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For years, the Edward Roybal Comprehensive Health Center in the heart of one of the country’s largest communities of Mexican immigrants in East Los Angeles has been the home of prenatal care for the record high Latino birth rate.

But in recent years officials there began seeing a noticeable drop in pregnancies among immigrant women – a decline apparently driven by the recession and which has been symptomatic of a national decline in births among immigrants.

This week, that drop became official as the Pew Research Center reported that the birth rate for foreign-born women plunged an unprecedented 14 percent between 2007 and 2010 compared with a 6 percent decline for U.S.-born women.

The Latino birth rate plummeted 19 percent for Hispanic immigrants during that period. READ MORE

The Business Consortium Fund, Inc., a non-profit business development program of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, is supposedly the nation’s most comprehensive financing and business support organization dedicated exclusively to the ethnic/racial minority-owned business sector. It was created to be a “difference maker” for minority-owned businesses that need capital and business support services to grow their business but are unable to obtain financing from conventional sources on reasonable terms. The BCF’s mission is to level the playing field for small minority businesses attempting to secure contracts from major corporation by working jointly with selected banking institutions to guarantee loans to provide capital so that these small businesses may have the funds to meet their contractual obligations, hire new employees and grow their businesses. READ MORE

Cost was not the only reason why Evelyn Escobedo didn’t want to leave home when she went to college.

“Staying close to home was my sense of security and not losing myself,” she said. “And having a safe haven to always come back to.”

Escobedo is one of many Latinas not leaving the nest for college. Though they are attending 2- and 4-year colleges in greater numbers than their male counterparts, many wind up choosing schools near their parents. While finances are a commonly documented factor in that decision, some research and anecdotal evidence has indicated there is an underlying issue: family responsibility.

And while that may sound negative, some research has shown that the opposite is true. Families reveal an important source of support. READ MORE

Hispanic Business has named Indiana University School of Education Dean Gerardo Gonzalez to its 2012 list of "Hispanic Business Influentials," which recognizes prominent U.S. Hispanics, nominated because of outstanding achievements in their respective professions.

The list of 50 includes honorees in business, government, executive leadership and entrepreneurship from across the country. Hispanic Business has announced a list of 50 influential Hispanic leaders annually for the past 30 years.

For 35 years, Hispanic Business magazine has been the premier source for the latest research, trends and reporting on the growth of the U.S. Hispanic consumer market and the Hispanic enterprise and professional sectors. Starting in April, the publication moved to an online-only format at HispanicBusiness.com.

Gonzalez is part of an august list that includes U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, as well as members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Gonzalez is one of four education leaders selected. Angel Cabrera, president of George Mason University, Mildred Garcia, president of California State University-Fullerton, and Nilda Peragallo, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Miami, also made the list. READ MORE

Graduates of Kutztown University's Latino Business Resource Center assembled anxiously for an entrepreneurs course graduation ceremony Thursday night at the Crowne Plaza Reading, Wyomissing.

The 23 aspiring entrepreneurs met in the hotel's wine room for the formal occasion that not only celebrated their completion of the eight-week business course, Programa de Negocios para Empresarios Latinos, or Business Skills for Success for Latino Entrepreneurs, but also announced recipients of awards and startup money for those with the most viable and well-planned business model.

"It gives me a lot of satisfaction to see you all working with your ideas and your businesses," LBRC Director Carolina Martinez said, addressing the graduating class in Spanish. "The best part for us is the development for our Latino entrepreneurs."

On the last day of the class, the students had presented their business plans to six judges: Ernie Post, director of Kutztown's Small Business Development Center; Johanny Cepeda, owner of Mi Casa Su Casa in Reading; representatives from the Community First Fund, a revitalization organization; and the financial services firm Morgan Stanley, which provided more than $2,000 in Business Pitch Awards.

Awards were presented to six students who had developed strong business models. READ MORE

Macerich Co isn't usually in the business of hosting religious processions in its mall parking lots.

But when it allowed a Good Friday event featuring a costumed Jesus, prisoners and Roman guards at a Phoenix mall last year, hundreds of shoppers turned out from the heavily Hispanic community, where re-enactments of the Stations of the Cross are a major occasion.

