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He's young, telegenic and charismatic. He's Hispanic, Catholic and the son of Cuban immigrants. He's a tea party favorite, a GOP star and, many say, the future of the Republican Party.

Sen. Marco Rubio's endorsement would be a big get for any of the presidential contenders ahead of the Jan. 31 Florida primary — if only he were the giving kind.

The freshman senator, who has ties to GOP presidential front-runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, has pledged to stay neutral as Republicans pick a challenger to President Barack Obama. But Rubio's refusal to pick sides hasn't squelched intense speculation about whether Rubio might make a surprise endorsement — and whether he'll end up as the vice presidential nominee.

Rubio publicly insists that he's not interested in either, saying recently that many of those running have been helpful to him and that he's not inclined to endorse anyone in the primary. On Monday, while he was racing to the Senate for a vote, he gave two answers to the endorsement question: a subtle "no" followed by a more emphatic "no." READ MORE

The Girls Scouts are turning 100 this year. One of the oldest and well-known organizations for girls is also one of the savviest marketers. From its annual promotion of its cookie sale to its upcoming anniversary float in the 2012 Rose Parade, it knows how to promote itself and its main mission: To build girls of courage, confidence and character. To its credit, the Girl Scouts has been quick to acknowledge the changing demographics of the country and understand what these changes mean to its future and mission. For the past decade the organization has run a series of campaigns that reassert what the Girl Scout are while simultaneously redefining WHO a Girl Scout is.

Actively reaching out to underrepresented communities and launching the national Hispanic Membership Marketing Initiative (HMMI) to recruit and retain Latinas. READ MORE

Mitt Romney's presidential campaign announced its first Spanish commercial on the same day that it proudly touted the endorsement by Kris Kobach, Kansas Secretary of State and the brains behind all of the anti immigrant state laws that are so odious to most Latinos.

It does seem like a contradiction: one action is meant to attract and respect Latino voters, the other one is certain to bring condemnation from many if not most of them. However, for political experts, including a Republican consultant, there seems to be a logical explanation: Romney strategists may be considering a path to victory that does not require him to pursue a significant percentage of the Latino vote, not even what George W.Bush earned in 2000 or 2004, which was over 30% or closer to 40%, depending who you ask.

"Romney's strategy has its risks, but the reality is that he will not be seeking the Latino vote in the same way George W. Bush did" said David Johnson, a Republican consultant and CEO of Strategic Vision in Atlanta, who was a consultant to the Bob Dole campaign in 1996.

According to Johnson, the reason is that Romney will have enough trouble proving to the conservative Republican base that he is "one of them", and in such a position, he can not afford the messaging and the effort to try to broaden the base. That is left for candidates considered strong conservatives like Ronald Reagan, who attracted conservative democrats to his coalition or to George W. Bush, who at the time he ran was a favorite of the Republican base and therefore could work on expanding the reach to get a larger share of the Latino vote than the typical presidential candidate had gotten in the 1990´s.

Romney will have to try to appeal to moderates though, and he will move to do that in the general election, Johnson said.

"I believe he´ll keep a very hard line on immigration in order not scare the conservative base," said Johnson. "But he will seek moderates by emphasizing that he favors legal immigration, which does not mean much because it is something that everyone favors. And that makes him look moderate."
The Republican potential nominee´s road to victory then, will most likely not include the states of Colorado, New Mexico or Nevada. Not even Arizona, which this year is considered in play and a possible win for the Democrats. These are states that by their demographic and according to all polls favor Obama. Romney will seek to talke states in the "rust belt" of the country like Michigan and Ohio, where many white blue collar voters supported the Democrat in 2008 amid a severe economic crisis. READ MORE

Hispanics used to come to Houston with a dream of starting their own businesses. Today they come with the dream of expanding existing ventures by setting up shop in one of the country’s fastest-growing business meccas.

Indeed, the Hispanic business community is on a new fast track, fueled by sophisticated immigrants from Latin America who are banking that Houston’s thriving community is a good fit for their companies.

Between 2002 and 2007, the number of Hispanic-owned businesses in the Houston region jumped 38.8 percent to 104,368 from 75,165, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau.. READ MORE

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Chicago, January 19, 2012) Daniella Guzman is joining NBC 5 Chicago as co-anchor of NBC 5’s weekday morning newscasts starting in March, the station announced today.

