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Some would have you believe the telenovela is dying, watched devotedly by Hispanic immigrants as a last tie to their homelands but shunned by younger Hispanics in their rush to rush to assimilate into American culture.

Actually, it’s quite the reverse. In reality, it’s the telenovela that’s assimilating into American culture, along with all those young Latinos.

The TV genre is going mainstream, along with so much of the U.S. Hispanic population. In the same way Latinos are influencing American culture, so too this genre is cross-pollinating, influencing so much of what’s on English-language TV. It’s been going on for some time.

It’s not hard to understand the appeal of telenovelas to U.S. Latinos. READ MORE AT MEDIALIFE

The new year often brings with it aspirations of professional improvement: Find that dream job, grow or start a business, make new connections. Networking is key to achieving these goals, but approaching strangers and striking up a conversation can be daunting.

Today, many bypass face-to-face encounters and turn only to social media – which can be a big mistake, says Michael Goldberg, who has taught public speaking and networking skills at Rutgers School of Communication and Information for the past decade. An amateur boxer, Goldberg uses metaphors from the ring to convey points. "Networking, like boxing, is all about the connection – the physical connection," he says.

Rutgers Today spoke with Goldberg, who also guides professionals through his consulting firm, Knockout Networking, on ways to overcome anxiety and connect with people more effectively. READ MORE AT PHYS.ORG

A new national study exploring the health patterns of young Hispanic adults reveals striking differences on a variety of related topics, beginning with the definition of "health" itself. Those born in the U.S. describe it as being happy while the foreign-born say it is about not being sick, according to results of The Hispanic Millennial Study unveiled this week in Houston.

"I was surprised by that," said Beatriz Mallory, vice president of SensisHealth, a Los Angeles-based national advertising agency that works with health care providers, drug companies and insurers. "We've been making the wrong assumptions all these years, which can hamper any attempt to change behavior."

"There just wasn't enough data so we had to do it ourselves," added Karla Fernandez Parker, managing director of Sensis in Texas, who along with Mallory, participated in a discussion with local health care professionals during a session hosted Tuesday by the United Way of Greater Houston. READ MORE AT HOUSTON CHRONICLE

One in five women living in the U.S. is Latina, and by 2060, this is expected to increase to a third of the U.S. female population. In public schools across the country, Latinas account for about 25 percent of female students. But, in states like California, Texas, and New Mexico, these numbers are even larger, with Latinas accounting for more than 50 percent of school-age girls.

For higher education, these figures hold significant meaning, as colleges and universities enroll more young Latinas. A report released by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics shows that Latinas have made significant progress in earning college degrees, with college completion rates increasing by eight percent for two-year degrees and six percent for four-year degrees between 2003 and 2013. READ MORE AT GOODCALL

Increasingly, Latina women are a driving force in the U.S. economy, a statement that reflects, yes, their impressive buying power and their contribution to the growth -- and influence -- of all American women. But there's also something more about Latinas.

In fact, countless studies and articles have cited their entrepreneurialism, tech savvy, community mindedness and increasing education. And in combination, these factors position Latinas as the ones to watch in real estate, as well.

In fact, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate recently conducted a national survey, along with the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), to find out more about how Latinas’ business and community savvy extends to the housing space. READ MORE AT ENTREPRENEUR

According to a new AARP survey, four out of 10 experienced workers will be looking for a job this year, and of those, a quarter are considering a complete career change.

If you’re one of those eager to change careers in 2016, what can you do to improve your odds of success?

The trick is to convince an employer that your “old” skills and experiences can be just as — or even more — valuable in a new industry or role. Or, as my colleague Kathryn Sollmann, founder of the career advisory firm 9 Lives for Women (and an expert on women’s career change issues), puts it: “You can change industries when you connect the dots.” READ MORE AT NEXT AVENUE

Law school enrollment has decreased each year since 2010, according to numbers from the American Bar Association (ABA). That was the all-time high with more than 147,000 students at the 204 ABA-approved schools. But, there’s an interesting trend taking place amid this overall student reduction: more minority students are being admitted and attending law school.

