CLEVELAND -- Now that Donald Trump is officially the Republican nominee for president, Florida GOP delegate Nelson Díaz said "the seemingly never-ending Obama recession is soon to be over."
New York, Trump's home state and the home state of some 3.7 million Latinos, put the business mogul/reality television star whose campaign began with a tirade against Mexicans and Mexico, over the top on the second night of the convention.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, who months earlier said Trump's questioning of Indiana-born federal Judge Gonzalo Curiel's competence because of his heritage was textbook racism, gaveled Trump as nominee following the vote roll call Tuesday evening.
For supporters of Trump, the official nomination meant they could focus on the campaign leading to November.
"DJT (Donald J. Trump) will put America back to work and back on the road to prosperity," said the Miami-based Díaz, who was with his fellow Florida state delegates on the floor to announce the state's vote announcement, to NBC Latino.
The 2007 Great Recession, which began before President Barack Obama took office, was declared over in 2009. The recovery has been slow but steady, and unemployment dropped to its lowest rate in years. Yet it has not provided much improvement in wages, according to a report from FiveThirtyEight.
The declaration of Trump as the GOP's official nominee came on the night that the convention theme was "Make America Work Again," although many of the speeches were fiercely criticizing Trump's rival, Hillary Clinton as well as dedicating to adulation of Trump, as well as more talk about national security.
The economic theme is important because the Trump campaign sees its opening with the Latino community through promotion of his positions on jobs and the economy and support for business, particularly small business.
"This is going to be a leadership that puts American people first. We are going to bring back our jobs," Trump said in a video appearance broadcast at the convention.
The evening roll call helped the party in its effort to present a united front amid what has at times been a chaotic event and some challenges to Trump becoming the nominee. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, who had refused to endorse Trump and was the target of his criticism, showed up on the convention floor, introducing the young delegate who announced the state's votes.
Marco Rodriguez, a Texas delegate who was a Ted Cruz supporter but is at the convention as a Trump delegate, said although Trump wasn't at the top of his list originally, "the idea he is some sort of catastrophe for us Americans or legal resident Latinos will prove to be very wrong."
"I bet when all is said and done, if the GOP keeps the Senate and House, Latinos will prosper big time unlike how we've done under the terrible Obama administration," said the Texan Republican.
Related: Poll: Latinos Overwhelmingly Negative on Trump After Convention 1st Day
Now that it is official, "stopping Hillary Clinton is the single most important thing for my bride, six children and extended family across America," Rodriguez said.
Earlier in that day, small business owner Jesús Márquez said Trump can do better on the economy for Latinos.
"Latinos care for jobs, for the economy and education for their children and that's the main issue, not immigration," said Márquez, a political analyst and Hispanic outreach strategist.
After Trump's nomination, he said "Trump can mean better opportunities for Latinos."
"Ask Latinos that live in communities, cities and states that have been governed by Democrats for decades if they feel better off," said Márquez, "ask them if the economy, or education or security is working for them. I believe that Donald Trump gives Latinos a better option in the economy, education and security."
U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Javier Palomarez, whose chamber represents 4.1 million Hispanic-owned businesses, said the economy needs a commander-in-chief who has a thorough and complete understanding of American small business and how critical Hispanic businesses are to the economy. Palomarez said they were at the forefront of job growth, starting business ventures at almost three times the national average and contributing $661 billion to the economy every year.
"While we hear a lot of words and dialogue from Donald Trump about how he's going to make America great again ... we have yet to hear a single word from him on how he is going to make America's small businesses continue to grow," Palomarez said.
Trump had agreed to participate in a USHCC candidate forum with Palomarez, but then backed out. The USHCC president said Trump wanted to decide which media could attend, didn't want a live event and wanted to decide what questions Palomarez would ask him. Palomarez said he declined those contingencies.
Related: Donald Trump Backs Out Of Q&A With Hispanic Chamber
He said he has yet to hear a detailed plan for growth of small businesses but where Trump has "stepped into a bit of clarity" is his vehement opposition to the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement and other trade agreements, which Trump has said are bad for America. The Republican candidate has repeatedly said that the country has been weak in trade agreements.
Palomarez disagrees, saying the TPP will level the playing field for American small businesses and give them the opportunity to compete and provide more transparency so they understand how to access the markets of other countries. He said 98 percent of U.S. businesses that export are small businesses and companies.
"For a guy who claims he is businessman not to understand that, that completely boggles my mind," said Palomarez.
Clinton national political adviser Amanda Renteria also criticized Trump's lack of a plan to "Make America Work Again.
"I think if you're going to make America work again you've got to have a program, you've got to have a plan," said Renteria. "We haven't heard many plans here at the Republican convention," Renteria said. "I'm anxious to hear one."