“We are pleased to add Daniella to our news team,” said Frank Whittaker, Station Manager and Vice President of News for NBC 5 Chicago. “She will bring a fresh and new perspective to our morning team. I know our viewers will enjoy getting to know her.”

Guzman comes to NBC 5 News from KPRC-TV in Houston where she has been a weekend anchor and general assignment reporter since 2006. Before joining KPRC, Guzman worked for the Telemundo station in Houston and the Univision network in Miami. She’s also worked for Televisa Mexico and the Houston Chronicle.

Guzman graduated from the University of St. Thomas in Houston with a degree in bilingual journalism and communications. She is fluent in Spanish. She is married and has a young daughter. 

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by Lena Arnold

Copyright 2012

While shopping in the store the other day, I ran into an old friend. After talking for a few minutes I noticed my kids growing restless. “Hold on just a few more minutes, and then we will be on our way to the bookstore.” This sentence was met with squeals of joy and excitement. Their joy did not go unnoticed by my friend.

“What is that about?” She asked. “How did you do that? I have never seen kids get so excited about going to the bookstore? My kids would look at me like I was crazy if I’d said that to them.”

“My kids love reading.”” I responded.

“I can see that,” She replied. “But how did you get them to love it? All my kids want to do is play video games.”

I had to think about it for a minute. At the time I just took it for granted. I never thought I was doing anything special. I still don’t. But since she seemed to think it was, I started thinking about what I was doing. So for those of you who want to know the “secret.” I thought I would share some of the things I did, plus those of a few others. Really, all I did was model what our parents had done for us.

1. Read to Your Children Everyday. Sounds simple enough right? But you would be surprised how many parents don’t do it. I started reading to my children as soon as they were old enough to sit up in my lap and turn a book page. Now initially, all they wanted to do was eat the book, but that’s okay. They learned that books were fun-even if in their mind they were just fun to eat! Our kids are older, and can read for themselves, but we still read to them at night before bed. The special voices and inflections we use help bring the characters to life, and make the reading process more fun and meaningful. Plus they get to ask questions, which leads to other conversations and opportunities to bond with our children. Again, they are learning that books are fun! Fathers, this is even more important, because studies show that kids whose fathers read to them regularly are also more confident and less likely to engage in aberrant behaviors later in life.

2. Take Trips to Libraries and Bookstores! Kids like to go places. They learn from you what places are exciting. For example, the mom that makes the mall a priority, will most likely find herself raising a kids who thinks the mall is a priority. Why is going to the movies fun to a kid?-Because you made their first movie a fun experience. Do the same with reading. We made getting their first library card a big event. They talked to the librarian. We took pictures, and got a treat afterwards to celebrate. We make getting a new book a reward for reaching milestones instead of toys. If the book comes with a toy-BONUS!

3. Make Time for Reading.-Set aside a 30 minute quiet time for reading each day. Allow them to select a quiet place for reading. At first, I would question my kids about what they’d read to be sure they actually did it. But after awhile, I never had to ask because they naturally started telling me about what they were reading. They were excited to share. They asked me more questions, and the next thing I knew-we were bonding again. FUN!

4. Reading Time/Art Time-After reading, I encouraged them to draw pictures of what they’d read. Sometime we used clay. The point is to help their comprehension by tying a visual image to the story. Plus this is a convenient way to sneak in art. Thereby making reading fun.

5. Summer Reading Clubs-In the summer we attend the library book clubs, where they get prizes for reading.

6. Allow them to Select Books that Interest Them-Kids will read what they like. Last summer one of my children only wanted to read about dogs, another trains, another cars. Who cares? Not me. There was plenty of time to expand their world, but for now they were reading and loving it. Who cares if the book is tied to a movie they just watched? They are reading, but more than that, they are making comparisons, and they are adding to the story with their own imagination.

7. Refrain from making Reading a Punishment-Want to kill the love for reading. That’s easy. Just say something like, “If you don’t do what I tell you, I’m going to send you to your room and make you read and write a report.” Now if your kid loves to read this might be a reward-BUT I DOUBT IT. You will only tie reading to a bad experience.

8. Set Limits on Television, Gaming, Computer, and other Media Devices. Having a child know how to use the computer at age 7 is overrated. The same can be used practicing reading skills. Keeping the television on, even if no one is watching is a distraction and inhibits the development of language skills.

9. Be an Active Reader-children do what you do, not what you say.

10. Keep Books in the Bathroom. I know it sounds gross, but look, we all gotta go there. When kids gotta go for a while they get bored. Even a bored kid will pick up a book in the bathroom.

