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Perhaps the most befuddling aspect of the 2012 presidential election is the idea advanced by political prognosticators and analysts that Hispanic Americans will be voting en bloc for President Obama without a second thought. As a proud member of the Latino community in America, this prediction frustrates me just as much as it perplexes me.

In recent decades, Hispanics have become some of the most successful small-business owners in the country. According to a recent article in Caribbean Business

Grab an extra-large shopping cart, push it into the supermarket, and immediately, you hear the Spanish music wafting from the overhead system. To your left, the smell of just-made fajitas, papas and frijoles emanates from the quick-service restaurant where the line is 10 deep at the counter.

As you look to your right, the scent of fresh-baked pan dulce arrives just before white frosting-covered tres leches and mounds of fresh produce come into view. A man chooses a few sweet treats from the fres

Latinas around the world are wielding more power than ever before: eight of the 100 most powerful women in the world are Latina. And their numbers are on the rise. Four of the list’s 16 newcomers are Latina women: Maria das Gracas Silva Foster of Brazil’s Petrobras and celebrities Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Sofia Vergara. Latina celebs have proven themselves to be at the top of the game both in superstar power (JLo topped the 2012 FORBES’s Celebrity 100) and earnings (Vergara is the highest pai

Illinois – Taking steps to fulfill their commitment to reach out to the Hispanic community in support of Republican principles, The Illinois Republican National Hispanic Assembly (RNHA) has launched a new website – www.illinoisrnha.org – and formed a new DuPage County chapter.

A meeting to create a DuPage County RNHA chapter was held on August 21st at the DuPage County GOP Headquarters in Wheaton. The group will be approved once all requirements are submitted and a vote of the RNHA Executive Com

Join us at this special celebration of Pilsen's arts community that will also support the 10th anniversary edition of Pilsen Open Studios. 

Pilsen Open Studios is an annual art walk independently produced by local artists and volunteers, that is also one of the premier events of the citywide Chicago Artists Month. It will be the weekend of October 20-21, 2012, taking place in various locations along Pilsen’s 18th Street Corridor.

For the 10th edition, there are special events to commemorate our 10

Hispanic-owned businesses are a growing piece of the Texas economy, but they still lag behind mainstream businesses in revenue, employment and payroll size, according to a new University of Texas survey.

The report, titled "The Survey of Hispanic Businesses with Paid Employees in Texas," was directed by the Bureau of Business Research of the IC2 Institute at The University of Texas at Austin. It surveyed more than 3,500 Hispanic-owned businesses last year in Texas. The survey is being released t

Hispanic population growth and improved high school completion rates helped Latino young people become the largest minority group on college campuses and a fourth of the public school population last year, according to a Pew Hispanic report released Monday.

The center's analysis of Census data shows more than 2 million Hispanics ages 18 to 24 were enrolled in college last year, making up a record 16.5 percent share of enrollments in that age group at two-year and four-year universities.

Simultan

The lead news anchor with the largest U.S. Spanish-language television network called the absence of a Hispanic or African-American moderator in the upcoming presidential debates a "grave omission."

"One out of every four of the country's inhabitants is of some other ethnic origin and it is unacceptable that neither a Hispanic nor an African American has been named as moderator. I think the four professionals chosen are extraordinary, but the United States is much more diverse than that," Univis

The political advocacy group Voto Latino, which promotes civic engagement by American Latinos, is out with a new public service announcement encouraging voter registration, and in a world of more dour political ads, this one strikes a different tone.

Directed by “That 70s Show” star Wilmer Valderrama, it pulls out all the Hollywood studio stops to tell its story through a covert agency out to register voters … by any means necessary. The ad’s title? “The Enforcers.” The PSA features Valderrama

Nascar dads and Hispanics could be seen as being on opposite sides of the political fence, but that has not stopped Nascar from reaching an agreement with Fox Deportes, the Spanish-language cable sports channel, to broadcast 15 races starting in February.

The agreement includes the broadcast of six live races, including the Daytona 500, which will be broadcast in Spanish for the first time. Among other events are races at the Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Talladega Supersp

U.K. drink maker Diageo PLC (DGE.LN) is close to a deal to buy the Jose Cuervo tequila business from Mexico's Beckmann family for about $3 billion, the Sunday Times reports.

