Race/Related: Aid is slow to reach some Latino areas in storm-hit North Carolina

Language and other barriers are hobbling the flow of assistance to hard-hit communities.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 4, 2024 Maria Navarro, left, and Maria Salgado in the Alan Campos Mobile Home Park, where they live Juan Diego Reyes for The New York Times By Edgar Sandoval Language and other barriers are hobbling the flow of assistance to hard-hit communities As soon as Maria Salgado spotted a pickup truck loaded with supplies pulling into the North Carolina mobile home park where she lives, she sprang into action. She waved it down and began translating for the group of Spanish speakers gathering behind her. "Quién ocupa agua?" Ms. Salgado called out. "Pañales para los bebés?" ("Who needs water? Diapers for the babies?") Inside the truck were a family from Georgia who had raced to North Carolina as soon as they learned of the devastation left by Hurricane Helene. They took their cues from Ms. Salgado, and tried to communicate with the residents in broken Spanish. "Agua, aquí," one man said, handing out bottled water to eager families. A close-knit group of immigrants from Mexico and Central America live at the mobile home park, known as Alan Campos. Many residents of the park, on a side road between the hard-hit towns of Black Mountain and Swannanoa, barely escaped with their lives after torrents of water came rushing into their trailers. A large group of families, many with young children, remain without flushing water or reliable cellphone service on Thursday, and electricity remains spotty. Those whose homes are still intact have taken other families in, with one three-bedroom trailer now housing about 12 people. "We don't have a lot right now," Ms. Salgado said, "but we have each other." Nicole Craine for The New York Times Continue reading → EDITORS' PICKS We publish many articles that touch on race. Here are a few you shouldn't miss. Erin Schaff/The New York Times Harris's Historic Run Could Outpace Hollywood's Oval Offices Black and Asian American women have rarely, if at all, played the U.S. commander in chief in television and film. As Kamala Harris makes her presidential bid, Hollywood lags behind. By Sara Ruberg Sara Krulwich/The New York Times Critic's Pick Review: Daniel Dae Kim as a Playwright Unmasked in 'Yellow Face' David Henry Hwang's 2007 play, now in a fine Broadway revival, is a pointed critique of identity, masquerading as a mockumentary. By Jesse Green George Etheredge for The New York Times Critic's Notebook Brooklyn Museum at 200 Celebrates Beauty and Art's Hidden History A new American wing draws on feminist and racially and ethnically diverse thinking to spotlight 400 exceptional works in its collection. By Holland Cotter Getty Images Justice Department to Analyze the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Federal civil rights investigators will review the events surrounding the race massacre for a public report under the department's Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act. By Audra D. S. Burch Nina Westervelt for The New York Times Out & about Alicia Keys, LaChanze and Kristin Chenoweth Gather to Support Black Theater The stage stars were among more than 600 people who turned out for an evening of dinner and performances to benefit Black Theater United. By Sarah Bahr Louis Requena/MLB, via Getty Images Ozzie Virgil Sr., First Dominican-Born Major Leaguer, Dies at 92 An outstanding fielder though never an All-Star, he broke that barrier with the Giants in 1956 and later became the Tigers' first Black player. By Richard Goldstein Jussi Puikkonen for The New York Times Dancing in an Emotional Washing Machine Botis Seva, a rising British choreographer who mixes hip-hop and contemporary dance, brings his Olivier Award-winning "BLKDOG" to New York. By Brian Seibert Invite your friends. Invite someone to subscribe to the Race/Related newsletter. Or email your thoughts and suggestions to racerelated@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Race/Related from The New York Times. To stop receiving Race/Related, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018