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The United States has been — and continues to be — one of the most popular destinations for immigrants from around the world. Immigrants from Latin American countries and other Spanish-speaking people in particular have become one of the nation’s fastest growing demographics. The United States may be a good place to live compared to many other countries, but every new wave of immigrants — along with second and third generation Hispanic Americans — continues to face various levels of discrimination.

In many of the worst states for Hispanic Americans, there are opportunities to get a steady job, earn decent wages, and buy a home in a thriving community. These opportunities, however, are not uniformly accessible across racial and ethnic lines. READ MORE AT 24/7 WALL ST.

“I was always quiet and often felt shy at events, meetings and even parties,” said Rosa Baez-Lopez, long-time member of the Society for Human Resource Management and vice president of HR at Clearbrook, a Chicago-area social services agency.

“I started as the receptionist for another agency and was working with Carl LaMell, the new bookkeeper, who always encouraged me. At community events and fundraisers, I’d watch him approach, greet and talk to all people regardless of their titles. He was a mentor, a teacher and, most importantly, an amazing role model. I adapted his style and ways of working a room by being friendly, respectful and open. Because he always had a smile on his face and laughed as he talked to people, he always looked like he was having fun! READ MORE AT SHRM

It’s not enough to know what your members and prospective members want. Today, it’s just as important to know how they want it. For credit unions in pursuit of a relationship with the highly influential and growing Hispanic consumer segment, that how is most likely digital.

When designing a digital strategy targeting Hispanic Millennials, it’s important to consider both language and culture. While most are likely to speak Spanish in the home, Hispanic Millennials are proficient in English and comfortable switching back and forth between the two languages – sometimes within the same conversation. In terms of culture, Hispanic Millennials – 40 percent of whom were born outside the U.S. – feel strong connections to both their Hispanic and American cultures.  READ MORE AT CU INSIGHT

Technology companies employ strikingly few black and Hispanic workers. They blame the recruitment pipeline, saying there aren’t enough of them graduating with relevant degrees and applying for tech jobs.

Yet the data show that there are many more black and Hispanic students majoring in computer science and engineering than work in tech jobs. So why aren’t they being hired?

Those who enter the candidate pipeline fall out somewhere along the way — and the culture and recruiting methods of tech companies seem to have a lot to do with it. READ MORE AT THE NEW YORK TIMES

A lot of people do not go to networking events. Some of them stay away because they’re shy, or because they can’t stand the noise of a loud room. Other people avoid networking events because they’ve had bad experiences. Unfortunately, there are bad networkers in every city and they tend to show up at networking events and annoy the rest of the crowd!

Here are ten things never to do at a networking event.

Blast your audio business card at a new acquaintance

A networking event is a place to practice your conversational skills. When someone asks you “What do you do?” it is a conversation-starter. They aren’t expecting you to blast the audio version of your business card in their face, like this: READ MORE AT FORBES

Ethnicity in the US is notoriously difficult for demographers to classify, and it’s getting tougher as the country becomes more diverse.

New research shows that Latinos, if categorized as such based on their birthplace and their parents’ and grandparents’ countries of origin rather than the ethnicity they self-identify with, are actually more educated than current US Census data suggest. And that means they may have a better quality of life than people realize.

“To some extent we’re understating the progress of later-generation Hispanics,” said Stephen Trejo, an economics professor at the University of Texas at Austin... READ MORE AT QUARTZ

In 15 years, California expects to be about 1.1 million college graduates short of the number needed to fill jobs that require at least a bachelor’s degree.

Already, the nation’s most populous state is a minority-majority state — one in which racial and ethnic minorities comprise more than half the population. And blacks, Hispanics and American Indians not only are less likely to go to college, but their graduation rates are also lower than that of whites.

California is a bellwether for a nation that is becoming more diverse, whose economy is demanding a better educated workforce, and whose state colleges and universities are increasingly pressured to deliver it — which means making sure minorities, especially African-Americans, finish school and get degrees. READ MORE AT NORTH DALLAS GAZETTE

"Never talk to the person again" isn't on this list.​

Give yourself homework.

