Overview

During the 1990s, the Hispanic population in Burke County grew 824 percent compared to the national increase of 60 percent. It is apparent that during this time the cultural landscape of Burke County was profoundly and uniquely shifted. Most of the Hispanic population in Burke County consists of Mayan Guatemalans who arrived as both war and economic refugees. Other Hispanic ethnic groups that live in Burke County include people from Mexico, Colombia, Honduras and El Salvador. The Hispanic communities are connected by the Spanish language, which is a second language for many who have other primary ethnic dialects. The Hispanic experience is an example of the relationship between traditional ethnic values, affinity spaces and cultural assimilation as experienced by many modern immigrants.

Sharley was born in Guatemala and immigrated to NC at the age of four. Sharley is a DACA recipient and likes to advocate for those whose voices aren't heard. She is on the Human Relations Commission for the City of Morganton, the Burke Women's Fund, and a member of United in Faith and Peace, an immigrant advocacy group in Morganton. Sharley Mendoza is the Operations Director for The Industrial Commons and is the Founder of Good Books, a bilingual, BIPOC, and women-led bookkeeping enterprise of The Industrial Commons. Sharley has six years of experience working in office administration and has also spent time working on the plant floors of pharma manufacturing. In her free time, she likes to hike.

A series of interviews in 2018 with Guatemalans in Morganton discussing the possibility of a mural in Morganton celebrating Guatemalan culture.