Diageo Chief Executive Paul Walsh could announce the acquisition alongside annual results on Thursday, the report said without citing sources, though it also said talks could last a few more weeks.

The report said the $3 billion is likely to be paid, at least in part, in shares.

The Beckmanns are being advised on the deal by

Mitt Romney’s team kick started the “Women for Mitt” Coalition Wednesday breaking a mold on how Republicans are reaching out to women who are Hispanic.
Optimized rachel campos duffy 240 Obama and Romney each up efforts to appeal to Latinas.

“I find it really puzzling why Hispanic women wouldn’t be attracted to his message,” said Rachel Campos Duffy, a Latina author, television host and mother of six who is serving on the coalition’s advisory board.

“There are so many stereotypes of what it means

Jorge Ramos has a humbling problem.

He is one of the best-known Hispanics in the U.S. and a respected news anchor for the Univision networks on which millions of Americans routinely rely.

And yet, in Ramos' telling, his 14-year-old son, Nicolas, and his 25-year-old daughter, Paola, don't watch his newscasts.

"They get their information in English," Ramos said. "Their friends don't watch me. Their generation is not watching us in Spanish. So we have to do something."

That something is a new cable

Diabetes is a disease that causes blood sugar levels to be too high. Over time high blood sugar levels can hurt many parts of your body, such as your skin, mouth, kidneys, heart, nerves, eyes, and feet. It can even cause death.

Type 2 diabetes — the most common type of diabetes — affects about 1 in 10 Latinos. Within this group, Mexican-Americans are the most affected. Latinas are 17 times more likely to die from diabetes than non-Hispanic white women.

You can't control some risk factors for typ

Support for the DREAM Act may soon become the official stance of the Democratic Party.

In an appeal to Latino voters, three Senate candidates in the Southwest are urging the Democratic National Convention to adopt as part of the party platform support for the bill to help some undocumented immigrants who came here as children attain citizenship.

Rep. Martin Heinrich, the Democratic nominee for a Senate seat from New Mexico, is leading the effort and said that formally supporting the immigration

Sofia Vergara is probably the most recognizable Hispanic actress working in English-language television. She is one of the stars of “Modern Family,” among the highest-rated scripted shows on network television, and she has parlayed her celebrity into commercials for brands like Pepsi and Cover Girl.

Despite her popularity, “Modern Family” is not a hit with Hispanic viewers. Out of its overall viewership of 12.9 million, “Modern Family” drew an average of only about 798,000 Hispanic viewers in t

Overcrowded emergency rooms can be fatal for Latinos and other minorities living in populated neighborhoods, suggests a study published in the journal Health Affairs.

Because minorities — Hispanics in particular — have low rates of health insurance, the emergency room has become a primary resource for medical care regardless of the severity of the medical issue. The process crowds emergency rooms and in turn emergency services become scarce, resulting in ambulance diversion, says study author R

These days a celebrity’s social media presence can go a long way and Shakira, Selena Gomez and Crisitiano Ronaldo are all aware of this as the three Latinos have topped Forbes Social Networking Superstars.

The list includes Barbados vixen and pop singer Rihanna, who came in first place, along with Mother monster Lady Gaga in second place and Gomez’s boyfriend Justin Bieber in fourth.

Shakira earned the sixth slot. The Colombian singer, who is rumored to be pregnant with soccer star Gerard Piqué’

A quarter century ago, Fox figured there was room for more than just three big TV networks. It created Fox Broadcasting, which would redefine television with shows such as "Married ... With Children," "The Simpsons," "24" and "American Idol."

Now, Fox is hoping to stage an encore.

Rupert Murdoch's company on Monday unveiled MundoFox, a new Spanish-language broadcast network. A joint venture with Colombian powerhouse RCN Television Group, the network will challenge the Spanish-language media domi

So you grew up watching Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird, and now you want to be friends with Rosita, Luis and Maria.

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If you are a bilingual actor or actress between the ages of 18 and 25, this may be the chance of a lifetime: "Sesame Street" is looking for a new Hispanic character.

The producers of "Sesame Street" told The Associated Press that they are holding an open casting call on Monday, August 20 at Manhattan's Roseland Ballroom for a recurring character to join the "'Se