Paper beats your mind palace. "The more notes you take," says Vicki Salemi, career expert for Monster, "the easier it will be both for you to recall the conversation and for your new connection to remember you when you follow up." That means as soon as he or she scoots away (hopefully not in relief), you whip out Evernote and jot down highlights from the conversation, such as how you bonded over Stravinsky and shoe horns. Hey, it could happen. READ MORE AT MARIE CLAIRE

The recent post, 20 Things Every First-Generation Latino College Student Should Know, really inspired me to reflect on my own experience as a first-generation Latina college graduate. I noticed, however, that the list spoke to current college students and decided to share my personal response with advice to soon-to-be first-generation Latino college graduates about the journey ahead. This is the advice that I wish I had read as a college senior and 22-year-old, and advice that I now share with you. READ MORE AT THE HUFFINGTON POST

The Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) headquartered here has expanded its entrepreneurship programs and services to startup and emerging women business owners in DuPage, Kane, Will and Kendall counties. Its office in the Aurora Chamber of Commerce building at 43 W. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora houses the second Women’s Business Center in the State of Illinois. The first WBC in Illinois is located at WBDC headquarters, 8 S. Michigan Av., in Chicago.

The WBDC is supported by funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration and will officially launch with a reception on Wednesday, March 9, 5:30 – 8 p.m. at Two Brothers Roadhouse, 205 N. Broadway, Aurora. Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner and State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia will speak at the event.

The WBC office offers programs and services in Spanish and English with a focus on the following:

• Access to Information. Comprehensive counseling and training on a range of topics (in person as well as online/on demand, in both English and Spanish).
• Access to Contacts. The WBDC’s annual Early Childhood Education Entrepreneurship Expo, an annual Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference, and many other networking events.

• Access to Contracts. Procurement technical assistance and supplier diversity panels.

• Access to Capital. Financial counseling, assistance with debt and equity placement, referrals to alternative sources of funding, and direct lending.

The WBDC has already been doing business in Aurora as one of eight members of the inaugural class of ScaleUp America contractors selected to assist the Small Business Administration in the delivery of targeted, cohort-based assistance to high-potential small businesses primed for growth beyond the early (nascent or emerging) stages. With its new Women’s Business Center program in Aurora, the WBDC can now serve a broader range of entrepreneurs and small businesses, adding early stage businesses to the client mix.

“The foundational purpose of the WBC Aurora is to advance the economic independence of women, with special attention given to the socially and economically disadvantaged,” said Emilia DiMenco, WBDC president and CEO. “Through their complementary relationship, the WBC Chicago and WBC Aurora will be able to provide services, including business counseling, entrepreneurial training, financing assistance, loan packaging, and Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) certification and procurement technical assistance for contracts.”

Robert Steiner, Illinois District Director of the Small Business Administration, said, “Businesses play a vital role in fueling the economy so assisting their growth and expansion is a significant way to buttress our economic foundation. Supporting and strengthening small businesses through this program being implemented by the WBDC is also a powerful way to help the socially and economically disadvantaged, particularly women and minorities, who have been and remain a vulnerable population.”

The WBDC is a 30-year-old non-profit that is nationally recognized in the field of economic development, providing programs and services to support and accelerate small business ownership, create jobs, fuel economic growth, and build strong communities. The WBDC hosts a Small Business Development Center, a Women’s Business Center Chicago, a Women’s Business Center Aurora, a Procurement Technical Assistance Center, a Veterans Business Outreach Center, a ScaleUp program in Aurora, and a Direct Lending Program.

To learn more about the WBDC, call 312.853.3477 or visit www.WBDC.org. More information about the Women’s Business Center Aurora is available on the website or by calling 630.896.3735.

FOR:                Women’s Business Development Center

CONTACT:      Chris Ruys, Chris Ruys Communications

                         (312) 337-7746 or chris@chrisruys.com

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A personal recommendation carries a lot of weight. Which product are you more likely to buy – the one with the fancy packaging or the one your best friend said was awesome? Most people would go for the latter.

Those making decisions about who to hire use the same logic. When it comes to selecting future employees, references are nearly as important as a person’s resume. Nearly half of hiring managers surveyed by the Addison Group, a staffing and search firm, said references were a major factor in making hiring decisions, compared to 56% who said the resume was crucial.

Good references clearly matter for job seekers, which is why it can be more than a little nerve-wracking when you get a call or email from a former co-worker asking you to vouch for them. You know your words could be the thing standing between them and a great job offer, and the pressure is on to not screw this up. READ MORE AT CHEATSHEET

Despite the narrative, very popular in this election cycle, that Americans are having trouble getting ahead, Hispanics and Asians in the United States still believe in the basic premise of the American Dream—that anyone who works hard still has a fair chance.

This optimism is felt by over half of Hispanic and Asian respondents in an Atlantic Media/Pearson Opportunity Poll released on Tuesday. Most white and black respondents, however, said it is difficult for the average person to get ahead in an economy that mostly rewards the rich. Across all of the demographic groups polled, just 44 percent of respondents said that hard work can lead to a fair shot at success.ce to succeed and live a comfortable life.

