An NDSU researcher was featured in a recent NBC News story on Hispanic Heritage Month, and how the growing population of Latinos is reshaping the United States.
Veronica Calles Torrez, post-doctoral research fellow in the entomology department, is among five people spotlighted in “The new Latino landscape,” which was posted on Sept. 15. The story by reporters Suzanne Gamboa and Nicole Acevedo concentrates on Latinos in Montana, New Hampshire, Texas, Georgia and North Dakota.
“I think I was selected because I am a good representation of many talented Latinos showing that we also do professional and highly qualified jobs in the U.S. that directly help contribute to the country’s economy,” said Calles Torrez, who is originally from a small town named Coroico located in La Paz, Bolivia. “In my case, I am a post-doctoral scientist at NDSU working with agriculture insect pests in corn in North Dakota.”
According the article, North Dakota has seen the highest rate of Hispanic population growth among all states, with a rise of 148 percent during the last decade.
“At first I was not sure if I wanted to be featured in a national news story, but my husband pushed me a bit. Then I thought about it, and I got really excited about it because they selected me from many excellent Latino researchers. I am proud to be Latina,” Calles Torrez said. “I hope readers will appreciate the diversity that the Latino community has as part of this country’s population. U.S. is rich for having people from around the world compared to my home country. And as an entomologist, I am happy to show the other face of the usually stereotyped Latinos in our community and the U.S. in general.”
Calles Torrez also was interviewed by the Telemundo broadcasting company on Sept. 16. That piece is scheduled to air on Sept. 23.
