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Illinois Republican Party co-chair Gabriela Wyatt knows the importance of attracting Latino voters in November. She also knows it's an uphill climb for the GOP to make inroads with the nation's fastest-growing demographic.

Some polls show Latino voters favoring President Barack Obama 2-1 over Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Wyatt, a Mexican-born resident of Aurora, said Romney is saddled with years of Hispanic perceptions of Republicans.

"I think the problems are bigger than just Mitt Romney. In general, it is the Republican Party," said Wyatt, who has been vice president of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Illinois. "For years, Hispanics have been supporting Democrats at all levels. And Democrats have been reaching out more to Hispanics than Republicans. That's one of the facts."

To counter that, the GOP is using its big stage this week to push back against the perception that Hispanics are at odds with the party's platform. Prime-time presenters at the convention have worked Spanish phrases into their speeches. The governor of Puerto Rico popped into the Illinois delegation's morning meeting. And Republican Latino politicians have addressed convention delegates.

On Tuesday night at the made-for-TV event at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz of Texas told hundreds of delegates from around the country about his father, who emigrated from Cuba. Speaking in Spanish, Cruz said his dad came to the U.S. with nothing except heart.

Later, Luce Vela, the first lady of Puerto Rico, introduced herself to the crowd as "a very proud Latina and a die-hard Republican" while setting the stage for the speech by Ann Romney, Mitt Romney's wife. The next morning, Vela's husband, Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno, drew applause from Illinois Republicans at their daily breakfast when he described his efforts to balance the commonwealth's budget.

Nationwide delegates also heard testimony Tuesday night by a Hispanic business owner who decried Obama's fiscal policies. And Cher Valenzuela, a candidate for Delaware lieutenant governor, talked to the crowd about her husband, Eli, a second-generation Mexican-American. READ MORE

It's risky to eat pizza every day of your life, and riskier still to attempt to make a living on selling pizza every day to those who scarf it down. Especially in Chicago. Deep-dish, thin crust or whatever, it's not exactly like selling one kind of pizza is going to guarantee you anything in this market, and especially in this economy. So, it's pretty bold of the Dallas-based pizza company Pizza Patrón to make its entrance into our city in September.

It's hard to make a dent here in a town so saturated with tomato sauce, dough and cheese, but as the accent over the "o" in the name indicates, it's not your typical pizza parlor. Pizza Patrón distinguishes itself by focusing on the Hispanic market, which is why 2313 Cicero Ave. in west suburban Cicero is its first location here. And just because you might not have heard of Pizza Patrón doesn't mean it's new to the biz: The chain has roughly 100 restaurants in seven states, and is continuing to grow.

To find out more about Patrón, I gave Brand Director Andrew Gamm a jingle. READ MORE

Businesses are turning to social media and other mobile platforms to tap into the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region's $20.1 billion Hispanic buying market.

Executives with many of these business flocked to the 11th annual Maryland Hispanic Business Conference on Tuesday at the Montgomery County Conference Center in North Bethesda, where they learned about this and other topics essential for their growth.

"These events are crucial because the Latino community needs more of a push toward business development," said Axel Martinez, a Web developer for Image Concept Services in Rockville. Martinez said he was at the conference to learn what people are asking about social media and advertising.

Social media are especially vital in reaching Washington’s Hispanic market, 87 percent of which owns a cell phone, with 57.3 percent owning smartphones, said Francisco Vega, president and CEO of VegaPages in Vienna, Va. That’s more than the 44.7 percent of smartphone owners in the general market. READ MORE

When broadcast television and Internet data streams out of the Democratic National Convention this week, Louis Romero will be “feeling really good” about his company, Network Cabling Systems in Charlotte. That’s because the $8 million, 55-employee venture spent two months this year upgrading cable systems at one of the convention’s venues to accommodate coverage. “When we look at our president and the other political figures, we’ll know we had something to do with that,” says Romero, 50.

As a Hispanic entrepreneur, Romero has “just as much opportunity as any other business does,” and has faced obstacles with cash flow and administration, similar to many business owners. His goal this year is to “grow organically and smart” and draw up a succession plan for his 22-year-old venture.

