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Joseph DeLaGarza has joined the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC) as a Senior Business Counselor primarily assigned to work with the Minority Business Development Agency / Chicago Minority Business Center that IHCC operates in partnership with the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council (CMSDC). In this role, he will assist Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) with the following:

- obtain certification as an MBE
- promote and connect them to Fortune 500 companies and other large corporations
- help them create and implement business growth strategies
- provide them with general business and financial consulting

Mr. DeLaGarza has had a passion for working with and assisting entrepreneurs to grow or start their companies since 2001. Joseph's extensive experience across various segments has equipped him with a unique ability to comprehend and assist with a variety of business challenges and derive solutions. His prior positions include: Vice President of Client Relations at Quantum Capital Investments; Director of the Small Business Development Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago; and Business Development Manager at the Eighteenth Street Development Corporation.

Joseph received his Bachelor of Science in Finance at DePaul University and completed his Master's in Business Administration (MBA) in International Business and Entrepreneurship at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

If you think your business can benefit from Joseph’s services or other IHCC programs, please call them at 312-425-9500 or visit their website at www.ihccbusiness.net

Nearly 150 years ago, St. Scholastica Academy opened its doors to educate German immigrants.

This September, the school will once again be a place of learning for immigrant children when the United Neighborhood Organization moves in and welcomes an anticipated 570 Latino immigrant students.

St. Scholastica announced Sunday that UNO signed on to lease most of the Rogers Park campus and open a new charter school Sept. 4. UNO is a Chicago-based organization focused on helping Latino children and families successfully assimilate to American culture. UNO currently runs 11 charter schools across the city, with about 5,500 total students enrolled. READ MORE

According to a recent AARP report, middle-aged and older Hispanics are having the hardest time coping with the Great Recession. About one in five of them have delayed retirement, and one in 10 have taken on a second job.

As the huge baby boom generation—78 million people in the United States born from 1946 through 196, about 10 percent of them Latino—reaches age 65, many aging Hispanics are continuing to work because they need the income. But others keep active willingly and like to inspire people in their communities.

One is Julia Lucila Portugal de Baker, or Lucy Baker as her students know her at the Center for Employment Training (CET) sewing shop in San José, Calif.

Most of Baker’s students—ages 10 to 60--are Mexican women. Baker, who came to California from Bolivia over 45 years ago, worked in the garment industry. Today, she is not only transmitting her sewing expertise to her students, but also her entrepreneurial spirit.

“I want each one of my students to start their business. Two of them have already started,” she said. “They can open an alteration business; that could be a highly profitable business.” READ MORE

The first thing you might notice when walking into Mi Pueblo Mexican Bakery is the aroma of freshly baked breads and burritos.

The next thing: laughter or friendly conversation coming from the store’s dining area, where friends gather for lunch or a quick snack after work.

On a recent Friday, two Spanish-speaking men sat at a table eating their lunch and laughing, while a woman ordered her meal in English and customers from various backgrounds shopped the market.

While Mi Pueblo sells a variety of Mexican foods, you’ll find this Twin Falls store has become a gathering place for many cultures. You’ll likely see longtime Magic Valley residents, Russians, Bhutanese and any number of other immigrant groups shopping or eating here for one of at least three reasons, said manager Aaron Nieto: because they like the food, come to share a meal with friends, or are trying to find ingredients similar to their own culture’s.

“We get a lot of Asians who come in,” he said. “We carry rare spices, so a lot of Bosnians and Russians will come in. They’re trying to bring back some of their culture. We get a lot of refugees, some from Ethiopia.”

Mi Pueblo, owned by Nieto and his family, has been doing business in their 11,000-square-foot store near Filer Avenue and Washington Street North since 2007. Before that, they owned a 700-square-foot store downtown Twin Falls, he said. The family also operates stores in Bellevue, Buhl and Jerome.

Though the economy has sometimes slowed business, Nieto said, Mi Pueblo still retains a following of returning and new customers.

Twin Falls resident Rick Dykes, who was at the store July 13 looking for a spice, is one of them.

“If anyone has it, it’ll be Mi Pueblo,” he said. READ MORE

As Mitt Romney heads off on his "Earning His Foreign Policy Chops" tour (Hit the Olympics opening. Check. Shake hands in Poland. Check. Look serious and concerned in Israel. Check.), the real election battle is in cyberspace. Especially the one aimed at young Latinos.

