# data[].attributes.body
returned to us almost six years later by Ismael's Former Spanish Teacher Mrs. (Señora) Ramirez.

# data[].attributes.body
Oh Ismael. When I think of him, my emotions can’t decide which feelings to choose. I become happy, melancholy, and thankful all at once. He was my best friend. I’m unsure if I was his but, he was the only friend that stuck around.

His smile was infectious. Some people smile with their entire face and boy did he. It was always so genuine. And don’t even get me started on his laugh. His choppy chuckles always cracked me up.

Ismael loved to dance. I remember slow dancing with him at prom as we whispered quietly over the music. We later let loose to the fun songs. Seeing him dance so freely that night with the biggest smile on his face is probably my favorite memory of him. He also loved to sing. We were in choir together. I remember one time I had gotten so frustrated with a classmate that I almost started yelling. He calmly sat in the back and when she left he gave me advice and guided me.

Him and I were there for one another during hard times and good times. We motivated each other and made sure the other person always knew how awesome they were. He had so much love to give. He was one of the most determined people I knew. I got involved in student counsel because of him. His drive helped me graduate with better grades and apply for more scholarships. He helped me word my essays and gave me pointers. Ismael had so much passion in everything he did. He inspired me to be the best version of myself, to make a difference in this world, and to fight for what I believed in. I can honestly say he is my hero.

I talk to him often. I feel him with me, guiding me. I am not in politics; however, I have promised myself that I will do everything in my power to leave a positive impact on this world for me and for him. The right words to express how thankful I am to have had in my life don’t exist. He gave me so may ideas, taught me lessons, inspired me, and so much more. I will always love him dearly and I will do everything I can to make him proud.

# data[].attributes.body
What I remember so vividly about my brother is that while he was a compassionate extrovert, he could be a completely different person with me. He was stubborn and temperamental almost every time I had the privilege of being his sounding board. Our heated discussions usually ended with him hissing, "Well, who asked you anyways?!" to which I responded, "You did!". But he would always come back after to tell me, "Mari, I'm FDR, and you're my Eleanor". Especially after my brother developed health issues, he would take the time to say, "We are going to be just like FDR and Eleanor, you'll get to do all the work when I'm too sick to do it, and I'll get the credit. It'll be the same, except I actually love you."

# data[].attributes.headline
Thank You Note to Ismael from Alex Zamora.

# data[].attributes.subject
Thank You Note to Ismael from Alex Zamora.

# data[].attributes.body
A thank you note to Ismael for acting as a proxy at the Canyon County Democrat Caucus.

Transcript:
Thank you for holding onto and representing me via proxy at the Canyon County Democrat Caucus. From what I hear, your words were inspiring. At such a young age you are making quite the impact. I'm excited for your future!

Thanks,
Alex Zamora

# data[].attributes.headline
"This small Idaho city elected an all-Latino local government. Now what?"

# data[].attributes.subject
"This small Idaho city elected an all-Latino local government. Now what?"

# data[].attributes.body
10/13/2016 Univision article on wilder's first all latino council which includes a video interview with Ismael.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Voters in the city of Wilder elected their first Latina mayor and two new Mexican American council members a year ago, but big challenges remain for this town of 1,500 residents.

13 Oct 2016 - 11:14 AM EDT

There are no coffee shops or bars in Wilder, a tiny Idaho farming town. It has no fast food restaurants or clothing stores, no supermarkets or movie theaters. There are only three police officers to protect more than 1,500 residents, and the nearest pharmacy is a few miles south of the city, on the other side of the Snake River.

Most families in Wilder make less than $25,000 a year, and most of the students in the school district get free or reduced-price lunch. When night falls, it's common to see residents sitting outside the public library, trying to access the free wi-fi.

It was here that Idaho's first all-Latino city government came to power. In January, Alicia Mora Almazán was sworn in as mayor, as Ismael Fernández and Guadalupe García joined Tila Godina and Robert Rivera as members of the Wilder City Council.

Latinos in Power: This small Idaho city elected an all-Latino local government. Now what?

For the first time in Idaho's history, a city put its political future entirely in the hands of Latinos, turning Wilder into a symbol of how minorities can reach political power by simply turning out to vote. It was remarkable especially because it happened in Idaho, a state where more than 80% of the population is white and barely 7% of eligible voters are Hispanic.

In Wilder, three out of every four residents are Hispanic. In fact, Wilder's leaders are five of only seven Hispanic elected officials in Idaho, according to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO).

How did Latinos get elected in Wilder?

For Mayor Almazán, a 52-year-old hairstylist with three children, the mayoral campaign involved reintroducing herself to a community that already knew her. Wilder is such a small community that she spent only $30 on her campaign for City Hall, enough to make 300 copies of a flyer with her name and picture.

"It said I wouldn't make any promises, but that I was here to help," she said, sitting in City Hall about nine months after winning the election.

Her strategy worked. On November 8, 2015, she beat her main rival by 29 votes out of a total of 139.

"Some people told me they hadn't voted in 20 years, but they went and voted for me," said Almazán, who describes herself as Texan and has lived in Wilder since she was 2 years old.