The response proved to Macerich that its program to attract the surrounding population to its malls was working.

A small but growing number of real estate owners and developers are tapping into the same demographic change U.S. politicians have begun to recognize.

Two ethnic groups - Hispanics and Asian-Americans - are expected to see their population and buying power soar in the coming years. And several demographic experts project that non-Hispanic whites will be a minority nationally by 2040 or 2050.

If mall and shopping center owners fail to adapt to the changing demographic make-up of the country, they risk seeing their properties become mausoleums of a less-diverse American past.

"It's a bunch of guys trying to build for a (white) world that's no longer growing. But there are those individuals out there that are seeing the growth in different ways. They're picking it apart and making some big money off of it," said James Chung, president of strategy and research firm Reach Advisors. READ MORE

They are not only the fastest growing population in the country, but Latinos are also spending 3 times more at the super market than everyone else.

With more than $1 trillion in purchasing power, Latino consumers like Arlette Mendoza are gaining the attention of big name brands.

“I personally like it," said the mother of two. "I think it's good that everyone else is discovering just how good our food is."

Cereal companies, including General Mills are using flavors like Dulce de Leche with the hope of appealing to the growing Latino consumer.

Richie Matthews is President of DIÁLOGO, a national public relations agency that services brands targeting the Hispanic market.

He says with Latinos making up a third of San Diego's population, several companies are using the area as a test market.

“The brands are positioning themselves so that they not only incorporate more market share but so they're relevant and I think that's the name of the game for any consumer brand,” said Matthews.  READ MORE

With the holidays just around the corner, most employees are thinking about taking time off work.

But for many Latinos, paid leave won’t be an option. According to a study released Tuesday by the Center for American Progress, Latinos have the least access to paid sick days or parental leave, let alone paid vacation.

Only 38.4 percent of Latinos have paid leave available, compared to 64.7 percent of Asians, 60.4 percent of whites and 57.4 percent of blacks. The study attributes the difference to “historical trends resulting from decades of institutionalized racism and the fact that workers of color are more likely than white workers to be employed in low-wage, low-quality jobs.”

“For too many Latinos, being a good worker and a good family member has become mutually exclusive,” the study states.

In addition to less paid time off, Hispanics often don’t have as much flexibility at work. The study says: READ MORE

As pundits continue to examine the outcome of various races and ballots cast Nov. 6, one persistent truth cannot be understated or ignored: the power of the Hispanic-American vote is growing, and this voting bloc's priority issues -- including education reform and school choice -- must be addressed by those elected into state and national offices.

A record 23.7 million Latinos were eligible to vote in the 2012 presidential election, up by more than 4 million from 2008, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. Latinos comprise a greater share of the nation's eligible voters than they did just a few years ago -- 11 percent this year, up from 9.5 percent in 2008 and 8.2 percent in 2004.

Following this month's election, Latinos will serve in the state legislatures of 36 states across the country, with 70 Latinos serving as State Senators. The Arizona State House of Representatives now has 13 Latinos, up from eight. Latino legislators elected to serve in the California State Assembly now total 19, an increase of four. In Maine, voters elected their first Latino to the state House of Representatives.

Hispanic-Americans two weeks ago voted in record numbers, particularly in key battleground states including Florida, Ohio and Colorado. For example, Florida's presidential outcome was decided by Hispanic-heavy counties of Orlando, Broward, and Miami-Dade. READ MORE

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 in the world.

Here's a look at the top ten that spent money on Spanish-language advertising for TV, radio, and print media last year:

1. Procter & Gamble -- $225.6 million

Talk about advertising dollars paying off. Instead of using the actual Spanish word for diaper "pañal," most Latino parents use the word "Pamper", which is a Procter & Gamble brand. Given that one in four children under the age of five is Hispanic, who can blame P&G for treating them like a target audience.

2. Bancorp Inc -- $193 million

Whatever Latinos don't spend needs to be saved somewhere, right? Bancorp owns U.S. Bank which has hundreds of locations across the Southwest and West Coast, regions with high Latino populations.

