What is the Latino digital gap? And why 2026 might be our best chance to close it
🕒 Estimated reading time: 5 -6 minutes
🎧 Listen to this article:
Spanish
English
The digital divide remains one of the biggest barriers to economic and social mobility for Latino communities in the United States. In 2026, artificial intelligence may become the key tool to finally begin closing that gap.
María is 47 years old and has been running her taquería in Charlotte for two years. She does everything right: the meat is prepared the way her family taught her in Michoacán, service is fast, tortillas are handmade, and the salsa is ground in a molcajete. Everyone who tries her food loves it.
But if you walk into her restaurant on a Tuesday at lunchtime, you’ll find empty tables.
“Some neighbors came in last week,” María told me. “They said the tacos were the best they’d had in Charlotte. But they’d never heard of us before.”
María isn’t on social media. Her business information on Google Maps is inaccurate. She doesn’t take online orders. When someone asks if she offers delivery, she says she doesn’t know how.
Just a few blocks away, there’s a new Mexican chain restaurant. They process hundreds of delivery orders through apps. They’re the first result when you search “tacos near me” on Google. Their food doesn’t compare to María’s — but their digital presence is far stronger.
That’s the digital divide.
It’s not that María doesn’t want to learn. It’s that no one has taught her how to use these new technologies. And while she feels like she’s falling behind, the world keeps moving forward.
What the Digital Divide Really Means
When people talk about the digital gap, many think it’s simply about who has internet access and who doesn’t. The reality is more complex.
The digital divide has three dimensions:
Access. Do you have the devices and connectivity you need? According to Pew Research Center, only 75% of Latino households have home broadband, compared to 83% of non-Latino white households. More critically, one in five Latino adults relies exclusively on a smartphone for everything — the highest rate of any demographic group.
Skills. Do you know how to use technology effectively? The Aspen Institute reports that 57% of Latino workers between ages 16 and 64 have low or no digital skills. The national average is 31%. Nearly half.
Application. Can you use technology to improve your life and your business? Taking digital payments, managing social media, using productivity tools, or accessing broader markets.
María owns a smartphone. Technically, she has “access.” But without the skills to use it strategically — and without the ability to apply it to her business — she’s still left out.
What We’re Losing as a Community
María’s story is repeated thousands of times across Latino communities nationwide. And the cost is real.
McKinsey & Company estimates that closing the digital gap for Latino-owned small businesses represents a $1.4 trillion opportunity for the U.S. economy. That’s value left on the table simply because entrepreneurs like María lack the tools to compete.
But there’s something even more important than money: our children.
If we don’t act now, the next generation will inherit this disadvantage. They’ll grow up watching their parents fall behind as the world digitizes. They’ll compete for jobs against people who grew up fluent in these tools. They’ll start the race several steps back.
And here’s the irony: Latinos are the youngest community in the United States. Latinos make up 20% of the workforce. If we are educated in technology, the growth potential unlocked wouldn’t just benefit our community it would benefit the entire country.
This isn’t about lack of talent. Or lack of hard work. María works 12 hours a day. What’s missing is access to the knowledge the digital world now requires.
Why AI Changes Everything
As challenging as the digital gap has been, 2026 brings a real opportunity to close it.
For years, the main barrier was technical. You needed computers, complex software, formal training, and often English proficiency. These small barriers stacked up. For someone like María working long hours and returning home exhausted sitting down to learn Excel or Photoshop was never realistic.
Artificial intelligence is changing that.
Imagine María speaking to her phone in Spanish:
“Help me create an Instagram post for my carnitas tacos” and receiving a ready-to-publish image in 30 seconds.
Or saying: “I want to start taking delivery orders” and having an AI guide her step-by-step, without needing to understand complex systems or technical English.
That is beginning to be possible today, with the right tools.
This is no longer about who knows how to use a computer. It’s about who understands how to use AI to solve real-world problems.
The technical barrier that once separated “tech-savvy” people from everyone else is shrinking. And that’s something we can and should take advantage of.
What We’re Going to Do
At Link Foundation, we’ve spent the last two years working in Charlotte to understand this digital gap, collaborating with entrepreneurs, artists, and students to build digital skills. We’ve seen how difficult progress can be.
But now we see a real opening.
Learning how to use AI can become a way for our community to catch up. This isn’t about learning how to use a chatbot. It’s about using AI to automate tasks, solve real business challenges, and improve everyday life.
That’s why this year we’re taking action.
In February, we’re launching Cafecito Tech a space designed to bring Latinos together in Charlotte. The idea is simple: connect, learn about technology, and build relationships with others who are curious about or already working in the local tech ecosystem. A place to discover opportunities and build community.
The first pilot will focus on practical, hands-on ways to use AI. We’ll talk about the tools available today and how they can help you grow your business or advance your career.
2026 can be the year we stop seeing technology as a barrier and start seeing it as the tool it was always meant to be.
Join Us
If you’re in Charlotte and interested in technology whether you work in tech, own a business, or simply want to learn we’d love to connect.
Subscribe to get updates on the official launch of Cafecito Tech and everything we’re building this year.
And if you’d like to get involved or connect directly, write to us on LinkedIn:
👉 https://linkedin.com/company/linkfoundation/
We have the talent. We have the energy. We have the entrepreneurial spirit. Now, we’re building the tools.