Council member Fernández's first political victory was also the product of a modest campaign, one that he launched just two days before the election.

When he decided to run for city council, the 19-year-old college student enlisted the help of his grandmother María, who has lived in Wilder for over 40 years and is part of the Canyon County elections board. She gave her grandson tips: knock on this door, don't bother over there.

In the end, Fernández won 60 votes, the most out of all candidates; he got eight more votes than Guadalupe García, who beat another candidate by just one vote.

"Throughout Wilder's history, our leadership has been white," said Fernández, who identifies as Mexican-American. "We went from being a majority white government to being an all-Latino government with two women, one of them our mayor ... I'm very proud of that. I'm a firm believer in a representative government."

But winning the election was only the first challenge for Hispanic leaders in Wilder, where 40 percent of households live in poverty, more than twice the rate of the rest of Idaho. Another challenge is to revitalize the community.

"In the '80s, we had seven bars and six churches in Wilder. Now we have seven churches and no bars," Fernández said. "We didn't have a lot of businesses, but we had different types. Bars were kind of a main theme here in Wilder. They just went out of business, you know?"

Developing a small town: an uphill battle

Inspired by the potato and onion crops growing in the surrounding Treasure Valley, Wilder residents adopted the motto "Come grow with us!" The slogan adorns the town's welcome sign.

But economic growth has been slow in Wilder, which still lags behind many surrounding towns. For example, Wilder's per capita income grew 44 percent in a decade, from $7,601 in 2000 to $10,944 in 2010, according to Census data. But that figure is still less than half the per-capita income of Idaho overall, which was $22,518 in 2010.

And while the poverty rate is falling, it still remains above 25 percent -- more than twice the state rate.

"What's happening in Idaho is that a lot of people have been moving from the small cities to the bigger cities," said Rep. Raúl Labrador, a Republican who represents Wilder and the rest of Idaho's first congressional district in the House of Representatives. "And that's why you see Boise and Nampa growing at an exponential rate. You see Caldwell that is also growing at an exponential rate ... And our smaller cities are really shrinking. And that's happening all throughout the United States."

Another sign of Wilder's stagnant development is the number of vacant buildings. Fernández pointed them out as he walked through the empty streets: an old bar where the owner was killed, the old arcade. The city's fire station is now filled with old clothes and donations, and serves as the headquarters for a group of volunteers that has been trying to renovate the public library. (They've been raising money for four years.)

Wilder has few businesses, most of them located on the same avenue that runs across the town center: a hardware store, a small barbershop and two Mexican restaurants, Rosa's and Alejandra's.

Samuel Correa, a Mexican from Zacatecas who opened Alejandra's 13 years ago, says the city's new leaders haven't introduced themselves yet at the restaurant, which is on the same block as City Hall. Even so, Correa has faith in Almazán and the Latino councilmembers. "People know [the mayor] around here," he said as he wiped tables and took lunch orders.

Almazán says the key to governing a small town lies in micromanagement. For example, she had an argument recently with a Wilder resident who didn't want to pay his water bill. A day later, the man came to City Hall and paid the money he owed.

"The biggest challenge is letting people know the things they can no longer get away with," she said, smiling.

Another challenge is the fact that many residents work in different cities, or in the fields outside the town, and they have little interest in their local government.

On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Univision News spoke to farmworkers sorting potatoes on the outskirts of town. Javier Villegas said that immigrants in Treasure Valley have little incentive to vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election.

"They could care less," said Villegas, chuckling. "They say it's all the same."

But even if many are disinterested in political participation, they do care about seeing changes in their town, he said. For Villegas, those changes include getting more resources for his four children.

"Over in Caldwell, schools have soccer and swimming, they have arts classes and music classes. We need that here," he said.

Florita Valdez, one of the women sorting potatoes, also cares mostly about opportunities for her children. "My son will sometimes say, 'Mommy, why don't you put me in another school?'"

San Juanita De La Cruz, a Mexican resident who has lived in Wilder for three decades, takes it upon herself to awaken her neighbors' political interest. "Some of them want to get involved but they're afraid," said De La Cruz, who also coordinates the school district's programs for homeless and immigrant students. "I push them. I say, 'You have to get involved. You're already here.'"

De La Cruz has faith in her new leaders and thinks they're capable of integrating Wilder into the rest of Idaho.

"I think we need a strong voice with a big heart here in Wilder, so that the county and the state start giving us the attention we deserve," she said. "What needs to happen is for [Almazán] to prove that she's up to her title, and for the community to see changes and support her."

But that could take awhile. Asked about the changes that have happened in Wilder in the seven months since the all-Latino city government took office, she answered: "In reality, right now nothing. No changes."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
This small Idaho city elected an all-Latino local government. Now what?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Voters in the city of Wilder elected their first Latina mayor and two new Mexican American council members a year ago, but big challenges remain for this town of 1,500 residents. 13 Oct 2016 - 11:14 AM EDT There are no coffee shops or bars in Wilder, a tiny Idaho farming town.