Hispanic entrepreneurs opened twice as many businesses as the national average in the 2000s, according to U.S. Census data. But a new study shows that Hispanic employers are outperformed by white employers, generating lower revenue and employing fewer workers over time. Nearly half employ one to four workers; even after 16 years in business, 66 percent report fewer than 10 employees, according to the University of Texas at Austin’s Bureau of Business Research study (PDF). READ MORE

Heart disease is the number one killer of American women. Heart disease is a group of diseases of the heart and the blood vessel system in the heart. Coronary artery disease, the most common type, affects the blood vessels of the heart. It can cause angina (an-JEYE-nuh) or a heart attack.

Angina is a pain in the chest that happens when the heart does not get enough blood. It may feel like a pressing or squeezing pain, often in the chest, but sometimes in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. Having angina means you're more likely to have a heart attack. A heart attack happens when a clot mostly or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle.

Signs of a heart attack:

- Chest discomfort — pressure, squeezing, or pain

- Shortness of breath

- Discomfort in the upper body — arms, shoulder, neck, back

- Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lightheadedness, sweating

Women can also have less common symptoms, including: READ MORE

U.S. Senate hopeful Ted Cruz, basking in the national spotlight since defeating Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, appealed directly to Hispanics and portrayed his smashing primary victory as part of a “great awakening” of American voters during a prime-time speech at the Republican National Convention Tuesday night.

Cruz, who has said he's not a fluent Spanish speaker, ably dropped a little of his Cuban father’s native language into his remarks and made the case that President Obama was playing racial politics. He seemed confident on stage as he spoke, pacing back and forth as enthusiastic members of the Texas delegation cheered and waved their white cowboy hats at all the right times.

“Unfortunately, President Obama’s campaign is trying to divide America — separating us all into groups,” Cruz said, “telling seniors that Medicare will be taken away; Hispanics, that we’re not welcome here; and sending the vice president to preach a message of division. It’s tragic, how far we’ve come from hope and change.” READ MORE

When Dora Herrera, 55, was about 12 or 13 years old, she was no longer allowed to play sports. “My parents told me it was inappropriate for a young lady to be out and about. Once puberty set in, I had to grow up and be a lady.” Though she enjoyed playing roller derby, boxing, and baseball with the neighborhood children, she had to stay inside her home. READ MORE

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 fresh bakery, then places them ever so carefully in his cart, as if arranging crown jewels.

Bienvenidos a Cardenas supermercado. It's not your average Food King.

GROWING TREND

Las Vegas has seen rapid growth and sweeping changes in grocery stores catering to Hispanic tastes. Once-strong chains have exited neighborhoods, new ones have moved in and others have quietly and slowly grown, all because of the ebbs and flows a recession produces. READ MORE

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, the number of Latino-owned businesses in the United States has skyrocketed in recent years. As recently as 2007, the number of Hispanic-owned businesses is 22.4 percent in Florida, 20.7 percent in Texas and 16.5 percent in California. READ MORE

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 paid actress on television).

The women of Latin America are showing their political power as well, with Dilma Rouseff, Brazil’s president, and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, the president of Argentina, making the list at No. 3 and 16, respectively. READ MORE

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 Committee takes place.

Steve Orlando, Chairman of the Illinois RNHA, is pleased with the progress of the Illinois charter; “In the month that we’ve been active, the RNHA is already taking steps to building new chapters and engaging more Hispanics in supporting the Republican platform. This is a very encouraging sign. Hispanics are ready to start getting involved more, and we’re here to show them that they have a home, and a voice, within the Republican Party.”

The ILRNHA shows no signs of slowing down in the coming months. “We’re in the process of creating more county chapters to add to the four that we already have active, and we’re providing our chapters with new ideas on how to grow their respective membership rosters. Soon, we’ll be running Saturday phone banks in Palos Park during September and October,” states Orlando, “We’re keeping very busy.”

Currently, the four active RNHA Chapters include Cook, Will, Kane, and DuPage counties, and are each working with candidates and elected officials in their counties and districts to reach out to the Hispanic community. These four counties are home to some of the largest Hispanic populations in Illinois.

