Anti-Immigration Policies Threaten Appalachia’s Communitarian Spirit
Latino residents face increasing fear and uncertainty due to heightened ICE activity and anti-immigrant rhetoric that challenge our Appalachian values.
BURKE COUNTY, North Carolina—The sight of unfamiliar vehicles lingering in parking lots has taken on a menacing significance for many of Burke County's Latino residents.
In recent weeks, multiple community members have reported ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) presence throughout Morganton and surrounding areas, stirring fresh waves of anxiety through neighborhoods still grappling with hurricane recovery.
"We are indeed living in challenging times, and our communities are rightfully concerned," says Sandra N. Aguirre, co-founder of Latinos Aventureros, a bilingual group of outdoor enthusiasts, and volunteer with Manos de Esperanza, a relief organization formed in response to Hurricane Helene.
As both an immigrant and dedicated community leader, Aguirre understands intimately the weight of current fears. "While deportations are not a new phenomenon, having been carried out by previous administrations, the current administration's rhetoric has introduced a disturbing element. By broadly categorizing a group of people as 'illegal' and labeling them as criminals, the administration has created an environment of heightened fear and vulnerability."
These national policies and rhetoric are having immediate, tangible impacts on our local community. Federal agents from without are coming into our community, tearing families apart, destabilizing households, and damaging economic livelihoods.
Some residents have become hesitant to visit grocery stores or attend church services. Parents wrestle with decisions about sending children to school. The basic rhythms of daily life have become fraught with uncertainty.
The timing could hardly be worse.
Many Latino families are still struggling to access hurricane relief resources in the wake of Helene, with language barriers and documentation concerns creating additional hurdles. The compounded stress of natural disaster recovery and heightened immigration enforcement has left many of our neighbors feeling increasingly isolated just when community support is most vital.
"Perhaps most troubling is the impact this is having on children," Aguirre continues. "This is a stark reminder of the urgent need for advocacy, education, and community support."
New Appalachians Arrive Seeking New Opportunities
This enforcement-heavy approach to immigration runs counter to our Appalachian values. And ignores our history. This region's strength stems from a commitment to mutual aid and support, particularly in times of hardship, most recently witnessed during the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
The current climate of fear and division threatens the communitarian spirit that animates Appalachia.
The truth: southern Appalachia has had constant influxes of people to our mountain region since Captain Juan Pardo first led two Spanish expeditions into western North Carolina in the 1560s.
(Remnants of his most inland fort are buried just a few minutes down the road from my home in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.)
Ulster Scots (Scotch-Irish), Germans, and English settlers moved into northern Appalachia (western Pennsylvania, the Shenandoah Valley, and western Maryland) between 1730 and 1763, while many pushed deeper into upper east Tennessee, northwestern North Carolina, upstate South Carolina, and central Kentucky after the discovery of Cumberland Gap in 1750.
Between 1790 and 1840, a series of treaties led to removing Cherokee and other Indigenous tribes from southern Appalachia. And, of course, countless enslaved Africans were forcibly brought to Appalachia by European settlers.
Now, while the population of enslaved people in many mountain counties was less than 10%, rates of slavery were much higher in others, such as 27% in Burke County in 1850.
Many residents of coastal states also moved westward into Appalachia, seeking richer cotton lands in the Southwest and even gold, which was discovered in places such as Brindletown, North Carolina, and Dahlonega, Georgia in 1828, sparking mini gold rushes. This brought thousands of immigrants and “non-Appalachians” to the region.
Southern Appalachia has experienced a dramatic in-migration of increasingly diverse populations since the 1980s. Burke County, for instance, is home to large Hmong and Mayan/Guatemalan populations.
Many have come to the Blue Ridge Mountains seeking better opportunities for their families, and for ways to add to the quilted heritage previous generations have sewn.
"The truth is that many immigrants, like my siblings and I, come to this country with aspirations, ambitions, and a strong work ethic," explains Aguirre, who was born in Comayagua, Honduras, and moved to Morganton in the 1990s. "We arrive seeking opportunities, driven by a desire to contribute positively to our new communities, and eager to build a brighter future for ourselves and our families. Our stories are ones of resilience, determination, and hope–not crime or negativity."
Debunking Myths About Immigrants
It’s important to mention a few things here against the pernicious belief that crime follows immigration and is somehow inherent to the cultures of our newest neighbors:
Undocumented immigrants have substantially lower crime rates than native-born citizens.
Undocumented immigration does not lead to more violent crime.
Undocumented immigrants are 33% less likely to be incarcerated than those born in the United States.
In fact, from 1870 to 2020, the incarceration rates of immigrants were slightly lower than US-born people. Per the same study, immigrants today are 60% less likely to be incarcerated (30% relative to US-born whites).
Caring for All Appalachians
Burke County's Latino population has grown significantly over the past few decades, becoming an integral part of our community's cultural and economic landscape. Roughly 8.6% of Burke County’s population of 85,570 identify as Hispanic or Latino, per the 2020 U.S. Census.
That percentage rises to 23.2% when accounting for just Morganton.
These neighbors are as much a part of our Appalachian story as any other residents. As I’ve explored previously, being Appalachian isn't necessarily about how long your family has lived here—it's about your commitment to the common well-being of this place and its people.
In a word, community.
As the Appalachian essayist Wendell Berry writes, community is “the commonwealth and common interests, commonly understood, of people living together in a place and wishing to continue to do so. To put it another way, community is locally understood interdependence of local people, local culture, local economy, and local nature.”
To be Appalachian is to care for all those who call these mountains home.
The current crisis calls us to examine what kind of community we want to be. Will we permit policies crafted in distant capitals—albeit supported by a heartbreaking number of our neighbors—to erode our local bonds? Or will we stand firm in our conviction that every resident of these mountains deserves dignity, security, and belonging?
Appalachia’s Diversity Makes It Strong
"It's crucial that we amplify the voices and stories of immigrants," Aguirre emphasizes. "By sharing our experiences, we can help break down stereotypes and foster greater understanding, empathy, and inclusivity."
The challenges facing our immigrant neighbors aren't just their burden to bear—they're a test of our commitment to genuine community, and what Berry elsewhere calls the “gentle virtues.” These ideals include affection, conviviality, social bonds, care, mutual aid, stewardship, place, belonging, humility (limits), cooperation, harmony, and unity.
As these mountains have taught us through generations, we're stronger when we stand together, regardless of where we were born or what language we speak.
The front porches, pews, town halls, and community centers of Appalachia must remain open to all who would call these hued hills home. Just as our forests and ecosystems flourish most when they remain dynamic with abundant biodiversity, so are our communities enriched by the cultures and contributions of people who were not lucky enough to be born here in the first place.
Excellent article! So important to tell the truth about immigration and remind people what community means.
Infuriating to have federal agents coming into our small town just to rip families apart.