Hispanics are applying to law school less frequently than in 2010, along with all other groups. The change is that more Hispanics and other minorites are being accepted. In the 2012-13 school year, nearly 36,000 non-white students were attending law school. That was the highest level on record, following steady increases each year since tracking began in 1987. Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education followed up on the numbers with interviews at schools with significant Hispanic enrollment.

At Florida International University, employment after graduation looks good for Hispanic students. Dean Alexander Acosta reports, “We have 55 percent Hispanics [up from 43.8 percent in 2010] and 65 percent minority overall.” Job placement is at 80% at the nine-month mark, and there’s a lot of opportunity for bilingual lawyers in the Miami community. Rutgers University is also seeing an increase in their Hispanic population, now at 35%. Mentorships, orientation, and other strategies are being implemented to help ensure success. READ MORE AT GOODCALL

Unemployment continues to follow its downward trajectory, according to October data from the Bureau of Labor statistics that show 5 percent of the population was without a job. The insurance industry played a significant role in the job market recovery, hiring hundreds of thousands of professionals over the past five years. Looking solely at insurance agents, more than 95,000 were hired between September 2010 and July 2015 (representing a 15 percent increase).

New agents who joined the insurance industry since 2010 should be confident they made the right career choice, as they have seen the industry continue to grow. And, while many insurance professionals may find themselves in stable sales positions, many may be asking whether they selected the right employer, or if they would have better career options at other insurance companies. READ MORE AT INSURANCE NEWS NET

This is the first in a five-part series highlighting Wisconsin residents of Latino heritage who have accomplished great things in business, education, government, media and the nonprofit sector.

Griselda Aldrete is the President & CEO of Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee (HPGM). Previously, she served as the Executive Director at the Cream City Foundation, where she still serves on the board of directors. She’s been a corporate events director, a criminal justice instructor, and an investigative reporter. Griselda serves on the board of directors for 88Nine Radio Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Ballet and the Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation, and on the advisory boards for Visit Milwaukee Multicultural Committee, Notre Dame Middle School, United Way Emerging Leaders and United Way Latina Taskforce. READ MORE AT CHANNEL 3000 MADISON

Previous surveys have identified Latin America as the hub of the happiest people in the world, as shown in the results of the Gallup polls conducted in the last couple of years.

Some may also notice that Latinos are more upbeat than their Caucasian counterparts, as observed by The Huffington Post's Daniel Cubias. This is despite the fact that Latinos generally live in countries beset by economic challenges. Latin American residents also aren't some of the financially richest in the world. So, what's making them happy?

Panama's cultural attache, Laura Montenegro, attributes part of the Latino joie de vivre to strong family bonds, great landscapes, a resilient economy, and traditional values. READ MORE

Hispanic Americans with dreams of a college degree face different challenges than their White, and even Black, peers. For those who hold English as a second language, there are some inherent communication obstacles. For those who are first-generation Americans (or first-generation college students or both), extra guidance is needed to keep them from feeling overwhelmed by the college journey. Every college student faces obstacles, but the challenges in front of Hispanic ones are unique and growing in importance.

Some colleges and universities have recognized these specific struggles of Hispanic students and found ways to address them. READ MORE AT DIVERSE EDUCATION

Do you remember, about 365 days ago, when you raised a champagne flute and pledged to find a new job in the coming year? Well, here you are, still hunched over the same desk, still itching for a change.

So 2016 it is. For real this time.

Now the hard part. What might you want to do next?

Here are 10 tips for jump-starting your job hunt before inertia relegates it to the trash heap of dead New Year’s resolutions.

Find your objective strengths. READ MORE AT THE SEATTLE TIMES

Mentoring continues to be a critical catalyst for the career advancement of Latinas. It offers the support, roadmaps and role modeling they need to successfully navigate their career journey.

When we think about mentoring, we often think of a long-term and special mentor-mentee relationship, strengthened through a series of face-to-face meetings. The mentor is often older and a higher ranking individual (the expert) and the mentee plays a less valuable role (the receiver) in the mentoring relationship.

