According to a 2021 report, Ohio’s Latino community is comprised of more than a half-million people, accounting for 4.2 percent of the state’s total population. That’s according to a 2021 report released by the Ohio Department of Development. Ohio’s Latino population more than doubled since 2000 and has more than tripled since 1980. Ohio’s Latino community is younger than the state average, faces higher unemployment, but is growing rapidly and now owns some 2,200 businesses in the state. At this CMC forum, we dig into the state of Central Ohio’s Latino community for a discussion on the community’s points of pride and its common challenges. What are the unique challenges Ohio’s Latino business community faces, and also the unique opportunities? What are the connections between immigration policies in the U.S. and Ohio’s collective economic prosperity?

The panelists are:

Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, Columbus City Councilmember

Roland Medrano, Managing Director, Regal International LLC, Chief Executive Officer, La Mega Media, Inc., Board Chair, Hispanic Chamber of Columbus

The host is Jackie Orozco, Journalist and Co-Anchor, Good Day Columbus, ABC6 News & FOX 28

The forum partner was the Columbus Council on World Affairs. It was sponsored by the United Way of Central Ohio and Belle Harbour Management of Ohio and was supported by the Grange Insurance Audubon Center. The forum livestream was supported by The Center for Human Kindness at The Columbus Foundation and The Columbus Dispatch.

It was recorded before a live audience on March 29, 2023.