the-flag tactic that uses immigrants as pawns to consolidate power.

Baltimore’s Hispanic and Latino population nearly doubled between 2010 and 2023, from about 26,000 (4.2%) to over 46,000 people (8.2%)

The film premiered last October at The Senator Theatre. The response was overwhelming. But that night was only the beginning.

Nuestras Raíces continues pushing forward through cultural workshops, art galleries at Casa de la Cultura, and community events like Fiesta Baltimore and Frida Fest.

The goal: a Baltimore where Hispanics and Latinos are heard and can take a seat at the decision-making table.

• Christian Arias is a member of the Baltimore-based nonprofit Nuestras Raíces Inc. and the filmmaker behind the documentary, “We Are Baltimore.”