Iowa-Yucatán Partners: A 60-Year Legacy of Friendship and Service
What started as a chance connection has blossomed into one of the most enduring international partnerships in the Americas. Janet Secor recently shared the story of the Iowa-Yucatán Partners program with our Rotary club, highlighting six decades of cultural exchange, humanitarian work, and lasting friendship.
A Partnership Born from Curiosity
The Iowa-Yucatán partnership traces its roots to the early 1960s, when President Kennedy helped establish a hemisphere-wide network of state and country partnerships. Iowa Governor Harold Hughes made the connection with the Yucatán, and in September 2025 the partnership celebrated its 60th anniversary.
A History of Meaningful Service
Over the decades, the Partners have made a tangible difference on both sides of the border — providing student transportation, funding scholarships, supporting the Hogar de los Angeles (like a Ronald McDonald House), and caring for the elderly at Casa de la Divina Providencia, a home for 60–90 seniors sustained entirely by donations. Most remarkably, 120 children were brought to Iowa for life-saving heart surgeries, with efforts now underway to develop that capacity locally in Yucatán.
Exploring the Yucatán
Janet has been involved with the partnership for about 16 years. Trips to explore the area always include stays in locally-owned hotels like Casa del Balam in Mérida and local tour guides showing local offerings. Mérida blends Mayan heritage with Lebanese, German, and Korean cultural influences. Historical highlights include Casa Montejo, the Mundo Maya Museum, and the Monumento a la Patria, where the Tree of Life — Yucatán's enduring symbol — is prominently featured.
Culture, Food, and Fun
Yucatecan cuisine is distinctly its own, with turkey, pork, and chicken as staples. A Mérida chef once cooked an authentic meal at Iowa Central Community College. The group visited Café Riqueza, whose owners have a personal connection to the partnership through a daughter who received heart surgery in Iowa. Cultural highlights included traditional dances by the Alma Danza troupe, a henequen rope-making museum, the 1,200-year-old Yaxunah Ruins, and a meteorite museum.
Looking Ahead
Janet is planning another trip to the Yucatán for January 2027. Contact her directly for details and to sign up. Text her at 515-570-7736.