3. Dish Network -- $161 million

Hispanics on average watch less TV than white Americans, according to Nielsen's report. However, the Dish Network has captured an important demographic of Latino viewers by offering a range of channels not offered by other cable providers, including programming from all over Latin America. READ MORE

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 that many US companies fail to connect with Latino consumers. “There’s been a little bit of a blind spot," says Amandi, "part of it is because of the cultural gap.”

He says companies make a classic mistake when they simply translate an advertisement into Spanish. It's an especially bad idea when the translation involves humor. “Sarcasm and irony is something you find a lot in the general marketplace,"Amandi says. "That is literally lost in translation."

Another mistake is that companies assume they need to communicate with Latinos in Spanish.

“Certainly with the size of the Latino market at over a trillion dollars, there has been a lot of interest in reaching out to Latinos," says Mark Lopez, associate director at the Pew Hispanic Center. "But a lot of that is focused, it seems, on particularly Spanish-speaking Latinos.” READ MORE

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 proverbial streets, I'm scratching my head. Yes, it is true that the multicultural, minority masses -- the sought-after Latino voting bloc among them -- have spoken, simultaneously granting Obama another four years in office while thrusting the GOP into an identity crisis. But with the ink barely dry on the 2012 ballots, it is puzzling that both parties would suddenly look to immigration as a way to lock in Latino support for 2016. Not only is immigration not completely synonymous with the Latino vote (not all Latinos are immigrants, not all immigrants are Latinos, and neither group blindly casts their ballot based solely on reform), but there's also the fact that some immigration reform has already happened -- just not in the way that Latinos or community advocates would have hoped.

The truth is that Republicans and Democrats have managed to work together on an immigration reform that divides families and destroys lives -- and Latino voters were acutely aware of this on November 6. While 7-in-10 Latinos supported Obama, I know for a fact that some of those votes, mine included, were reluctantly cast.

(Lest revealing my vote pigeonhole me as a party-line-towing Democrat, I will share that I've heartily voted for moderate Republicans in the past.) READ MORE

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 Representative, Mary Gonzalez (El Paso, Texas); Southern California Advocacy Coordinator and Latino Outreach Specialist at NRDC, Linda Escalante (Los Angeles, CA); founder of StudentMentor.org, Stephanie Bravo (San Jose, CA); founder and owner of the Art of Stepping, Jessica Saul (New York, NY); founder of non-profit CHICA, Nurys Camargo (Boston, MA); therapist and leader of Voz y Corazon Latina Teen Suicide Prevention Program, Esmeralda Santillano (Aurora, CO); blogger of Viva Fashion, Carmen Ordonez (Miami, FL); founder of DREAMS IN HEELS PR, Olga-Maria Czarkowski (New York, NY); founder of Iowa’s Latino Heritage Festival, Christina Fernandez-Morrow (Des Moines, IA); and one of three Latina business school professors at a top 25 business school in the U.S., Angelica S. Gutierrez, Ph.D. (Los Angeles, CA). READ MORE

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, Ahide and Elda have come to the United States. Also, they have come to the US to provide a better life for their children.

The women are in their 30s and 40s, left Mexico and now live in the Hickory area. Gaby and Ahide are undocumented immigrants. Elda is married, and through that marriage no longer worries about documentation issues. Each woman knows her children will fare much better in the United States than in Mexico.

“A lot of times people think we came here to take away their jobs, or to do bad things,” said Gaby. “But if we just really open our eyes and look around, we can see who the bad ones are and who the good ones are.”

Minimum wage in North Carolina is $7.25 per hour. In Mexico, where the three women come from, minimum wage is 62.33 pesos a day – or roughly $4.60 per day. A day! I think I’d go somewhere else, too.

Mexico is also infamous for drug-related murders and assassinations. More than 60,000 have been killed, and 10,000 are missing in Mexico since 2006 as a result of the drug wars, according to information delivered to Washington, D.C., on Sept. 12 by the Latin America Working Group and the Global Exchange organizations. READ MORE

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. 

· 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.:  Volunteers will join local veterans in collecting last minute donations for educational scholarships that will benefit the Folds of Honor Foundation.  Street teams will be out in Chicago and other suburban locations collecting donations.  The bank will match all donations received 100 percent, up to $50,000.

