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Latinx in Duluth: Finding Belonging and Building Community in the Northland

There’s something special about hearing women tell their stories in full color - no editing, no script, no translation required. In this episode of Divine Konversations, host Tatiana Bergum sits down with two remarkable guests, Susana Pelayo-Woodward and Melisa Gomez Romo, to talk about what it means to live, work, and raise families as Latinx women in Duluth, Minnesota.


For Tatiana, this episode felt deeply personal. As a Honduran adoptee who grew up in Superior, she has spent much of her life navigating the spaces between cultures - wanting to fit in, later realizing the power in standing out, and now raising her children to be proud of where they come from. That tension and beauty of identity set the stage for an honest conversation about belonging, motherhood, and leadership.


Susana’s story begins in Mexico City. She came to the U.S. at 18 through a scouting program, expecting to stay for six months. Three decades later, Duluth is home. “I always say I’m going home when I go to Mexico,” she shared, “but the truth is, this is my home too.”


Melisa’s journey took a different path - born in Los Angeles to Salvadoran parents, later raising her children in Arkansas before moving north. “We had the Penske truck packed and no plan,” she laughed. “We didn’t have anything, just what was in that truck. But we knew we needed to go somewhere our daughter would have more opportunities.”


For all three women, leadership isn’t something they claim - it’s something they live. As Susana explained, “Sometimes society wants you to leave parts of yourself outside the room. But my values, my identity - they come with me.” Melisa echoed that same resolve: “I don’t see it as leadership. I just show up. I show up for my kids, and I show up for my community.”


Both have fought to create space for Latinx families to thrive in Duluth. Susana has been a long-standing advocate for education, representation, and equity at UMD. Melisa focuses on building safe, inclusive communities for families like hers - families raising neurodivergent kids, navigating systems, and searching for belonging.


Language became a recurring theme throughout the episode - the struggle to maintain Spanish, the pride of hearing a child speak it back, and the complicated emotions tied to accent and assimilation. Susana remembered the ache of her son asking her not to speak Spanish in public. Years later, he’s the one asking how to reconnect with that part of himself.


Melisa reflected on raising her children with disabilities in a culture that doesn’t often talk about difference. “We are starting from a blank slate here,” she said. “My kids can be part of the community - and that means something.”


Together, they talked about carving new traditions and creating visible culture - salsa nights at Oasis Del Norte, Latinx student celebrations at UMD, and growing networks of families who no longer feel invisible.


The women didn’t shy away from the challenges of raising children of color in a predominantly white city. From racial profiling to cultural isolation, they shared painful but familiar stories - the kind that reveal how far communities still need to grow. Yet amid those moments, there was also hope.


Melisa’s son, once the only Latino boy on his hockey team, is now finding belonging through language and connection at his job. “He started ordering food in Spanish,” she said with pride. “He’s practicing. He’s finding his roots.”


When asked what legacy they hope to leave, their answers echoed one another. Susana spoke of resilience: “We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors. Don’t forget that. We’ve always been here — we didn’t move, the border did.” Melisa spoke of permanence: “Economic power means staying power. I want to see more Latino-owned businesses, a Latino Chamber of Commerce, more of us in city and school leadership. We are here. And we’re not going anywhere.”

“Sometimes society wants you to leave parts of yourself outside the room. But my values, my identity — they come with me.” – Susana Pelayo-Woodward

⏱ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Setting the tone: identity and belonging

01:30 – Susana’s journey from Mexico to Minnesota

04:00 – Melissa’s story: Los Angeles, Arkansas, and a new life up north

09:00 – Motherhood, language, and the pressure to assimilate

14:00 – Advocating for education, safety, and inclusion

21:00 – Duluth’s cultural past and the loss of school-based cultural centers

26:00 – Raising bilingual kids and embracing heritage

38:00 – The realities of race and parenting in predominantly white spaces

50:00 – Creating community through food, events, and connection

59:00 – Legacy, leadership, and the future of Latinx Duluth

Weekly Reflection

What stories of identity, language, or culture shaped who you are today?

How can you make space for those stories — yours and others — to be seen and heard in your community?

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