A Spanish language newspaper for the mountains of western North Carolina

If one were asked to describe western North Carolina, not likely to be among the characteristics mentioned is that it is a place with a large Spanish-speaking population.

To be sure, western North Carolina is known as a popular travel destination.  It is the home of the highest peaks east of the Rockies, including nearly 7,000-foot tall Mount Mitchell, the Biltmore House, the Appalachian Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway and — of more recent note  — Cold Mountain, made famous by the movie and book by the same name written by mountain native Charles Frazier.

North Carolina: An attractive Hispanic market

But what most people don't know is that like of all of North Carolina in the 1990s, western North Carolina saw an incredible surge in the number of Spanish-speaking people who have joined the Scot-Irish mountaineers, the Cherokee,  retirees, extreme sports enthusiasts and outdoor lovers to call these hills and coves their home.

In fact, North Carolina had the largest percentage increase in Hispanic population in the United States during the 1990s -- nearly 400 percent according to the U.S. census.  While the 2000 census puts the Hispanic population in the westernmost counties of North Carolina at just more than 17,000, another 2003 census by a Greensboro faith-based group that used actual reported births per county said the population is closer to the 36,000.