PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Latinos make up 14 percent of Rhode Island's population but hold only 4 percent of the seats in the General Assembly.

An analysis of demographic data by The Associated Press found that Rhode Island is one of the top 10 states for Hispanic underrepresentation in state legislatures.

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials says there are five Latino state lawmakers in Rhode Island, with four of them in the House of Representatives. There are 113 state lawmakers in total.

Juan Pichardo, a Democrat from Providence, is the sole Latino state senator despite Latinos being the largest group in five of the state's 38 Senate districts.

Pichardo said the lack of representation can affect policy. As an example, the lawmaker pointed to stalled legislation that would have granted driver's licenses to immigrants in the country illegally. But he's also hopeful about the political progress he's seen since his family moved from the Dominican Republic in the 1970s.

"I see more people stepping up," Pichardo said. "I see some of the Latino organizations cultivating new leadership."

Of the 75 seats in the state House of Representatives, Latinos are the largest group in nine House districts. Six of those districts have Latino majorities. The district with the largest Latino majority represented by a non-Latino legislator is the one held by Democratic Rep. John Carnevale, vice chairman of the powerful House Finance Committee.

An investigative report by WPRI-TV this week questioned whether Carnevale even lives in the district after revealing he owns a house in another district that he failed to disclose in ethics filings since taking office in 2009. After TV cameras repeatedly captured him and his vehicles at the undisclosed Johnston house, Carnevale amended his filings but insisted his residency is at the two-family Providence home where he's registered to vote.

Democratic state Rep. Carlos Tobon said it took him years to build enough electoral support to make him the first Latino lawmaker from Pawtucket. Interstate 95 bisects his racially and ethnically diverse district, and he said winning elections meant bridging a minority neighborhood of many Latino and African newcomers with a relatively wealthier neighborhood of white homeowners of mostly Italian and Portuguese descent. A Rhode Island native, the 34-year-old Colombian-American said his parents' generation now sees him as helping to give immigrant communities a voice in state politics.

"As the population continues to grow, we're going to see a natural progression of their involvement," Tobon said.

Rhode Island's overrepresentation of non-Latino white lawmakers is not as extreme as many other states, partly because the proportion of black lawmakers in the General Assembly is close to the proportion of the state's population that is black.

Ten state lawmakers from both chambers are in the Rhode Island Legislative Black and Latino Caucus. There are no Asian-American lawmakers, but the state's Asian population is low — just over 3 percent.

Providence Democratic Rep. Grace Diaz, vice chairwoman of the Black and Latino Caucus, said her concern is less about the number of Latino legislators and more about how well constituents are being represented on issues affecting the economy and education.

"It's more that we don't have the power," she said.

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This story has been corrected to show there are 113 state lawmakers, not 114.