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There's a reason the new Gerber baby is Latina, Sofia Vergara is now peddling Suave and Covergirl, and J.Lo's seductive Glow is the highest grossing celebrity-endorsed perfume of all time.

Latinos love to buy. Well, some things. They tend to over-index as consumers of cosmetics, shampoo, perfume and baby products like food and diapers. In fact, a recent study by Nielsen states that if Latinos living in the U.S. were their own country, their buying power would be one of the top twenty economies i

Hostess sweets have tempted the sugar-starved among us for more than eight decades. Now, the company is going out of business. That moves the focus on Hostess’ brands—Twinkies, Devil Dogs, Wonder Bread, Ho Ho’s, to name a few—from the store shelf to the auction block.

It seems quite plausible that the next Twinkie maker could be a Mexican company run by a billionaire family.

Meet Daniel Servitje Montull. He and his family are worth more than $4 billion by our tally. Servitje runs Grupo Bimbo, a

Latinos are enjoying the limelight after they helped re-elect president Obama. Pollsters and researchers who correctly predicted the Latino vote are also seeing their clout rise. These are companies that study Hispanic demographics for politicians, but also for companies trying to establish relationships with Latino consumers.

President Obama hired the consulting firm Bendixen & Amandi International to do his polling in the Latino community. Managing partner Fenand Amandi says the research shows

Sitting a few steps away from a black marble memorial to his friend Mickey who was stabbed to death two years ago at age 15, Ronald Ramos looks bewildered when asked why he didn’t take the SAT, seek financial aid and apply to college after graduating from high school.

“Parents don’t know what the system is here,” he says in an interview at Georgetown South, a Latino neighborhood in Manassas, Virginia. “We don’t know what to do.”

Hispanics such as Ramos are the fastest growing component of Americ

Latino voters are "suddenly the 'it' demographic in U.S. politics," and, seemingly overnight, support for immigration reform is also en vogue: A recent Bloomberg headline trumpeted the "The Political Inevitability of Immigration Reform." Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner is "confident" that Washington will finally find "common ground" on a "comprehensive approach." Even FOX News has "evolved" on the immigration issue.

However, as many delighted immigrant advocates dance in the proverb

While Latinos are gaining in political clout, they are also falling down the economic ladder, new Census numbers show.

Latinos poverty rates climbed to 28 percent after the census reconfigured its algorithm to take into account medical costs and government programs. The Hispanic poverty level rose after the government took into account safety-net programs such as food stamps and housing, which have lower participation among immigrants and non-English speakers.

Among the Findings:

—If it weren't

Getting motivated to save can sometimes be tough. Here are some “sneaky” ways to help you reach your goals:

1. Label your accounts. Did you know that people who assign specific goals to savings accounts put away 31% more than people who don’t?¹ It’s true!
2. Use photos to stay motivated. Got something specific in mind? Try using a picture of what – or who — you’re saving for to keep your eye on the prize. Keep it on your computer or in your wallet – wherever it will be most useful in the battle against

Ten outstanding Latinas, from around the country, are to be honored on Monday, November 12th at the first-ever Next Generation Latina Awards.

The awards will be presented by Latina Magazine, in partnership with The National Council of La Raza and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, at a private breakfast at the Affinia Manhattan Hotel in New York City and will feature a keynote address by playwright and Tony Award nominee, Quiara Hudes, (“In the Heights”).

The 10 recipients are: Texas State Represent

This is part one of a two-part column about area Latinos and the challenges they face to become a part of the American fabric – especially the workforce. Two of the three women I interviewed were not legal immigrants. Their English was not adequate to tell their stories, and Marie Connelly, director of Centro Latino, translated for both. Occasionally one of the women would reply in English. I was never able to reply in Spanish.

Opportunity, security, and safety are the three reasons why Gaby, Ah

Veterans Day "Appreciation Event & Rally"

Monday, November 12, 2012 | 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Great Hall of Union Station (210 S. Canal)

#53VETS

Fifth Third Bank Chicago announces plans for its annual “Veterans Day of Appreciation” event on Monday, November 12, 2012.  The bank will transform the Great Hall of Union Station (Canal & Jackson, Chicago) into a patriotic celebration for those serving in the military. 