So, where is this confidence from Hispanics and Asians coming from? READ MORE AT THE ATLANTIC

People living in poverty generally struggle to eat healthy, but low-income Hispanic families with limited knowledge of cooking and eating traditional American foods face a double whammy, according to Leticia Perez of the Salvation Army of Lebanon’s Hispanic outreach program.

“Besides salad, we don’t know how to cook almost any other vegetables,” Perez said, referring to the diet of rice, beans, chicken and pork that forms the basis for most Hispanic dishes.

Latino adults and children are both more likely than white adults and children to be overweight... READ MORE AT LEBANON DAILY NEWS

A large majority of new roles come not from recruiters, not from online applications, but from candidates' networks.Our contacts sometimes help us get through difficult situations or lead us to new opportunities.

To the uninitiated, networking may seem little more than having a lunch date with friends and mentioning the notion that you'd be interested in a new job. However, there is more to it than that. Networking is a finely tuned process. When networking, here are A's to remember:

1. Ask for a reference, not a job. READ MORE AT JOBS & HIRE

The social, economic and political achievements of women will be in the spotlight for International Women’s Day on 8 March.

This year’s theme is pledge for parity, inspired by the World Economic Forum’s predictions that, at the current pace, the world will not close the global gender gap for another 117 years.

Global events are planned to celebrate women’s achievements while calling for faster progress on equality. In Nigeria, people are taking to the streets of Lagos to walk against gender-based violence, while in India female sherpas will lead tours of their favourite parts of Mumbai. London is hosting the Women of the World festival. READ MORE AT THE GUARDIAN

The U.S. labor market has healed substantially since the unemployment rate spiked to double digits following the financial crisis. Still, for many different demographic segments, progress in finding jobs has been slow in coming.

A look under the hood of February's better-than-expected job gains, however, shows this to be changing: The labor market's strength is broadening to include a group that has historically lagged the national average.

The unemployment rate among Hispanics or Latinos has declined by almost a full percentage point so far in 2016, to 5.4 percent, its lowest level since March 2007. This is the best two-month drop since the start of 2011, with February's decline of 0.5 percentage points marking the most rapid one-month improvement since April 2014. READ MORE AT BLOOMBERG BUSINESS

Read biographies of feature guests for the 2016 International Women's Day Networking Celebration taking place Tuesday, March 08 at Parliament Chicago. 

Deisy Garcia, Global Mobility Manager, Walgreens

Deisy is a Global Mobility Manager for Walgreens Boots Alliance. As a Global Mobility Manager, Deisy partners with transferees, vendors and the Business to ensure a smooth transition and assignment for the employees. Deisy brings over 15 years of Human Resources experience. Her professional background includes filling roles in Global Mobility, Domestic Relocation, Benefits, Leave of Absence Management, and general HR.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication from DePaul University and an MBA from University of Phoenix in Schaumburg. Deisy is a Certified Global Mobility Specialist (GMS). Giving back to the community is important to Deisy. She currently serves on the Mujeres de HACE Alumnae Board as the Treasurer with the goal to continuously contribute to women’s development. Deisy has also lead several fundraising and volunteer recruitment events for Junior Achievement and has taught financial literacy classes to school aged children.
We can’t forget to mention Deisy’s passion for dogs, travel and culture.

Rosemary Magaña, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor at Northwestern University
Rosemary received her master’s degree in clinical psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She currently works as a psychotherapist at Northwestern University’s Counseling and Psychological Services providing clinical services to students in additions to, serving as liaison to Multicultural Student Affairs staff and providing outreach to Latino/a students. Rosemary is passionate about addressing the stigma surrounding mental health issues, as well as, advocating for the rights and needs of those who are survivors of sexual assault and/or domestic violence. Rosemary currently serves as one of the co-chairs for the Young Professional Advisory Council, whose members serve as ambassadors for Mujeres Latinas en Accion, supporting MLEA’s work in empowering Latina woman.

Roxanne Nava, Chief Small Business Officer, City of Chicago Small Business Center

As Chief Small Business Officer, Roxanne advocates for small business owners and entrepreneurs and ensure policies and procedures are implemented in a way that works for small business. Under her leadership the City has developed Small Business Opportunity Centers to help businesses access capital, Neighborhood Business Development Centers to provide local business counseling, and other programs to support neighborhood vitality.

