SPRINGDALE, AR - Re-districting is the “hot topic” these days as discussions are taking place on where to draw the new boundary lines and how best to follow the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which guides the process of preserving communities of interest and encourages meaningful voter participation. Next week, the Board of Apportionment will present its proposals to re-draw 100 House of Representative and 35 Senate districts in order to take into account population increases and shifts based on the 2010 Census. For the first time in Arkansas’ history, the Board is considering creating a Hispanic House “majority-minority” district in Northwest Arkansas, in which at least 55 percent of the district’s population would be of Hispanic descent. Amidst diverse perspectives that have emerged in response to a Hispanic district, one thing remains clear: the Hispanic community is a “community of interest” in these redistricting processes.

There are three main arguments in favor of creating a Hispanic district in Northwest Arkansas: 1) the growth of the Hispanic population, 2) real challenges that persist in the political system related to diverse representation and voter dilution, and 3) the legal precedent set by implementation of the Voting Rights Act here in Arkansas.

Over the last two decades, the census reports have reflected marked growth in Arkansas. In 2010, the population increased by 9% with nearly 3 million people and is becoming more diverse. The demographic make-up of the three largest groups and their growth since 2000 includes 77% White (up 5%); 15.4% Black (up 7.4%) and 6.4% Hispanic (up 114%). While constituting 12 percent of Northwest Arkansas’ population, Hispanics represent 35 percent of the population in Springdale and Rogers and over 41 percent of the K-12 student populations in these two school districts. As a result, good and impactful ...