YAKIMA -- In a quick, almost unnoticed visit, Gov. Chris Gregoire met with Yakima Valley Latino leaders Tuesday during a campaign tour for re-election.

During an almost two-hour morning meeting, Gregoire met with, among others, the mayor of Sunnyside, a councilman from Toppenish, educators and members of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The governor touched on a range of topics, including education, health care, her last year trade visit to Mexico and immigration.

And she talked about her work in helping minorities and women gain access to small business loans, as well as Yakima's Downtown revitalization project. But she added that culture and diversity were just as, if not more, important than business.

"A part of any city is not just about economics, it's not just about businesses. It's got to be about culture," she said. "Culture is the heart and soul of a vibrant community. It's the theater. It's what the Hispanic community brings by way of cultural experience."

Gregoire stressed that since taking office nearly four years ago, she has worked in helping the state's immigrant population by creating initiatives, such as the New Americans Policy Council, which is geared toward aiding skilled, legal residents become citizens.

One way is to make sure that their prior skills can be accredited by American institutions, which in the past has been a roadblock for many.

"So when they come with a skill, rather than having to go back and relearn the skill based on our standards, there is a way to take the skill level that they are at and translate it into a livable job and wage," she said, adding that she was the third governor in the country to introduce New Americans Policy in his or her state.

The governor emphasized her trip last summer to Mexico, where she met with President Felipe Calderon and later visited the state of Jalisco. The trip also helped bring about a direct flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Mexico City that will help develop more trade with that country, she said.

She added that she has spoken recently with Calderon about a visit by the Mexican president to Washington state.

After the meeting, Gregoire said that she talked with Latino leaders because she wanted to gain some feedback and learn from the values of the community and their love for family.

She criticized Immigrations and Customs Enforcement after hearing reports of children coming home to empty homes after a raid, with no notice of their parents' whereabouts.

"If ICE is going to come in here and do their job, they've got to do it in a way that respects families, family values, compassionate, she said. "In many instances, these are parents with children in the home and those children deserve to be protected, deserve to know where their parents are and safety and security."

Teodora Martínez-Chávez an early education coordinator for Circle of Success, a program that works in helping parents start their children in early education, said that she liked what she heard.

"I think its good that she is focusing on the Hispanic population, because many people like the saying goes, 'It's a quiet giant.' I think it is true," Martínez-Chávez said. "I think that Hispanics do have voting power, and she is taking it seriously."

Bill Richardson, the Latino governor of New Mexico and former presidential candidate, appeared in Seattle last month to help Gregoire, a Democrat, raise money for her campaign. She is currently in a re-election campaign against Republican Dino Rossi.

A day before her meeting Tuesday, Gregoire's election campaign alerted Spanish-language media -- including El Sol de Yakima, the Yakima Herald-Republic Spanish-language sister publication. Her campaign office did not call the mainstream media.

After leaving Yakima, she headed east to meet with Latino leaders in the Tri-Cities, according to her campaign staff.

María Fernández, a Yakima business consultant, said that liked what Gregoire said about helping small businesses. She said that the governor met exclusively with Latino leaders showed that she cares about the Latino community.

"I think it's so important because for forever we just haven't had that strong of a voice. I think it's long overdue," Fernández said. "Even if there is that sort of agenda to come here because now it's an election year, the opportunity is there to still have her here, to be able to push our issues."