If you've been hit with loads of texts; your inbox has offers for T-shirts or dinner with Candidate X; and every time you open Facebook there, on the side is, a presidential-looking picture of a Candidate inviting you to "like" him; you must be Hispanic. And, most likely, a young one.

Candidate Barack Obama proved it back in 2008 -- if you want my vote, follow me on Twitter. His use of social media proved the power of social media and stunned the pols who still thought a glossy flyer in your mailbox and a robo-call from a Hollywood celeb was cutting edge. READ MORE

When many of us think of starting a business, we think of a long road ahead, a lot of sacrifice, and of course – the burning question – how to secure access to capital.

Every start up business requires seed money – some more than others. Interestingly enough, leveraging digital media to start an online business may be more affordable than one may think and I’m pleased to see that Latinas are jumping onboard this bandwagon early.

We already have several examples of Latina entrepreneurs that are really making a difference with their online businesses. Marie Forleo probably knows this better than anyone as a Latina businesswoman dedicated to helping other Latinas start online businesses through her digital platform Rich, Happy and Hot B-School. According to Forleo: “In a few short years, I’ve been able to build a multimillion dollar business that reaches women in 188 countries all around the world with nothing more than a laptop, a dream, and a desire to make a difference.” Through her online business, Forleo offers a “6 Pillar Map” program that seeks to help women worldwide build a digital media brand and successful online business. READ MORE

Policymakers and education leaders laud students who finish their college degrees within the four-year ideal. But Mario Escalera, a University of Texas at San Antonio student, will be glad to earn his bachelor's in about twice that — especially if it means he can avoid student loan debt.

The first-generation college student, who was raised on the Southeast Side by grandparents from Mexico, said his family instilled in him a strong fear of borrowing money.

“Because they had no credit, they never saw loans as an option,” said Escalera, 27. “It was always working hard for your money, saving it and buying what you wanted in cash.”

His trepidation, which has persisted even though he has worked at a bank during much of his post-secondary schooling, is similar to that of many Hispanic students, according to national research and observers at several Texas schools.

And if college costs continue to rise, fear of borrowing could form a barrier to higher education for the city's and state's burgeoning Hispanic population.

Experts and financial aid directors say students and their families struggling to pay for college through other means may need to walk the tightrope of student loans — finding a balance between borrowing amounts they can't repay and shunning loans entirely. READ MORE

Hernan Lopez doesn’t look like a guy who produces telenovelas, the soap operas that dominate the airwaves throughout Latin America. He looks like a guy who stars in them. With his wavy black hair, firm jawline and velvety Argentinean accent, it’s easy to picture him galloping home on a white horse to rescue his childhood sweetheart from losing the family hacienda to a corrupt patrón.

But Lopez has a different quest ahead of him. As CEO of Fox International Channels he’s the point person and prime mover behind News Corp.’s effort to capture an outsize slice of a $1 trillion pie: the surging U.S. Hispanic market. READ MORE

The race to the White House is now available in Spanish, and it’s no surprise.

With Latinos projected to be nearly a third of the U.S. population by 2050 and already making up a crucial voting bloc in battleground states from Florida to Nevada, the campaigns of Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama have gained a Spanish accent.

Romney’s son Craig, for example, has become his father’s personal translator, explaining in skillful Spanish in targeted TV ads that his dad is a man “con grandes convicciones,” or “with strong beliefs.” He will fight “para encaminar nuestro pais y crear empleos,” or “to guide our country and create jobs,” Craig Romney says.

The Obama campaign has recycled its 2008 campaign slogan, “Si, se puede,” or “Yes, we can,” for this year’s run. The catchphrase has special meaning as the motto of the late Cesar Chavez and the United Farmworker’s Union and has become a ubiquitous staple of the president’s attempts to identify with and retain the Latino support he received the last time he ran. READ MORE

Latina women make 62 cents for every dollar made by an average white male, according to the Department of Labor. This is one of the biggest factors limiting women from obtaining economic security for themselves and their families, according to a new Center for American Progress report. Adriana Kugler, chief economist to U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solís, says this is a loss not just for women, but for their families.

“Due to the wage gap, the average lifetime loss in salary for an American woman is $400,000, but for a Latina, the number goes up to $800,000,” says Dr. Kugler, a Colombian-American who is the first Latina Chief Economist at the Department of Labor. “Imagine what a Latina can do with that amount – buy a home, pay for children’s colleges – it’ s an impressive number.”

