Rafael Nunez, a reporter for El Latino and the Arkansas Times, recently sat down with Dr. Michael R. Twyman, director of the UALR Institute on Race and Ethnicity to talk about the Latino community in Arkansas.
Translated from Spanish to English, Nunez said, “As the new director of the UALR Institute on Race and Ethnicity, he, at 48 years old, is widely shaped by his academic record and his long career in public service in the philanthropy, and well supported by his personal experiences as a person of African American descent, is in an ideal position to discuss in detail the migration trends of Latinos during the last two decades.”
In addition to migration trends, Nunez and Twyman talked about a range of important topics – delving into the importance of voting, access to education and training, the present social climate in Arkansas, and how to alleviate tensions amongst differing ethnic groups.
Twyman asserts that future of Arkansas will, in part, depend on whether the state provides a “welcoming community” for Latinos.
“The community will be strengthened. It will become stronger, more robust, more vibrant and dynamic, both economically and socially, as cultural and racial diversity promotes and enhances the exchange of ideas, and thus economic opportunities and/or employment,” he said.
The entire interview can be read in the latest issue, Nov. 7, of El Latino in print and online. The interview is in Spanish, but opening the article up in a Google Chrome browser will give you the option to translate it with one click at Twyman and El Latino.
