Latino upsurge in the rural South

Think that last week's explosive Latino protests were just a Los Angeles, or urban coast thing? SouthNow has a good overview of how the issue is playing out in the rural South -- the region with the fastest-growing Spanish-speaking population in the country:

The last week in March brought new coverage, daily, of protests in some of the nation's biggest cities that are homes to large immigrant populations: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Atlanta. But close observers would notice activity in some unlikely places across the South - places without the same national prominence for either immigrant populations or a history of public protest. The scale may be smaller, but they are joined in the same battle.

On the same day that half a million people took to the streets in LA, some 5000-7000 people marched through downtown in Charlotte, NC.

In solidarity with the student walkouts in LA and elsewhere, several dozen students at Smithfield-Selma High School in rural North Carolina walked out as well.

About 600 people gathered to protest in West Knoxville, Tennessee.

In Birmingham, Alabama, about 150 Hispanics and supporters held a rally, and Hernan Prado, founder of the Alabama Latin American Association said, "We are joining effort with the national strategy. We want to make ourselves visible in the community," said Prado.

There's also an interesting quote on how new immigrants are carrying forward forms of protest from the old country:

"In our (Latin) countries when we need to do something we go on the streets ... This is going to be a very interesting thing because people will see what it means to be socially involved."