# data[].attributes.headline
Idaho Life: Wilder's all-Latino leadership a first for Idaho

# data[].attributes.subject
Idaho Life: Wilder's all-Latino leadership a first for Idaho

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Idaho Life: Wilder's all-Latino leadership a first for Idaho

# data[].attributes.headline
How Latinos Are Shaping America’s Future

# data[].attributes.subject
How Latinos Are Shaping America’s Future

# data[].attributes.body
National Geographic article mentioning Ismael and Wilder's all Latino council.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Store photos and docs online. Access them from any PC, Mac or phone. Create and work together on Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents.

# data[].attributes.headline
"El joven hispano que impulsó un cambio de poder histórico en Idaho"

# data[].attributes.subject
"El joven hispano que impulsó un cambio de poder histórico en Idaho"

# data[].attributes.body
01/12/2016 Univision article on Ismael and his new position as a wilder city councilman.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Hispanos en el Gobierno de EEUU

Ismael Fernández será parte del concejo municipal de Wilder, el primero completamente hispano en Idaho.

12 Ene 2016 - 02:18 PM EST

Ismael Fernández Crédito: Cortesía de Ismael Fernández

A sus 19 años, Ismael Fernández cuenta con las típicas responsabilidades de un estudiante de primer año de universidad.

Ensayos. Asignaciones. Horas en la biblioteca. Exámenes trimestrales.

Pero este año tomará una nueva responsabilidad: manejar la ciudad de Wilder, Idaho, como parte del primer concejo municipal completamente hispano del estado en el noroeste del país.

Junto a los concejales Tila Godina, Guadalupe García y Robert Rivera, Fernández será parte del cuerpo que gobernará la ciudad de Wilder bajo la recién electa alcaldesa Alicia Almazán, que a su vez es la primera hispana en el cargo.

El joven, quien estudia español e historia en el College of Idaho, juramenta este martes en la primera reunión mensual del concejo, que representa a los 1,500 residentes de la ciudad rural.

El nuevo concejo refleja la demografía de Wilder, donde más del 75% de la población es hispana. Muchos de estos residentes han sido históricamente trabajadores agrícolas. Algunos trabajan en la industria de los lúpulos ( hops), que se usan para hacer cerveza y son un motor de la economía local.

Fernández es hijo de una mexicana de Cuernavaca, y es además bisnieto de inmigrantes que llegaron a Wilder como trabajadores durante las temporadas agrícolas. "Ellos iban y venían entre Texas y Idaho. Mis abuelos fueron los que decidieron quedarse en Wilder. Muchos de nuestros residentes son trabajadores temporales que se instalaron aquí", dijo.

La pequeña ciudad rural cuenta con pocas otras industrias. " No creo que tengamos un Walmart o un McDonald's en un futuro cercano", dice Fernández sobre Wilder. " Ya no tenemos farmacia, solamente un mercado local pequeño y el puesto de gasolina. Para otras cosas, hay que salir a otras ciudades más grandes como Caldwell".

Cuando se lanzó al puesto, Fernández se enfrentaba a cuatro otros candidatos, entre ellos un funcionario que llevaba décadas en el concejo. Hizo campaña por tres días, caminando las calles del pueblo y repartiendo folletos con su nombre.

"No esperaba ganar, simplemente por la cantidad de candidatos y la experiencia que tenían. Ya cuando llegó el día de la elección, me dije a mí mismo que al menos no quería llegar último", dice riéndose.

El joven terminó ganando primer lugar en la contienda por los dos asientos disponibles en el concejo. "Cuando llamé a mi abuela a decirle que gané primer lugar, me preguntó, '¿Estás seguro?' Creo que sorprendí hasta a mis simpatizantes", dijo Fernández.

Ahora tendrá la responsabilidad de manejar los asuntos de la ciudad. Una de sus ideas es asistir a los ancianos de Wilder que quieren ir a otras ciudades para hacer sus compras.

"Quiero ayudarlos a transportarse, tal vez con buses ( vans) que lleguen a buscarlos a las áreas rurales. Es difícil para las personas mayores manejar y salir a otras ciudades grandes, como Caldwell, donde pueden conseguir las cosas que necesitan", dijo Fernández.

También buscará destinar más recursos a la infraestructura local. "Nuestras carreteras no son muy buenas", dice.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
El joven hispano que impulsó un cambio de poder histórico en Idaho

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hispanos en el Gobierno de EEUU Ismael Fernández será parte del concejo municipal de Wilder, el primero completamente hispano en Idaho. 12 Ene 2016 - 02:18 PM EST Ismael Fernández Crédito: Cortesía de Ismael Fernández A sus 19 años, Ismael Fernández cuenta con las típicas responsabilidades de un estudiante de primer año de universidad.

# data[].attributes.headline
"Legion posts make Boys State Selections"

# data[].attributes.subject
"Legion posts make Boys State Selections"

# data[].attributes.body
Owyhee Avalanche Article June 04, 2014.

# data[].attributes.headline
"Homedale 4th Grader takes community service to heart"

# data[].attributes.subject
"Homedale 4th Grader takes community service to heart"

# data[].attributes.body
Owyhee County Avalanche article about Ismael's penny drive for Middleton High School.