Press Release - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Veronica Vera
PHONE: 312.287.9291
EMAIL: three13pr@aol.com

August 26, 2012

###

The mission of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly is to build a membership organization to foster the principles of the Republican Party in the Hispanic community; provide Hispanic Americans with a forum to play an influential role in local, state, and national Party activities; increase the number of Hispanic Republican elected officials; and create and maintain a network of Hispanic Republican leaders.
Paid for by the Republican National Hispanic Assembly. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

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.

Simultaneously, for the first time, one fourth of the pre-K through 12th grade population was Latino, the center said.

The Hispanic share of the public school population had been inching up as the enrollments of children in pre-K and kindergarten reached one quarter Hispanic over the past six years.

The elementary school population also became one quarter Hispanic last year, nudging the overall pre-K through 12th grade to about one quarter Hispanic last year, up from 23.3 in 2010.

Mark Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center, said in the next few years the high school population will also reach that mark.

Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States numbering about 52 million last year, according to the Census. Lopez said the rapid growth in the population has contributed to the increased numbers of Latinos in college, along with higher high school completion rates. READ MORE

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," Univision's Jorge Ramos told Efe.

In fact, the first reaction of Univision was to send a letter to the Commission On Presidential Debates asking them to reconsider their decision and proposed Ramos and his network colleague Maria Elena Salinas as moderators.

When the commission turned the idea down, Univision sent Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney an offer to organize a debate for the Hispanic public. READ MORE

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 as well as Demi Lovato, Tony Plana and Robert Hoffman.

The scenario, as described by a release promoting the PSA: “After word gets to ‘La Jefa’ (The Boss) that people are not registering to vote, Agents One (Valderrama) and Two (90210’s Hoffman) are sent on a mission to remedy the situation by any means necessary. When Agents One and Two can’t get the job done, the toughest enforcer Agent Three (Lovato) is called upon.”

“We tried to have a little bit more fun with our PSAs than the norm,” Valderrama told POLITICO, who described the ad as “Pulp Fiction meets Men in Black.” READ MORE

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 Superspeedway.

Latinos make up just 10 percent of Nascar viewers. Nascar recently released research showing that it needed to reach a younger and more diverse audience to help offset falling attendance and television ratings. It recently hired Ogilvy & Mather to help create a marketing plan to attract Latinos to the sport, and it has put a number of people on its communications and marketing teams to focus on young viewers and Hispanic outreach.

“It’s important for us across the board to have a diverse fan base,” said Steve Herbst, vice president for broadcasting and production at Nascar. “We want our fan base to look and feel like America. We want it to be similar to what makes up the entire population.” READ MORE

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 Barclays Capital, while Diageo is being advised by HSBC and Goldman Sachs, the report said. READ MORE

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 to be Hispanic, and we often vote Democratic and for some other people, they need to be presented the other side,” Campos told VOXXI.

Campos will be talking to community members in an effort to convince women that the socially-conservative message Romney delivers is a natural fit for Hispanics. Some of the messaging points she will include in her conversations will hit home on pro-life, pro-marriage, pro-family values, combined with an economic opportunity theme. READ MORE

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 news channel, so embryonic that there is no name yet, or a clear sensibility. But it does offer a twist for Univision and Ramos: It's in English. READ MORE

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 type 2 diabetes, such as your age, race, or family history. But you can prevent or delay developing type 2 diabetes by taking these steps:
This Article

Improved My Health
Changed My Life
Saved My Life

- Maintain a healthy weight. Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) to see if you're at a healthy weight.

- Eat low-fat, well-balanced meals.

- Make physical activity a habit. Health benefits are gained by doing the following each week:

2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity
or

-- 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity
or

-- A combination of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity READ MORE

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 proposal would provide voters with a clear choice on an issue that many care deeply about.

"I think the time has come for the DREAM Act to be part of our identity as a party," Heinrich said in a telephone interview.

Democratic candidate Shelley Berkley in Nevada said she supports the campaign, and a spokesman for Richard Carmona in Arizona said he does as well. READ MORE