However, over the past 10 years, technology and social networks are unveiling new tools and vehicles from which mentoring can take place. READ MORE AT HUFFINGTON POST

Will Roberto be able to carry the heavy boxes his job requires if he donates a kidney to his brother, Jorge? How will his family pay their bills if Roberto has to take several weeks off from work to recover from the surgery?
Will Mama consider a kidney donation from her daughter, Carla, or turn her down, worried the procedure will keep Carla from having another baby?

These two telenovela plots have gripped some viewers in the past few months. But don’t expect to see the Spanish-language dramas on a network or streaming service. They’re customized for Infórmate, a new bilingual website dedicated to using culturally familiar methods to educate Latinos about options for living kidney donation. READ MORE AT PBS

The national unemployment rate remained 5 percent for a third straight month, while the Hispanic unemployment rate lowered slightly to 6.3 percent in December, as more Americans started looking for work, and most found jobs.

According to the Department of Labor, American employers added a strong 292,000 jobs in December, suggesting that the U.S. economy is so far defying global trends and growing at a solid pace.

The government also said employers added a combined 50,000 more jobs in October and November than it had previously estimated. Hiring averaged 284,000 a month in the fourth quarter, the best three-month pace in a year.

Among the major worker groups, Hispanic unemployment is second highest following black Americans (8.3 percent) and whites (4.5 percent). The labor participation rate – the percentage of the population that is working – has remained unchanged nationally... READ MORE AT FOX NEWS LATINO

As we ease into a new year, we marketers are enthusiastically looking forward to seeing our 2016 marketing plans in action. Marketers who included online Hispanics in their plans should be rewarded by a large, growing audience which engages and transacts predominantly on smartphones. Those marketers who are not engaging digital Hispanics may want to look for ways to add them to this year's plan now.

A recent study by David Burgos of TNS research provides ample evidence for why smart marketers are engaging online Hispanics this year. READ MORE AT MEDIAPOST

The holiday-networking slump can cause warm leads to languish. Here’s how to revive them in 2016.

Business developers and sales teams often write off December as a dead month. With so many leads out for the holidays, out-of-office auto-replies “ding” more frequently than ever. But there’s no reason to think those contacts are lost forever.

Here are 5 things I do to revive valuable relationships in the new year:

1. Capitalize on the resolution mindset
January marks the annual moment when resolutions are being made: and that includes 2016 business goals. READ MORE AT FORTUNE

If a new career is on your list of new year’s resolutions, then a key first step is knowing exactly what career that is: what industry, what role, what type of company. Employers hire people who are decisive about what they want. Even for entry-level roles, an employer expects candidates to demonstrate a genuine interest in the field. But what if you’re interested in many things?

What if you have a passion and you’re not sure how to turn it into a career? What if you’re so burned out by your former career that you aren’t excited about anything? Here are five ways to identify new possibilities. READ MORE AT TIME

As we begin 2016, we anticipate what the New Year has in store for our industry. I have never been afraid of making predictions, but I think 2016 will be unpredictable. So I’ll instead highlight important stories and trends to track.

Latin American Immigration

This topic has the most direct impact on Hispanic marketing – both in the short- and long-term. Since 2008, net immigration from Mexico has steadily decreased, to where the most recent figures show net negative immigration. In 2016, it’s important to watch net immigration from Central America, the Caribbean and South America, not just Mexico. So many factors influence immigration trends. It’s hard to know how and what effect U.S. and Latin American geo-political and economic factors will have. READ MORE AT MEDIAPOST

In presidential election years, it is natural to see our political leaders also as the brokers of our economic salvation. Some, such as columnist Harold Meyerson, long have embraced politics as a primary lever of upward mobility for minorities. He has positively contrasted the rise of Latino politicians in California, and particularly Los Angeles, with the relative dearth of top Latino office-holders in heavily Hispanic Texas. In Los Angeles, he notes, political activism represents the “biggest game in town” while, in Houston, he laments, politics takes second place to business interests and economic growth.

In examining the economic and social mobility of ethnic groups across the country, however, the politics-first strategy has shown limited effectiveness. Latinos, for example, have dramatically increased their elected representatives nationally since the 1990s, particularly in California. But both Latinos and African Americans continue to move to, and appear to do better in, the more free-market, politically conservative states, largely in the South. READ MORE AT THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER