The dream of homeownership is one shared by many Americans - yet it's a goal too often out of reach for people of color, said Otis Rolley, president of the Wells Fargo Foundation and head of Philanthropy and Community Impact. The reasons for the homeownership gap are many - including historic redlining, challenges to accessing credit and capital, public policy, and the real estate industry intentionally steering people of color away from certain communities and neighborhoods. READ MORE AT MORNINGSTAR

 Zócalo Health, the healthcare company reinventing primary care delivery and care navigation for the Latino patient, announced today its collaboration with Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC (Cost Plus Drugs) to focus on improving access to all medications available through Cost Plus Drugs. Zócalo Health, launched in 2021, is focused on removing barriers to quality primary care for Latino patients. All users of Zócalo Health will have access to Cost Plus Drugs' prescriptions through membership packages or one-time urgent care visits. READ MORE AT KCRG9

Griselda Aldrete’s career path has been a journey. A native of Milwaukee, she has never shied away from opportunities and challenges in the things she has set out to do. She has plied her considerable talent in the non-profit, government, corporate and now legal realms. She served as President and CEO of Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee (HPGM) for eight years where she grew the organization’s footprint, budget and brand. She then led the City of Milwaukee’s Fire and Police Commission (FPC) as its first Hispanic executive director in the midst of a global pandemic and national civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd. A corporate engagement followed Aldrete’s government service to the citizens of Milwaukee when she joined Alliant Energy in Madison as director of stakeholder engagement. Her journey continues to add intriguing stops considering her most recent announcement as partner at the law firm of Hansen Reynolds LLC. READ MORE AT BLUEPRINT365

Hispanic or Latino/Latinx communities are vastly underrepresented in the tech industry. According to 2020 US Census data, Hispanics account for 19% of the US population, the nation's second largest racial or ethnic group after non-Hispanic whites. While they hold 17% of all jobs in the US, that number falls to just eight percent of STEM roles. READ MORE AT DIGINOMICA

A good night's sleep is essential for good health, but many Latinos in the U.S. just don't get enough of it. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night, but about 1 in 3 Latino adults sleep less than seven hours, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's on par with the overall U.S. population.

Insufficient sleep, insomnia and disorders such as sleep apnea have been linked to obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes – conditions that can increase the risk of heart disease. READ MORE AT HEART.ORG

Latino adults have gotten better over the past 12 years at budgeting, managing debt and building personal wealth, according to a new report by the foundation arm of Wall Street's brokerage regulator. But the Hispanic community still faces gaps in financial knowledge, the study found.

Fewer Latinos reported difficulty in paying expenses in 2021 compared to 2009 (50% versus 67%), according to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's educational foundation. READ MORE AT FINANCIAL PLANNING

From camps for girls to networking events for grownups, organizations all over the country are working to promote Latinos in tech. In 2021, Hispanics made up a small share of Google (8.8%), Netflix (8.6%), Apple (8%), Microsoft (7%) and Meta/Facebook (6.5%) tech workers.

The numbers of Latinos and Latinas in the industry has been rising gradually in the past few years, but they're still disproportionately low in most companies. READ MORE AT AXIOS

“They’re very resilient. They wish for growth: they’re very ambitious, even in difficult times.” That’s Barbara Gomez-Aguinaga, associate director of the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative (SLEI) and lead author of SLEI’s latest State of Latino Entrepreneurship report.

According to SLEI, Latino business owners have for many years been outpacing their peers in terms of revenue and payroll growth. Annual growth rates in revenue and payroll were higher every year for Latino-owned businesses than for White-owned businesses through 2019. READ MORE AT FORBES

A growing emphasis on mental health care — some of it brought into renewed focus during the pandemic — has led more Americans to seek therapy or other support. But recent data show Latinos are less likely to look for help.

While the number of Black, Asian and white Americans seeking mental health treatment has increased in recent years, the rate for Latinos has barely changed, according to an analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The reasons why are complicated, but a lack of cultural context contributes to the trend.  READ MORE AT THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

The Illinois Office of Tourism (IOT) recognizes the importance of celebrating the expansive African American communities that are part of our state during Black History Month. To encourage Illinoisians to learn about and experience Black history and culture, IOT has partnered with Chicago Urban Historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas to highlight significant moments and places in Black history across the state with a new video series, “Discover Illinois with Dilla.” The first video features Alton, in southern Illinois, “the birthplace of cool,” where Dilla visits a statue honoring jazz icon Miles Davis, the Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument and the historic Lincoln-Douglas Square. Additional videos with “Dilla” will focus on Black history in Springfield, the state capital, and Black artist, sculptor and educator Preston Jackson, an Illinois native.

Illinois Tourism’s African American history & heritage trip itinerary was created to encourage people to experience and learn about the rich legacy of Illinois’ African American history. The itinerary features museums and historical sites throughout the state, including where freedom seekers traveled along the Underground Railroad.

To learn more about how to celebrate Black History Month in Illinois, click here.

