In a significant move aimed at addressing the concerns of the Latino community in North Carolina, two non-profit leaders from Western North Carolina have been selected to join the Governor’s Advisory Council on Latino Affairs. This initiative underscores a continued commitment to engage with and support the diverse Latino population across the state.
Since its inception in 1998, the council has been consistently renewed by successive administrations. This year, Governor Josh Stein reaffirmed its importance through Executive Order 27. The council’s mission is to provide guidance on critical issues affecting Latino residents, such as education, workforce development, and healthcare access.
North Carolina is home to over a million Latinos, who play a crucial role in the state’s economy, contributing more than $36 million to the gross domestic product as per the 2023 Metro Latino GDP report.
Gabriel Esparza, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Administration, emphasized the council’s significance amidst evolving national conversations on Latino issues, inclusion, and immigration. “It’s important that this governor’s (Stein) values continue to uphold the interest of the Latino community,” Esparza said, highlighting the council’s focus on education, workforce development, and healthcare.
He also noted that council members would be instrumental in shaping policy recommendations by providing crucial feedback to the governor’s office.
North Carolina Department of Administration Website
The council comprises 30 appointees representing various sectors such as health care, education, and non-profits, covering communities statewide. Among them are Ricardo Bello-Ball from Bryson City and Zurilma Anuel from Asheville, who will represent the mountain region.
Originally from Chilpancingo, Guerrero, México, Bello-Ball has lived in Western North Carolina for 25 years and leads Unidxs WNC, a Sylva-based non-profit focused on addressing inequities in the Latino community. Previously an informal advisor to the council, Bello-Ball advocates for greater Latino representation in rural areas.
“You go to a school, you go to an office around here, there isn’t a person you can identify with,” Bello-Ball told BPR in Spanish. “We want that identification to exist, not just for the Latinx community, but for everyone.” He expressed the need for more voices from Western North Carolina on the council, stating, “We’re not enough… I want there to be more representation.”
Zurilma Anuel, originally from Caracas, Venezuela, and director of the Western Women’s Business Center in Asheville, shares similar concerns. Living in Asheville since 1998, she aims to advocate for small Latino business owners, particularly in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
“I always joke, saying tissues were not part of our office supplies, but now they are because we have so many businesses that come in saying, ‘I lost my business, I lost my house, I lost my car,’” Anuel told BPR. “Even a year later, there are still so many resources that aren’t there. At least what I can do now is be that person who communicates to the governor and says, ‘This is what I see, this is what’s happening and this is what I’m hearing.’”
The date for the council’s inaugural meeting has yet to be scheduled.
