Gov. Roy Cooper’s Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs has four new members from the Charlotte area. Stefanía Arteaga, Lariza Garzón, Federico Rios and Daniel Valdez are among 27 Latino leaders from across the state appointed to serve two-year terms on the board.
Members will be divided into subcommittees and provide policy recommendations with the aim of improving Latino representation in government.
“This is a multi-sector group of folks,” explained Valdez, chief external affairs officer of Welcoming America. “It's folks that are working in the Latino-Hispanic community, but they're working at different intersections, whether it's education, health, civic engagement, economic development, grassroots organizing.”
Valdez said the diverse, statewide representation on the board creates potential for organizations to collaborate and learn from others.
Arteaga with Carolina Migrant Network used to volunteer for the council. As a new member, she says this cohort has the opportunity to elevate the voices of a younger generation.
“We are the youngest cohort to come in. And so I think that's also indicative of the change in North Carolina. The vast majority of Latino North Carolinians are Gen Zers. I think that's exciting and it's going in the right direction.”
Assignments and subcommittees are still taking shape, but Arteaga says some of the big issues this council could discuss include language access at schools and hospitals, and increasing Latino civic engagement.
In a state with few elected Latino officials, Garzón, the regional operations director of the Hispanic Federation, says the council provides needed visibility and insight.
“There are many organizations across the state that are really working to increase the participation and to bring their needs to people in power,” Garzón said. “The two areas with the largest Latino populations are Mecklenburg and the Triangle. But really, the Latino population is exploding in rural areas.
“The really encouraging thing about those areas is that there are more young people that think differently about government. They feel like they could have a space in government.”
North Carolina’s General Assembly currently has no Latino members. A Latino has never held a statewide office in North Carolina.
This story was produced through a collaboration between WFAE and La Noticia. You canread it in Spanishat La Noticia. Puedes leer la nota en español en La Noticia.