Chicago – Over 2,000 Hispanic high school students representing 45 high schools in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee, Oregon, and Nebraska have pre-registered to attend the launch of USHLI’s 2023 Student Leadership Series (SLS). The series will continue throughout the year nationwide.

The goal of the SLS is to motivate public school students to make education their personal priority, take responsibility, improve their academic performance, graduate and prepare themselves to meet the challenges that lie ahead, take advantage of the opportunities that await them and enjoy the benefits that an education will bring in their life and career.

The SLS launch will begin with a press conference at 8:45-9:15am, Thursday, February 16, in the Gold Coast room, lobby level, at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk. Present will be USHLI President Dr. Juan Andrade, launch speakers, and sponsors.

Three nationally prominent speakers will address the SLS Rally at 9:50-11am. They are Claudia Romo Edelman, Founder and CEO of the We Are All Human Foundation in New York, Mateo Magdaleno, CEO of IDQ (I Don’t Quit) in Dallas, and Melody Gonzales, executive director of White House Initiatives for Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics in Washington, DC.

Students will also attend workshops on how to finance their post-secondary education or training and meet with recruiters representing 61 colleges and universities. 

The SLS Chair is FedEx. Co-Chairs include the Coca-Cola Company, National Education Association, Rumba Meats, United Parcel Service, and Wells Fargo. Sponsors are Denny’s and the U.S. Department of Defense.

For more information contact David Cordova at davidcordova225@gmail.com or Dr. Juan Andrade at docandrade@ushli.org.

Latinos contributed at least $65.1 billion to the Phoenix-area economy, according to a new report measuring the gross domestic product of the region's fastest growing demographic group. That is higher than the entire economies of the states of Maine and North Dakota, the report found.

Latinos comprise 1.5 million, or 31% of the total Phoenix metro population. That makes the Phoenix metro area the 8th largest in the U.S. by Latino population. READ MORE AT AZCENTRAL

Though the lack of Spanish fluency is common among second- and third-generation Latinos, it can often result in teasing by family and friends. The name-calling — labeling someone pocho, gringo or “too American to be Mexican,” for example — can often be passed off as cariño, or joking with endearment.

But it can manifest into shame, and sometimes that shame can stop a person from wanting to practice the language or pass it down to future generations. READ MORE AT THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Even though Latinos are the second-largest ethnic group in the U.S., they’re underrepresented across many industries, including finance, which can have long-term effects on the ability to grow wealth. Lack of access to capital markets makes it harder for Latinos to build meaningful wealth. It also means they’re underrepresented as shareholders of companies if they aren’t holding stocks and that they’re not lending a proportional voice to investing decisions. READ MORE AT CNBC

Startups with a Latino founder received just 2.1% of the nation’s venture capital in 2021, according to LatinxVC, a nonprofit focused on increasing venture capital investment. Accelerators for Hispanic entrepreneurs can provide opportunities to connect with other business leaders, investors and industry experts. READ MORE AT TAMPA BAY TIMES

Five years ago, Californians began to take notice of Edgar Torres, a boutique vintner in Paso Robles whose Spanish-inspired wines were already earning accolades.

But it was Torres’ backstory that really piqued people’s interest. At the age of 8, he emigrated from his native Michoacan to the United States with his younger sister and a family friend in the back of a Volkswagen bus. He grew up in Cambria and moved to Paso Robles in 2002, where he became a waiter at Villa Creek Restaurant, a local winemaker hangout where he developed his palate for wine. READ MORE AT THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

For so many years when filling out forms that asked about race or ethnicity, AMA member Theresa Rohr-Kirchgraber, MD always checked the “other” box because she never wanted to make it seem as though one side of her heritage was more important than the other. Her father is German American and her mother is Mexican American. It took her several more years to understand what those boxes really meant. READ MORE AT THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

Hispanic people differ widely in their genetic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Now researchers say more precise data collection could help identify distinct risk factors for disease in certain populations. Having a more accurate understanding of genetic ancestry can help identify risk factors for certain diseases — as appears to be the case with brain tumors. READ MORE AT AAMC

Millennial age groups – born mid 1980s to early 2000s – now have more money at hand than they have ever controlled before. And they are spending it, says Olivia Johnson, assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Consumer Sciences at the University of Houston College of Technology.

Tech gear, cars, travel, fashion, furniture, houses, home security, insurance – everything young consumers might want and would likely need – form a retail turf being fought over by companies seeking to occupy that market segment. READ MORE AT UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON

In the abundant selection of fruits that supermarkets have at their disposal, pears are the secret weapon they use to capture their customers. They sell quickly, are available year-round, have more than ten varieties to suit all tastes, and have significant health benefits. Latino consumers buy them 34% more than the average U.S. shopper.

Latino pear consumers are young: seventy-six percent are Millennial and Gen X. These two groups of Latino consumers see pears as a healthy snack in their daily diet. READ MORE AT ABASTO