· 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.:  Volunteers will assemble 1,000 care packages that will be sent to Illinois troops now serving in Afghanistan.  Several of the items contained in the care packages are from Chicago-based companies.  This effort was inspired by local veteran group Heart of a Marine Foundation.  www.heartofamarine.org The public is invited – and encouraged – to come to the event and visit Appreciation Stations that will be set up where they can write notes of support and appreciation that will go into the soldiers care packages.

· 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.:  Fifth Third Bank will host an “Appreciation Rally,” where local veterans groups will be celebrated and spotlighted.  Special guest Rear Admiral David F. Steindl (Great Lakes Naval Base) will join civic and business leaders speaking at the event.  Highlights of the rally include:

· The bank will present a check for $100,000 from its month-long fundraising campaign to the Folds of Honor Foundation that will fund scholarships of Chicago-area families of wounded or lost soldiers.  www.foldsofhonor.org

· The bank will announce that in partnership with local non-profit, War Dogs Making It Home, it will sponsor a dog named Friday, recently rescued from a local animal shelter, to become trained as a certified service dog for local veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  http://wardogsmakingithome.org/

· Sending off the 1,000 care packages for their journey to Afghanistan.  United States Postal Service (USPS) employees, who are veterans themselves, will be on hand to help.  Volunteers and event guests will form a human chain that will move all the care packages onto waiting USPS trucks.

# # #

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. small businesses and an even smaller 5.2 percent of U.S. franchised establishments.

So why the discrepancy? It's not because Hispanics aren't interested in franchising. In an article in The Street, Laurie Kulikowski cites Jose Torres, founder of Franchise4Hispanics.com (a web-based marketplace for Hispanic franchising): "The interest from the franchisee side has moved up significantly. (There is) much more interest, much more requests for information, much more calls from those who want to find about more about their franchise opportunities."

Additionally, many brand name franchisors have proactively attempted to recruit Hispanic franchisors, minimizing the effect a lack of awareness could have within the Hispanic business community. READ MORE

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 behind the counter and playing out my worst nightmares. Didn’t they see how personal this election was going to be? All the issues—health care, education, choice—that were up for grabs? Didn’t they understand what was at stake for women just like them? And as voters of color, didn’t they know that so many efforts had been made to block their vote?

Overhearing this conversation made me start to really wonder what kind of message Latino voters might send on November 6. READ MORE

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 comparison, the overall average American homeowner affected by nearby foreclosures will lose only 7 percent of their home value, or $21,077.

The most recently-available census data shows that African-Americans and Latinos comprise less than 30 percent of the nation’s population. Yet together, neighborhoods of color shoulder more than half of the $1.95 trillion in the drain on neighboring property values as a result of foreclosures.

“CRL’s report is troubling evidence of how much the economic cost of foreclosures are spilling over into communities all over America,” said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “Communities of color—which have been targeted for years by predatory lenders, and abused for years by mortgage servicers—have been practically drowning. Until policymakers get serious about reducing foreclosures and restoring meaningful home ownership in all communities, a full economic recovery will likely remain out of reach.” READ MORE

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:

• Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Nov. 2 -- This brings pre-Hispanic traditions into the present, especially amongst Mexican-Americans. It’s a celebration of life, a time to honor those who have passed. There’s nothing morbid about it. Food, drink, celebration (and sugar skulls) galore. If you’re in the baked goods business, think pan de muerto.

• Las Posadas, mid-December through Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) -- Celebrations with families gathering at homes and enjoying traditions. Originally, this involved a processional carrying a doll representing the Christ child with images of Joseph and Mary riding a burro, parading through the streets. These processionals would stop at a pre-selected home and seek lodging for the night. The translation of “las posadas” is “the lodgings.” READ MORE

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 knowledgeable about the system and have grown up with more tools and resources.”

A daylong summit on Nov. 10 will teach immigrant entrepreneurs like Garcia how to overcome obstacles in business. Garcia’s family will receive the Outstanding Immigrant Business Award at the fifth annual Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit for their successes. READ MORE