También puedes leer este artículo en español, Bienvenido a Casa.

It was sheer dumb luck that my family and I immigrated to Arkansas. We could have landed anywhere, but we had an aunt that lived in Central Arkansas, and she convinced us to give it a try. It was, unbeknownst to us at the time, our big break in life. Every dream my family and I have have ever had is becoming a reality, right here in Arkansas.

Arkansas was for us, and still is today the best place in America to fulfill the American Dream. It has great schools, low cost of living, plenty of job opportunities across all skillsets, breathtaking natural beauty, and best of all, the most caring people. I can’t count the number of people along the way that helped my family and I assimilate and work towards our dreams.

As a banker, I meet families all the time who just moved here, in search of their own American dream. I love seeing how our community embraces them just like it did my own many years ago.

Arkansas Total was created to serve a need. The need to connect the business community with those families. Businesses are constantly trying to find ways to connect their business or organization with the Hispanic community – as they should. This magazine is one way to do that.

The Hispanic population increased 27% in Arkansas, from 186,050 residents counted in the 2010 census to 235,388 in the 2019 estimate. Hispanics now make up 7.8% of the state's population, up from 6.4% in 2010.

This magazine will serve as a bridge to connect the business community with the Hispanic community across our state. It is a welcome guide, of sorts, where someone who just moved here can get all kinds of information about their new home. Things like where to bank, where to get health care, who is hiring, where to go to school and where to spend the weekend, to name a few. In short, this is the magazine I wish my family had all those years ago. This magazine is for those families: welcome home.