According to an article posted on Parenting online magazine reading is the fundamental skill at the base of all learning. It is simply a confirmed fact that students with strong reading skills tend to do better in school than those with less developed reading skills.

“...reading...nourishes your child's creativity, allowing them to create worlds of their own...think about new ideas and approach problems in imaginative ways...reading also increases the attention span of a child, something which is sadly limited in children today.” Said Kavita Nambissan, a regular contributor on Yahoo Voices

Video games and digital media cannot replace the active reading process. Our brains are hardwired to actively think and it needs time to process the information that is put into it. While video games, computer activities and social media have their place, they were never intended to replace the benefits of dynamic reading practices.

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Lena M. Fields-ARNOLD is the author of For This Child We Prayed: Living with the Secret Shame of Infertility, For This Dream We Prayed Companion Journal, Strong Black Coffee: Poetry and Prose to Enlighten, Encourage, and Entertain Americans of African Descent; and In the Absence of My Father.

Her work has been featured in numerous periodicals, including the recently released “Free to Fly: Transitions for the Seasons in a Woman’s Life,” published by InSCRIBEd Inspirations and “The Speaker Anthology,” published by Blooming Twig Books; as well as the soon to be released, “Jackie’s Way: A Children’s Book on Dealing with Anger,” in collaboration with the Columbus based Jazz Artist Mike Fields.

As a motivational speaker, Lena applies the lessons learned from clinical infertility to the social, emotional and spiritual infertility many of us feel in various areas of our lives. As a wife, and mother of three—including her “double blessing” of twin sons—Lena seeks to encourage and empower women, men, and young people to “give birth” to all their dreams!

Lena is also a respected consultant on family and youth issues and has spent the last 20 years working tirelessly on their behalf. She is primarily responsible for helping non-profits & businesses achieve organizational goals through the creation of effective development strategies.

Lena attended Lincoln University in Missouri on a theater scholarship before returning home to Dayton, where she completed her degree in Communications from the Wright State University School of Liberal Arts. She began her career as a journalist and has written for several publications within the Dayton community where she currently resides.

NOTE: PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO TRANSLATE TEXT INTO SPANISH FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, SO LONG AS COPYRIGHT CREDIT IS GRANTED AND AUTHOR IS NOTED

Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, and other states have recently enacted measures calling for stricter enforcement of existing immigration laws. Some of these measures even aim to deny birthright citizenship to U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants. These initiatives, overwhelmingly supported by Republicans, drive Hispanics to vote increasingly for the Democratic Party.

The laws come as a reaction against profound changes in the U.S. population. According to U.S. Census projections, from 2000 to 2030 the Hispanic share of population of the United States will nearly double, from 13 percent to 23 percent. In the same period, the non-Hispanic white population is expected to drop from 69 percent of the total to 53 percent. The Census Bureau forecasts that by 2042 whites will be a plurality of the population, but no longer a majority.

That shift is already being felt in many states. California ceased to be majority white in 2000. The 2010 Census estimates that whites and Hispanics are nearly equal in numbers there, and the Bureau projects that by 2030 the largest state will be 45 percent Hispanic and just one-third white.

Texas—the second-largest state—is changing even faster. In 2000, 53 percent of Texans were white, and 32 percent were Hispanic. By 2010, whites had fallen to 45 percent of the population and Hispanics risen to 39 percent. By 2020, those numbers will be reversed. The Office of the Texas State Demographer predicts that in 2030 the state will be majority Hispanic. READ MORE

Alejandra Abad likes to read fairy tales, dance along to her favorite artist, Selena Gomez, and practice cheerleading.

But every Sunday after the Spanish Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Alejandra, 9, joins a handful of boys bouncing around the courtyard outside. Wearing neckerchiefs and navy shirts, these Cub Scouts eagerly await their weekly meeting.

Although Alejandra’s brother Luis is a Cub Scout, she doesn’t attend the meetings to observe like the other sisters. She is the lone female member of Pack 121. She's a girl in a Cub Scout pack.

“Technically, I’ve signed up Alejandra in the BSA Learning for Life program,” Cubmaster John Stansfield said. Sacred Heart, the pack’s charter organization, does not offer Girl Scouts.

According to John Fabsits, Boy Scouts of America director of development and marketing, Learning for Life is a coed character-building program.

