Latinos rally for change
As population soars, Hispanics call for better quality of life
Hundreds of Latinos and their advocates gathered Sunday in Raleigh to show support for immigration reform, better housing for farmworkers and other changes aimed at strengthening North Carolina's growing Spanish-speaking population.
The event at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church marked the first statewide meeting of dozens of Hispanic advocacy groups working under the umbrella N.C. Latino Coalition....
After surging by nearly 400 percent in the 1990s, the state's Hispanic population has continued growing. Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show Hispanic numbers grew 35 percent from 2000 to 2004, to 517,000....
In addition to urging support for laws to legalize the status of illegal immigrants and improve housing conditions for farmworkers in North Carolina, advocates called for more interpreters for Spanish-speakers at public health facilities....
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