Four in ten working Latinas are now breadwinners in their families, double the rate since 1975. Economists such as Kugler worry that lower salaries due to the wage gap are a contributing factor in the high rates of poverty among Latino families. One quarter of Hispanic households are poor, and 33 percent of Latino children live in poverty. READ MORE

The war among U.S. media giants out to conquer their share of the rich $1 trillion Hispanic market is getting fierce.

"We think the established Spanish-language networks today are trapped in the same formula that ABC, CBS and NBC were 25 years ago," the CEO of Fox International Channels, Hernan Lopez, told Forbes magazine.

Forbes talked to Lopez on the occasion of this month's launch of the Spanish-language channel MondoFox, News Corp.'s new national Spanish-language broadcast television channel.

With MundoFox, Rupert Murdoch's media empire joins the battle to win Latino viewers already being fought by other media in this country like Disney and Comcast.

In the United States, according to the 2010 Census, there are 52 million Hispanics and by 2050 they are expected to number some 133 million, or one-third of the population. READ MORE

AHAA: The Voice of Hispanic Marketing has released its third study in its Revenue Growth series revealing a positive connection between corporate Hispanic marketing and revenue growth specific for the Technology, Telecommunications and Entertainment categories. In fact, the data showed that Hispanic allocation alone explains about 30 percent of change in topline revenue growth among manufacturers of consumer hardware, software, content, and connectivity providers.

While other factors, such as product innovation, user experience, brand equity, price and distribution, among others, are at play, the AHAA study found that for every one point increase in Hispanic marketing focus yielded a boost of about two-thirds of a point in average annual growth. In other words, if a company were to allocate 10 percent of ad resources to Hispanic media over five years, an average increase of 6.8 percent in organic revenue would be expected.

One unexpected finding was that for the tech sector, an average investment of six percent in Hispanic is yielding 30 percent of the corporate growth.

"This is a compelling figure because it means that Hispanics are primary drivers of growth among technology companies, and there is still a huge growth opportunity ahead as Hispanics continue to lead adoption and usage – think about the growth potential if technology companies were to increase that figure to 10 or even 15 percent," said Roberto Orci, chair of AHAA and CEO of Acento Advertising. "Brand loyalties are increasingly at stake as Hispanics dominate segment growth. In fact, many brands may be falling short of their optimal revenue generation while opening the door to their competitors who boast higher allocation figures and cohesive Hispanic-centric strategies." READ MORE

The Maryland Public Service Commission met on Tuesday (July 17) with Verizon and several other companies to discuss supplier diversity initiatives statewide. The following statement should be attributed to Karen I. Campbell, Verizon's Mid-Atlantic vice president of state government affairs:

"At Verizon, diversity is as much about good business practice as it is the right thing to do. And we're proud to be recognized as a company that sets the standard in American business when it comes to supplier diversity.

"Verizon serves some of the country's most diverse markets. So, diversity always has been a part of our culture and an integral part of our business strategy. Verizon depends on the unique talents and experiences of all our employees and suppliers to maintain our premier network and best meet our many customers' needs.

"Verizon has long operated a successful and robust supplier diversity program in Maryland and around the country. And we first formally stated our commitment in a voluntary memorandum of understanding with the Maryland Public Service Commission more than 17 years ago. No other Maryland telecommunications company had made that commitment.

"In addition, Verizon actively and voluntarily participated in the commission's working group to develop cooperatively the current memorandum to replace our earlier one – despite the notable absence of most of our competitors from this process." READ MORE

Hispanic women are less likely than their non-Hispanic peers to attend college, reports Deseret News. When they do attend, Latinas are more likely to drop out than women of other ethnicities. However, according to Dr. Josie Tinajero, assistant professor at University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP), who witnessed the Latina student shortage during her own college years, Hispanic mothers have a huge impact on this process.

“The most important role models for young girls, especially in the Hispanic community, is found with the family system,” explained Tinajero. READ MORE

Both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are battling for the Hispanic vote and taking that fight to the airwaves. A few hours after the Romney campaign released a new Spanish language ad, the pro-Obama super PAC, Priorities USA, partnered with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and have released three new ads today, a total of nine so far.

This is all on the same day a new Quinnipiac University poll found the president leading Romney among Hispanic voters, 59 percent to 30 percent.

