NORCROSS, Ga.-Despite explosive growth in the past decade, Georgia Hispanics barely have made a dent in the state political scene.
Georgia Hispanics make up 8.8 percent of the state population, according to new U.S. census figures. The population nearly doubled in the state in the past decade.
But just two of Georgia’s 236 state legislators are Latino. At the local level, Hispanics haven’t fared any better, holding only two city council seats, according to the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials.
“Hispanics are going to be a force to be reckoned with in Georgia,” said state Rep. Pedro Marin, a Democrat from Duluth. “But it’s still a new community that is not as engaged in politics as some of those that are more established.”
The state’s tough new law cracking down on illegal immigration law could change that. Critics of the law are hoping it will drive up Hispanic voter participation.