From culture to politics, Hispanics are gaining influence in the U.S. But when it comes to franchising, U.S. Hispanics are severely under-represented -- owning just a fraction of all franchised small businesses.

In a recent report on Hispanic franchising, BlueMauMau cites a U.S. Census Bureau survey of businesses to quantify the gap in Hispanic franchise ownership. In 2007, Hispanics represented 16 percent of the total U.S. population. Yet Hispanic-owned companies represented 9 percent of U.S. s

Hispanics cast 71 percent of their ballots Tuesday for President Barack Obama, according an analysis of exit polls by the Pew Hispanic Center. Republican challenger Mitt Romney lagged far behind, with a 27 percent take.

Obama won the biggest share of the Hispanic vote since Bill Clinton captured 72 percent in 1996.

The Washington, D.C.-based Pew Hispanic Center, an arm of the Pew Research Center, also said Latinos made up a growing share of the electorate in three battleground states — Florida,

I was sitting at a lunch counter on Monday, less than 24 hours before the polls opened, thinking about the one thing that was keeping me up most nights: on Election Day, would Latinos show up and translate our potential to political power?

Just then, I heard two voices—loud, vibrant, New Yorker accents belonging to a pair of strong women. One said:

“You voting?” And then the other, “Why? It’s the same old shit.”

I turned to see the voices and their speakers. Two 20-something Latinas, working beh

The holiday season is around the corner. Turkey motifs replace Halloween, and then -- POW! -- the all-out flurry of the ho-ho frenzy.

’Tis the season.

Did you know that Hispanics celebrate holidays beyond “traditional” American holidays?

Awareness and knowledge of connecting with Hispanic consumers provide valuable cultural insights and allow you to specifically engage this audience in more innovative and relevant ways.

Here are a few holidays, festivals and fiestas that are part of our culture:

Among the 10.9 million homes that went into foreclosure between 2007 and 2011, more than half of the “spillover” cost to nearby homes have led to a $1 trillion loss in home equity for African-American and Latino families., according to a new report by the Center for Responsible Lending titled, “Collateral Damage: The Spillover Costs of Foreclosures.”

The report said, “Families impacted in minority neighborhoods have lost or will lose on average, $37,084 or 13 percent of their home value.” By com

Betty Garcia embraces the term “immigrant entrepreneur” as a badge of pride.

She says her family hasn’t had it as easy as native-born Americans in turning Tortilleria Sonora, whose name hints at both the product and her family’s origins, into a successful business.

“It’s important to recognize backgrounds,” said Garcia, 37, who has helped her Mexican parents run the Des Moines shop for the last four years. “Not to put any other culture down, but Americans have it easier because they are more kno

A tax on soda would carry the greatest health benefits for black and Latino Californians, who face the highest risks of diabetes and heart disease, according to recent research findings.

The study found that if a penny-per-ounce tax was applied to soda, cuts in consumption would result in an 8 percent decline in diabetes cases among blacks and Latinos. The statewide reduction in new diabetes cases is projected at 3 to 5.6 percent, according to researchers from UC San Francisco, Columbia Universi

An organization that helps train and support female business owners in Iowa will start a program that aims to do the same for rural Hispanic entrepreneurs.

Iowans for Social and Economic Development received a $200,000 grant from an agency that supports efforts to reduce poverty and help people build sustainable lives. The grant, which will be handed out over the next two years, allows the agency to start Emprendedores Latinos de Iowa, a program that will roll out first in Muscatine and surround

The Adelante Tour is in Houston and the women driving the movement are on a mission.

Adelante Movement founder Nely Galan, author Sandra Cisneros and Nell Merlino, founder of the “Count Me In” nonprofit, are wrapping up the three day LATISM Conference with a free forum Saturday afternoon at the Hyatt Regency.

The Adelante Movement is about personal, economic and cultural empowerment. It may sound lofty, but this about more than words. It’s about action and inspiring Latinas with practical advice

Media Contacts:

Shannelle Armstrong-Fowler                                                                               Nathaly Gamino

Sears Holdings Group                                                                                          Flowers Communications

847-286-0715                                                                                                    312-228-8832

shannelle.armstrong@searshc.com                                                                    ngamino