The three pro-Obama ads will start running on Thursday in Colorado, Nevada and Florida, and all begin with Romney’s own words. In the one set to run in Colorado, Romney’s famous “I’m not concerned about the very poor” line starts the ad and then goes to different Hispanic voters talking to the camera.

“He’s a person without feelings who doesn’t care about people whether they be Hispanic, Latino, white, who are below him,” one older man says in Spanish to the camera. READ MORE

In the battle for the soccer mamis, let’s just say Tuesday was a gooooooooooal for the Obama campaign. But perhaps not so great for the mamis.

'Soccer mamis' could affect general election

The president’s campaign offered up Michelle Obama to talk to CNN contributor Maria Cardona. It was live streamed on Mamiverse, a blog for Latinas and their families. The blog is where Cardona and I, along with others, contribute various perspectives.

Since Latinos represent 55% of overall U.S. population growth, and their children account for nearly a quarter of new births, the Latina mama is the go-to gal for influencing Latino voters. Just ask anyone in Latino marketing or politics. Or just turn on Spanish language television, where mamis are targeted relentlessly because of their influence on everything from family decisions on health care to the type of breakfast cereal to purchase.

“Latinas are the ones that drive their home economy, what gets purchased, what schools their kids go to, what churches to go to,” said Elaine de Valle, who edits a portal for English-dominant Hispanics called Voxxi. “While it may be portrayed on film as a patriarchal society, it’s a matriarchal society ... they’re looked at because of the influence they have with their family, friends and neighbors. Women share more than men, they talk about it … they share with their families.” READ MORE

It’s no secret young people live on their cell or smart phones, but for Latino youth –that rings even truer. A new report written by Mobile Future and the Hispanic institute underlines young Hispanics and new generations of Americans spend heavily on mobile broadband technology – $17.6 billion on mobile devices and more than $500 million on mobile apps in 2012.

The report Hispanic Broadband Access: Making the Most of the Mobile, Connected Future notes that the legal immigration of people from all over Latin America has actually been a significant factor in American Hispanics’ embrace of mobile broadband.

As it turns out in many developing nations, infrastructure problems actually limit the ability for landlines to be used, as a result home internet is not common. This has actually fostered more creativity in how people engage with the internet. As a result accessing the internet using cell phones is actually much more popular. When legal Hispanic migrants arrive in the United States they do so having grown up accessing the internet on their mobile phones. Transitioning to smart phones and other similar devices is actually easier for this population of immigrants. According to the report this partly explains why immigrants are more likely to have mobile phones even if they have relatively lower incomes than the average U.S. resident. READ MORE

Banking giant Wells Fargo will pay at least $175 million to settle accusations that it was in violation of fair-lending laws when it discriminated against Latinos and African-Americans borrowers.

Wells Fargo, the nation's largest residential home mortgage originator, allegedly engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against qualified African-American and Latinos borrowers from 2004 through 2009.

At a news conference, Deputy Attorney General James Cole said the bank's discriminatory lending practices resulted in more than 34,000 African-American and Hispanic borrowers in 36 states and the District of Columbia paying higher rates for loans solely because of the color of their skin.

Cole said that with the settlement, the second largest of its kind in history, the government will ensure that borrowers hit hard by the housing crisis will have an opportunity to access homeownership.

The bank will pay $125 million in compensation for borrowers who were steered into subprime mortgages or who paid higher fees and rates than white borrowers because of their race or national origin rather than because of differences in credit-worthiness. READ MORE

A fire at a private, liberal arts college in Washington state has left school officials scrambling to ensure academics aren't adversely affected and grateful that more wasn't lost for the largely Latino and Native American students who make up the school's student body.

Heritage University serves a unique mission in central Washington's Yakima Valley, an agricultural belt home to thousands of acres of wine grapes, tree fruit and row crops: Two-thirds of its 1,200 students are Hispanic or Native American and most are the first members of their families to attend college.

"This place is special," longtime English teacher Janet Castilleja said as she looked at the remains of Petrie Hall, built in 1926 as an elementary school before becoming the university's first building and home to a cafeteria, bookstore, classrooms and computer servers. "It's pretty hard — kind of like losing an old friend."

The Yakima Valley has long been the center of Washington's fruit bowl, with miles of orchards devoted to apples, cherries, pears and other tree fruit. Vineyard plantings have increased right along with wine production — Washington is the nation's No. 2 producer of premium wine behind California — and hops and mint fields surround the school. READ MORE