Celena Roldán Moreno, CEO, American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois
Celena Roldán is the incoming CEO of the American Red Cross for Chicago and Northern Illinois. This chapter of the Red Cross responds to 1,200 disasters every year and teaches more than a quarter million people in Chicagoland each year health, safety and disaster preparedness skills. Prior to joining Red Cross, Roldán was associated with Erie Neighborhood House which was founded in 1870 to strengthen low-income, primarily Latino families through skill-building, access to critical resources, advocacy and collaborative action. She began her tenure at Erie in 2001 as the Social Worker and Disabilities Coordinator and then became Director of Child Care in 2006 before taking on the role of Executive Director in 2010.

Roldán holds a Master's degree in Early Childhood Administration from National Louis University, as well as Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Alfonso Gutiérrez, News Anchor, Telemundo Chicago/WSNS
Alfonso Gutiérrez works as a news anchor for Noticiero Telemundo Chicago, which airs Monday through Friday at 4:30 PM, 5:00 PM, and 10:00 PM on Telemundo Chicago/WSNS, the local station which serves the Spanish speaking community of Chicago.

As part of Noticiero Telemundo Chicago, Gutiérrez reports the latest and most important news for Chicago area viewers. Gutiérrez first joined Telemundo Chicago in 2003, when he worked in the creative services department as an intern.

Before joining Telemundo Chicago as a full time anchor, Gutiérrez worked as a reporter and morning segment presenter at Telemundo 25 Denver, KDEN in 2006. Gutiérrez also worked as producer and host of a radio show at 89.3 FM-WHFR in Detroit, Michigan, which proved to be a challenge as it was the only Spanish-language radio show in a predominantly Anglo-Saxon community. These early beginnings were combined with Telecommunications studies at Henry Ford College in Michigan.

Gutiérrez has received two Emmy Awards for his journalistic work in a series of special investigations for Telemundo Chicago. He has been nominated an additional 6 times to the Emmy for his work as reporter and producer. Gutiérrez received his Bachelor’s degree in Video and Film Production from Columbia College Chicago.
Originally from Jalisco, Mexico, Gutiérrez advocates for the success of young students, inspiring them to become future leaders. For several years, Gutiérrez has supported Fundación Necahual, whose mission is to empower children and young adults who have been in vulnerable situations and need cultural and education resources.
To learn more about Alfonso Gutiérrez, please visit his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/alfonso.telemundo and follow him on Twitter @alfonsoreporta.

 Time is running out to register. The 2016 International Women's Day Networking Celebration is this Tuesday. Don't miss out! 

The end of midterms marks the beginning of spring break, which means summer is a little more than eight weeks away. Many students have secured their summer internships or jobs, and those who are graduating will soon begin the first steps of their full time careers.

Not sure if you’re heading in the right direction? According to Tory Nair, Director of Career Services, if you’re seeking a summer or fall internship, you should be sending out resumes and trying to secure a position before summer break. If you’re graduating, you also should be starting your job search because it can take between six to eight months to secure full-time employment. READ MORE AT AU TODAY

There may be no single demographic more important for media buyers and planners to understand than Hispanic Millennials.

There’s never been a group quite like them, and they will wield outsized influence on advertising over the next few years because of that uniqueness and the vast size of this group.

There are almost 23 million Hispanic Millennials, representing 27 percent of Americans 18-34, according to the latest Census data. A majority of them between the ages 18-29 were born in the United States, but they’re very conscious of maintaining connections to their heritage.

Nearly half still identify themselves as coming from their parents’ home country.

They’re extremely tech-focused, adopting new gadgets faster than nearly any other group. They are more likely than the average Millennial to still live at home, and they’re more integrated in their families and communities than their non-Hispanic cohorts.

That may sound like a lot of contradictions. Yet Hispanic Millennials are not contradictory but rather multi-layered, and understanding that can help to reach them through advertising.

Here’s a portrait of the Hispanic Millennials and their media habits, based on research and statistics. READ MORE AT MEDIALIFE

According to data from the Economic Policy Institute, only 26% of Hispanic families had savings in a retirement plan like a 401(k) or IRA, in 2013. Meanwhile, 65% of white families and 41% of black families and 58% of Asian families and those of other races had savings in such accounts.

Part of the reason for this gap is that many Hispanics, particularly those that work in low wage jobs, don't have access to retirement plans, said Monique Morrissey, an economist at the EPI who analyzed data from the Federal Reserve for the report.

Immigrant Hispanic workers, for example, are often more likely to be undocumented and therefore working off the books or work in low wage jobs that don't offer access to retirement accounts, Morrissey said. Native-born Hispanics, however, are more likely to have access to and participate in retirement accounts at rates closer to those of African-Americans, Morrissey said. READ MORE AT CNN MONEY