Miguel Lopez on boosting political and financial engagement in state's Hispanic community

In this week's episode, Miguel Lopez, lead for Hispanic and Latino market outreach at Southern Bancorp, shares his immigration story. From Guadalajara, Mexico, to Arkansas, Lopez discusses how his family opened their now-thriving Mexican grocery store, Mercado El Valle, in Sherwood. Rex and Miguel also chat about how Arkansas now has the fourth fastest-growing Hispanic population in the country. Miguel emphasizes the need for banks to build trust with this community by using intermediaries who understand their needs, highlighting significant opportunities for financial institutions to support Latino businesses. The two also talk about the importance of political engagement in the growing population, with Miguel urging both political parties to develop strategies for connecting with Latino voters across the political spectrum. Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners.