Can Red Lobster say “langosta roja?” On Jan. 14, the seafood chain best known for endless shrimp and affordable surf and turf, will launch a $3 million Spanish language TV ad campaign. It’s the restaurant’s first sustained effort to reach Hispanic customers, with ads running on Telemundo, Univision, ESPN Deportes, and other Spanish language channels through March.

Red Lobster, which has about 700 stores, estimates that roughly 10 percent of its consumers are Hispanic, in line with the average in the casual dining industry. The group represents about 16 percent of the U.S. population, however, and is expected to grow to 30 percent of the population by 2050. Darden hopes to increase its business from Hispanic consumers in tandem with this trend. READ MORE

Over 315 million people and counting! That is the approximate population of the United States, which has increased by nearly 100 million people in the past 30 years. And while this comes with little surprise, there is no denying the demographics of our population are on the move.
Again, this should come as no surprise. We know the US population is changing. Caucasians will become the minorities, baby boomers are reaching retirement age, and the definition of a traditional family is undergoing revision. The same trends are also visible in the Canadian population.
But what does that mean for business? How will these trends affect your business planning and strategy? The implications are rather straight forward, but a closer look at the numbers might make for a more compelling case. Today’s topic is the US Hispanic market. READ MORE

Mexicans and Mexican Americans have been weighing in about the performance of Mexican superstar rock band Maná at an inaugural ball for President Obama.

The consensus so far? It was a good night for rock en español -- and a smart political move as well.

In numerous tweets, Mexican Americans and other Latinos expressed their feelings of pride in witnessing the band playing for the Oval Office occupant. "Makes you proud to be hispanic!" wrote a young woman with the Twitter name "anais."

"I think it was madd legit to see Mana perform at the presidential inaugural ball," wrote another.

The band had kind words for the president as well. Lead singer Fher was quoted in the Mexico City newspaper El Universal as saying (in Spanish) that Obama represented "a new dawn for this country, a new American, a new American citizen... READ MORE

As we learned in the recent presidential election, it’s always a good idea to connect with Hispanic Americans. In many parts of the country, this is as true in business as it is in politics. But for some reason, many businesses seem hesitant to try to appeal to this big and important demographic.

At my boutique advertising agency in Austin, Tex., I see lots of opportunities for businesses to set themselves apart and pick up some market share by reaching out. But I am often puzzled by the number of retail and professional service businesses that pass up these opportunities. When we have broached incorporating Hispanic outreach with retailers, we have explained why outreach makes business sense and how subtle shifts in their marketing programs might appeal to Latino consumers. The initial reaction has been one of surprise, intrigue and excitement — followed by little or no action.

Here’s what we know about the size of this large and growing market: According to the Selig Center for Economic Growth, Hispanics control $1 trillion in annual buying power in the United States. By 2015, Selig projects that power to grow to $1.5 trillion, basically the size of the economy of Mexico. So why does this large and desirable population continue to be overlooked by many businesses? READ MORE

Cecilia Soto-Loftus, co-founder of a Malibu party services company, was new to presidential politics when she started raising money for President Obama's reelection bid last year.

After pulling in more than $400,000, she is getting the red carpet treatment at this weekend's inaugural festivities, with invitations to a strategy briefing for top fundraisers, a VIP candlelight reception and the official inaugural ball. READ MORE

Vice President Joseph R. Biden’s choice of Supreme Court justice to swear him into office — Justice Sonia Sotomayor — has fueled rumors of a 2016 presidential run, as analysts guess he was subtly courting the Hispanic vote.
The crowd cheered at Mr. Biden selection; Justice Sotomayor is the first Hispanic in the nation to issue the oath. But on top of that, Mr. Biden made a surprise appearance at the Latino Inaugural Gala on Sunday evening.
“One thing that happened this election,” Mr. Biden said at the gala, according to ABC, “you spoke. You spoke in a way that the world — and I mean the world as well as the United States — could not fail to hear. The fact that the Hispanic and Latino community in this country was such a decisive voice in turning out in this election was noticed by the whole hemisphere. I think you underestimate your power.” READ MORE

As the world becomes more culturally diverse and globally connected, the need for versatile business leaders with knowledge and insight into U.S. and global multicultural markets continues to grow. To help meet this demand, The National Hispanic University (NHU) is introducing an online Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program, offering students a broad base of technical managerial skills and real-world insight into growing businesses and the emerging U.S. Hispanic and diverse global markets. READ MORE

Mario Lara stood in front of the humming tortilla press. Each time it rose, he used his fingertips to snatch a paper-thin flour tortilla from its hot surface, and threw another lump of dough onto the griddle just before the machine thumped shut again.

Lara, 32, then tossed the pressed tortillas onto a rotating burner, where they were heated, flipped and ejected by a conveyor belt, directly into the hands of Manuel Ruiz.

Ruiz, 47, is the owner of Tortilleria La Roca in Carbondale, a tortilla factory and Mexican restaurant, 780 Highway 133.

On a recent day, he was in charge of bagging. As he sealed sack after clear plastic sack of piping hot tortillas with twist ties, his 67-year-old father, Jerardo Ruiz, stood across the room stirring a deep fryer full of homemade corn chips. READ MORE

AUSTIN, Texas – January 8, 2013 – Las Comadres Para Las Americas, headquartered in Austin, is proud to announce today the launch of the Spanish-language version of their book, Count On Me: Tales of Sisterhoods and Fierce Friendships. The original English-language version made its worldwide debut on September 4, 2012. The new release, titled Cuenta Conmigo: Conmovedoras historias de hermandad y amistades incondicionales, is published by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster.

In twelve creative nonfiction narratives, mostly by women, the authors reflect on the importance of “comadres” in their lives. The authors include Carolina De Robertis, Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Reyna Grande, Michelle Herrera Mulligan, Dr. Lorraine Lopez, Daisy Martinez, Dr. Ana Nogales, Sofia Quintero, Teresa Rodriguez, Esmeralda Santiago, Fabiola Santiago, and Luis Alberto Urrea.

Although the number of English-speaking Latinos in the United States is growing as more generations are born and raised here, a majority of the population is still either Spanish-dominant or bilingual. According to a study by the Pew Hispanic Center in April of 2012, for 38% of all Hispanics in the U.S., Spanish is still the primary language. Another 38% of Hispanics claim bilingualism, and for the remaining 24%, English is the primary language.

“There are many comadres, along with others, who want to read in Spanish,” says Nora de Hoyos Comstock, national founder of Las Comadres Para Las Americas and visionary for the book, Count On Me. “For some, it is easier than reading in English, and for others, the practice of reading in Spanish keeps us current in the language and closer to our heritage.”

Count On Me, edited by acclaimed author and editor Adriana V. Lopez, is the first literary work produced by Las Comadres, the nation’s largest Latina organization. For twelve years, the non-profit has grown into an extensive network of comadres spanning the globe who come from all walks of life but are united in their love of culture, literacy, and education.

The word “comadre” is a unique term with intimate connotations. According to a literal translation, a comadre is a “godmother,” but in the Latino culture, it goes far beyond that. Through exclusive interviews with the contributing authors of the book, a similar theme comes up in conversation – a comadre is more than a friend and more than a sister. She is both.

Comadres can be family members, mentors, co-workers, or neighbors. In essence, comadres are like the godmothers of our fairy tales – they are there to take care of us and support us in our best and worst moments. What readers learn in the book Count On Me is concept of “comadreship” manifesting itself in various ways throughout a woman’s life.

The book is available for sale at local bookstores (hard copy ISBN # 9781451699715) and online (eBook ISBN # 9781451662962). For more information about the book, or to order a copy, please visit the official website www.CountOnMeBook.com.

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About Las Comadres Para Las Americas

Las Comadres is a nationally known Latina organization empowering women to be actively engaged in the growing Latino/Hispanic communities through online and face to face networks. Their mission is connecting and empowering Latinas everywhere through community building/networking, culture, learning, and technology.

U.S. Hispanics are not valued enough by America’s corporations, government and mainstream media. In particular, brand marketers do not take Hispanic consumers seriously enough, especially their buying power or trend setting influence. Although the proportion of U.S. Hispanics is scaling upwards rapidly, corporations and advertisers continue to underestimate the importance of Hispanics as an economic and business development engine.

To see an example of the economic impact Latinos can have, one need look no further than their local grocery store aisle, where tortillas, taco kits and salsa outperform hamburgers, hot dog buns and ketchup sales, according to Reportlinker.com’s new market research report, Hispanic Foods and Beverages in the U.S. READ MORE

If you had to guess where most of the TV programming for Latinos is being produced these days, where would you guess? L.A., New York, Texas? How about Miami? A recent deal has solidified Miami as a major television hub.

Ana Sagastegui was born in Peru. She has worked in the Miami TV industry for 20 years. Sagastegui remembers how different Miami was then. Just a few broadcast studios but plenty of open space.

"The first office that we had, right behind the office was greenery, big field and when we used to leave the office at the end of the day, we would start hearing cows. Cows! Mooing."

Today, those cows have been replaced by commercial centers and suburban homes and Sagastegui still runs her company, Big Miami. She relocated here to start the business.

Clients from Mexico to Argentina kept telling her they preferred to do deals in Miami. Sagastegui felt the city had the potential to become a major production center for Spanish language shows. READ MORE

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will leave the Obama administration by the end of March, a departure that means that the president's cabinet may be left without any Latino members.

Salazar, a fifth-generation Coloradoan and former senator, plans to return to his home state. The interior secretary was one of two Latinos serving in President Obama's cabinet; the other being Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, who resigned her post last week. Upon Salazar's departure at the end of March, no Latinos will be left in Obama's cabinet unless he appoints one in the interim.

"I want to thank Ken for his hard work and leadership on behalf of the American people. As the Secretary of the Interior, Ken has helped usher in a new era of conservation for our nation's land, water, and wildlife," Obama said in a statement.

Obama has come under fire in recent days for an apparent lack of racial and gender diversity in his recent cabinet picks for his second term as president. Nominees to fill high-profile positions at the departments of Treasury, State and Defense have all been white males. The Department of State was headed by Hillary Clinton during Obama's first term. READ MORE

President Barack Obama’s press conference Monday was dominated by questions about the “debt ceiling” and gun control, but he was also quizzed about diversity on his second term cabinet.

It was the last question of the press conference and Obama was asked about the diversity in his picks for the new cabinet.

Obama said critics should wait until the cabinet is complete, and he pointed to his record.

“So if you think about my first four years, the person who probably had the most influence on my foreign policy was a woman," he said.

His answer was focused on gender diversity – the "binders of women" issue - but dodged the issue of racial diversity. And Latinos are noticing.

“It’s a question of optics," said Allert Brown-Gort of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at Notre Dame. He said Latino voters care about something more substantial.

“What is really going to show much more whether Obama has the interest of the Latino community in heart and in mind is really has to do much more with how much more political capital gets put into immigration reform," he said. READ MORE

It's true that working women earn far less than their male counterparts: roughly 77 cents on the dollar. But try being a working Latina. Their situation is even more dire.

Latina women in the United States make just 55 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men, and only 60 cents for every dollar paid to men overall, according to an analysis of Census data by the National Partnership for Women and Families. The left-leaning advocacy group came to these findings by examining the 20 states with the most full-time working Latinas.

Talking in mere cents can sound abstract, but the money adds up over time. Compare a working Latina to a working man in Florida, for example. Latinas in the Sunshine State are relatively lucky. They earn 68 cents for every dollar paid to men, the highest of any of the states surveyed. But over the course of a year, they still end up earning about $13,000 less than men. READ MORE

Many women don’t know that heart disease is the number one killer of women, and many Latinas don’t know that they are especially at risk.

According to a study conducted by the American Heart Association, Hispanics have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease than Caucasians and are less aware of their cardiovascular risk factors. Among Mexican Americans 20 and older, 77.5 percent of men and 75.1 percent of women are overweight or obese. A staggering 30.7 percent of Mexican American women have cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Noel Bairey Merz, the medical director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute says,“the higher rate of death is more related to healthcare access and coverage.”

She also believes language barriers, lack of education, and income are significant factors. “The more educated and the more affluent, the better their health,” she says. READ MORE

With the country still reeling from the aftermath of the housing crisis and the economy in a slow recovery, the federal government’s consumer watchdog group introduced a new set of rules Thursday in an attempt to rebuild a shaky housing market and to protect homeowners from defaulting on loans.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) new rules could help Latinos homeowners who have been some of those hardest hit by the housing crisis of the past few years and the goal of the Bureau's new rule is to protect consumers from risky practices that helped cause the crisis., said Moira Vahey, a spokesperson for the CFPB. READ MORE

For Immediate Release
Contact: Patty Schuh (217)782-5530

Springfield, Ill. – Illinois’ House lawmakers approved legislation (Senate Bill 957) on Jan. 8 that would allow undocumented immigrants to apply for a temporary driver’s license, a move applauded by Illinois Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont), a chief sponsor of the legislation who said the measure would improve safety on Illinois roads.

“This is an excellent example of state lawmakers working together to address a serious public safety issue. A lot of work went into addressing concerns that prevented this concept from advancing in the past, and I believe the bill represents a reasonable compromise containing adequate safeguards to ensure against fraud,” said Radogno. “This legislation may not be a perfect solution, but it is a good faith effort from state legislators on both sides of the aisle to increase safety on Illinois’ roadways.”

Having been approved by the Illinois Senate and House, the measure will now advance to Gov. Pat Quinn to be signed into law.

January 10, 2013 – Griselda Aldrete, Executive Director of Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee (HPGM) and HispanicPro partner, was named one of Milwaukee 40 under 40 award winners. “I am very humbled by this recognition but very excited,” said Aldrete. This is the 20th year The Business Journal has recognized Milwaukee’s up-and-coming community leaders. These year’s winners were selected based on their community leadership and engagement from a pool of 270 nominations. “This recognition reflects the high regard The Business Journal and Selection Committee have for the work that HPGM does and its value to the city of Milwaukee,” said Aldrete. “I am grateful to join the ranks of other professionals who are vested in the city and really want to make a difference to making Milwaukee a better city to live and work in.”

Aldrete and the other winners will be honored in a special section of The Business Journal on March 1 and at an awards event on March 4. To see the full list of winners log on to: http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/blog/2013/01/business-journal-names-40-under-40.html

About Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee (HPGM)
As Milwaukee and its business community strive to attract and preserve a talented, diverse workforce, HPGM's founding members recognized the important role they could play in this endeavor and the service it could provide to the Hispanic professional community as well as to corporations in the Greater Milwaukee area. HPGM was started with the help of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin and the Metro Milwaukee Association of Commerce.
After several critical strategic planning sessions, key recruiting of members, and several fun, informal networking socials, HPGM has launched as a multi-generational non-profit 501c(3) organization. With membership over 550 and the positive buzz within the Greater Milwaukee community, HPGM is ready to ask the question: Hispanic Professionals... Have you seen us lately?

Latinos and African Americans take more time to complete their graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and math fields, according to a new study from the American Institutes for Research.

This trend is affected by whether they had a master’s degree, funding for their program, marital status and the educational attainment of their parents. The study looked at data from 1990 to 2009 and excluded international students, tracking data for U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. READ MORE

With approximately 39.9 million immigrants in the United States, the American Psychological Association (APA) indicates mental health services are, and will continue to reach a growing number of adults and children from different cultural backgrounds. Approximately 1 in 5 people residing in the U.S. is a first- or second-generation immigrant, and nearly 25 percent of children under the age of 18 have an immigrant parent.

Latinos, as one of the largest and fastest growing minority populations in the country, are of particular focus when it comes to the area of mental health. With the Latino population in the U.S expected to triple by the year 2050, and the inclination of Latinos to shy away from mental health services, experts are placing an emphasis on the need for culturally relevant mental health care. READ MORE