Dreaming las Américas: the journey of Representative Ricky Hurtado

On January 13th, 2021, Ricky Hurtado made history as the first Latino Democrat to be elected and sworn in to the North Carolina General Assembly. "For many years, I have felt, leading up to this moment," Ricky noted, "que no soy de aqui ni de alla." (I'm neither from here nor there.) As the son of immigrant parents fleeing the civil war in El Salvador, this was more than a political victory. Ricky Hurtado sees it as a watershed moment where he began to understand his Latinidad as a strength. "My rise as a Representative, a politician in North Carolina, is directly tied to our story as a family," Ricky said. "The good fortune that we've had, the struggles and sacrifices that we've made as a family-- and that this is a natural next step in terms of everything I've been working for, everything they've sacrificed for me to get an education. I'll pass on those lessons and those opportunities to more people in the community and across North Carolina... ." Dreaming las Americas: the journey