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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

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

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 publicly traded bakery concern that ranks as the world’s largest bread maker. (Seated close to Servitje is his uncle, Don Roberto, and his father, Lorenzo. Papa Servitje founded Bimbo with three others in 1954.) Daniel Servitje assumed control of Bimbo in 1997, setting the company on a course of rapid growth. This included a battle with Mexico‘s tortilla don; positioning white bread in Latin American markets; and careful management of Bimbo’s fleet of white delivery vans.

A period of substantial expansion—profits doubled and revenue more than tripled—that also included several flirtations with buying Hostess. 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

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 America’s workforce. The country will need their taxes to help pay the Social Security benefits of retirees and their skills to fill jobs of baby boomers leaving the labor force. Today, Ramos, who is 18 and of Mexican descent, is looking for temporary work to help pay for college. If he fails, he risks joining the more than 80 percent of Latinos ages 25 and older who don’t have a bachelor’s degree.

The lack of educational attainment among Hispanics is one of the biggest crises in the American labor force with far- reaching implications for the economy. Without more education, Hispanics won’t be able to fill higher-paying jobs, contributing to already widening U.S. income disparity. Without higher incomes, they won’t join the consumers that propel the earnings of U.S. companies ranging from Ford Motor Co. (F) to Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) The unemployment rate for Hispanics was 10 percent in October, compared with 7.9 percent nationally. 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

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 for Social Security payments, the poverty rate would rise to 54.1 percent for people 65 and older and 24.4 percent for all age groups.

—Without refundable tax credits such as the earned income tax credit, child poverty would rise from 18.1 percent to 24.4 percent.

—Without food stamps, the overall poverty rate would increase from 16.1 percent to 17.6 percent.

"These figures are timely given the looming expiration of two key measures that account for part of these programs' large antipoverty impact: federal emergency unemployment insurance and improvements in refundable tax credits" such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, said Arloc Sherman, a senior researcher at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal-leaning think-tank. "Letting these measures expire at year's end could push large numbers of families into poverty."

Overall, the ranks of America's poor edged up last year to a high of 49.7 million, based on the new census measure.

The numbers released Wednesday by the Census Bureau are part of a newly developed supplemental poverty measure. Devised a year ago, this measure provides a fuller picture of poverty that the government believes can be used to assess safety-net programs by factoring in living expenses and taxpayer-provided benefits that the official formula leaves out. READ MORE

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 impulse buying.
3. Hang out with frugal friends. Spend time around people who are trying to save money, and some of their attitudes and ideas are bound to rub off on you. Conversely, limit time spent with big spenders.
4. Autopilot your savings. Make saving automatic by setting up regular balance transfers to your savings account. When your money doesn’t appear in your account, you are less likely to spend it.
5. Organize your goals. People who set fewer but connected goals save nearly five times as much as those who have many disconnected goals.² For example, you might focus on three goals – saving for retirement, college fund for the kids and an emergency fund – and create a theme to integrate them like “improving my family finances.”

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

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, Colorado and Nevada. READ MORE