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Latino influence means a more entrepreneurial, bilingual community

Mike Collins of Charlotte Talks, left, and Hilda Gurdian of La Noticia guide a panel discussion with Federico Ríos, Rocio González, José Hernández París and Lennin Caro.
Jeff Cravotta
/
Cravotta Photography
WFAE's Mike Collins, left, and Hilda Gurdian of La Noticia guide a panel discussion with Federico Ríos, Rocio González, José Hernández París and Lennin Caro.

This story was produced through a collaboration between WFAE and La Noticia. You can read it in Spanish at La Noticia. Puedes leer la nota en español en La Noticia.

As North Carolina’s Latino population grows, so does the community’s influence on the state. That was the topic of discussion during EQUALibrium Live: “The Growing Influence of Latinos on the Charlotte Area.”

Tuesday night’s event at the Charlotte Museum of History was hosted by Charlotte Talks as part of WFAE’s public conversation series produced by the station’s Race and Equity team.

Latinos are the fastest growing demographic in North Carolina, now surpassing 1.1 million people. In Mecklenburg County, where 170,000 Latinos live, the growth has created a stronger community, said panelist José Hernández París, director of the Latin American Coalition.

“We’re known for being a hard-working community — but not only that, we’re bringing a professional workforce to Charlotte that is allowing us to compete nationally and internationally,” Hernández París said.

“The growth of Charlotte started, I think, with the building of the Bank of America tower, when we started bringing a lot of workers. … I realized at that moment, Charlotte is not the same as it used to be, and it’s better.”

The community discussion, co-hosted by WFAE and La Noticia, explored the economic, cultural and political impact of Latinos in Charlotte.

Attendees listen to the EQUALibrium LIVE discussion on Latino influence at the Charlotte Museum of History.
Jeff Cravotta
/
Cravotta Photography
Attendees listen to the EQUALibrium LIVE discussion on Latino influence at the Charlotte Museum of History.

Rocio González, executive director of the Women’s Business Center of Charlotte, emphasized the spirit of entrepreneurship as a major strength in the community. In the immigrant context, González described a dedication to overcoming professional barriers.

“Members of the Latino community that are overqualified — they have a degree, they have a lot of knowledge — once they go into the workforce, they become the experts in that trade. And once they see they are able to understand the business deeply, they see themselves owning that business,” she said.

For immigrants, entrepreneurship is also a sign of resilience, explained Federico Ríos, assistant director of Charlotte’s Office of Equity, Mobility and Immigrant Integration.

“You’re talking about individuals who are highly traumatized from whatever experience led them to leave everything that they’ve known,” Ríos said. “And somehow, within months, they’re gainfully employed, they’re providing for their family and they’re creating opportunities for others. That is the immigrant story I know.”

In North Carolina, however, more than 60% of Latinos are U.S.-born. González pointed out that much of the growth in North Carolina’s Latino population is related to national trends.

“There’s a lot of bilingual, U.S.-born Latinos moving into Charlotte and North Carolina as a whole. So, when we think about Charlotte being Latino in 2030, I want you to be happy about it because there are many more similarities than differences that we have,” she said.

As the midterm elections near, Lennin Caro with the Camino Research Institute said it’s important to remember that the Latino community is not a monolith.

“There’s many diverse ideologies within the Latino community, and that’s great because it’s richer,” Caro said. “Hopefully if more Latinos participate in voting, we can get Democrats and Republicans to pay attention to the Latino community, so we can have a greater impact.”

The full EQUALibrium LIVE discussion will be broadcast Monday on Charlotte Talks.


Major support for WFAE's Race & Equity Team comes from Novant Health and Wells Fargo.

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Kayla Young is a Report for America corps member covering issues involving race, equity, and immigration for WFAE and La Noticia, an independent Spanish-language news organization based in Charlotte. Major support for WFAE's Race & Equity Team comes from Novant Health and Wells Fargo.