-- by Jesse James DeConto, The Charlotte Observer:

It's 10:20 on a Tuesday night. Christian Ruiz, 29, leans down and picks up two 50-gallon garbage bags, filled with the dirty tissues and crumpled paper of a busy eyeglasses clinic and factory.

Ruiz is among thousands of Latino immigrants who have created their own businesses in North Carolina. Between 2002 and 2007, Latino entrepreneurship grew by 135 percent in the state - faster than in any state but Arkansas, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Now, the Durham-based Latino Community Credit Union - the largest Hispanic-focused credit union in the United States - is trying to accelerate that growth, introducing a microlending program to boost small businesses.

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