Out of 27 Columbia Cub Scout packs and hundreds of children involved, Alejandra is the only girl participating in any scout activity.

She participates in all of the events and attends regular meetings like the rest of the scouts.

“She was out there with her earrings and headband, and nobody gave her a second look,” Stansfield said. He described Alejandra’s involvement in Pack 121 as welcomed by fellow packs, too. READ MORE

Terry J. Lundgren, Macy’s (M) chief executive officer, has research showing that more than half the people in the biggest Macy’s urban markets—including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago—are Hispanic, African-American, and Asian. The chain already uses various tactics to woo minority shoppers, such as its deal to sell an exclusive line from rapper-turned-clothier Sean “Diddy” Combs. Coveting a deeper relationship with minority customers, Lundgren decided to seek out mom-and-pop retailers already serving minority consumers and get their products on Macy’s shelves.

Small businesses, however, often lack the wherewithal to supply a behemoth like Macy’s, the second-largest U.S. department store chain after Sears Holdings (SHLD). So Macy’s last year developed a training program designed for minority vendors. Participants learn the basics of big-time retail, and the most promising get to sell through Macy’s. In November the retailer awarded its first orders to four graduates: two makers of cosmetics targeted at African-American and multi-ethnic women; a designer who makes dresses primarily for Hispanic women; and a designer of plus-size swimsuits. “We are doing this not just as a nice thing,” Lundgren says, “but as a business proposition.”

It’s a sizable one: By 2015, Hispanics will spend $1.5 trillion on U.S. goods and services, according to the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth, 50 percent more than they spent in 2010. Blacks’ buying power will expand by about a quarter, to $1.2 trillion, in that period, and Asians by more than 40 percent, to $775 billion. Macy’s forecasts its sales of goods from minority- and women-owned businesses will jump to $1 billion in two years, after rising a projected 22 percent, to $683.2 million, in 2011. (Macy’s total sales were an estimated $26.4 billion last year.) “When we get there,” he adds, “I can assure you I will raise that goal.” READ MORE

The White House said Tuesday that Cecilia Muñoz, who has led its efforts to overhaul immigration laws, had been named director of the Domestic Policy Council, making her one of President Obama’s chief advisers on a broad swath of issues, including education and gay rights.

Ms. Muñoz, the highest-ranking Hispanic in the White House, had served as director of intergovernmental affairs. She replaces Melody Barnes, who left this month. Her promotion is notable because it comes at the start of an election year in which Hispanic voters are expected to play a major role.

“Over the past three years, Cecilia has been a trusted adviser who has demonstrated sound judgment day in and day out,” Mr. Obama said in a statement. “Cecilia has done an extraordinary job working on behalf of middle-class families, and I’m confident she’ll bring the same unwavering dedication to her new position.” READ MORE

The Republican Party is beefing up its minority outreach nationwide and preparing to put its rising Latino stars on the campaign trail amid concerns that tough immigration rhetoric in the presidential primary is taking on an increasingly anti-Hispanic tone.

But immigrant-rights groups and some political watchers say the damage may be irreversible. They argue that the GOP has severely hampered itself as it looks to woo the critical Latino voting bloc that could decide who wins key states like New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado and Florida next fall.

Mitt Romney “is done,” said DeeDee Blase, founder of Somos Republicans in Arizona. “He’ll be lucky to get 8 percent of the Hispanic vote” after saying he would veto legislation that would create a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants and accepting the endorsement of anti-immigration activist Kris Kobach, architect of two of the strongest immigration crackdown laws in the country.

The GOP front-runner, Romney has referred to the legislation — called the DREAM Act — as a handout. The measure would allow some young illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to earn legal status if they went to college or joined the military. Challengers, including Texas Gov. Perry, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Ron Paul, have also taken tough anti-immigration stances in the campaign. READ MORE

It's Sunday morning and evangelical churches are packed.

Pastors are preaching, Bibles are being read and churchgoers are singing.

In Spanish.

While the Catholic church is still the principal religion for Latinos, a growing number are bucking tradition and moving toward evangelism -- particularly among the younger generation.

"My mother is so Catholic," said Jose Rosales, 55. "She tripped out when she found out. She and my aunt said, 'Oh, great; now you're a Hallelujah.'"

About 23 percent, or 9.5 million of 41 million Latinos in the U.S. in 2004, identified themselves as Protestants or other Christians, according to statistics compiled by Gastón Espinosa, an assistant professor of religious studies at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif.

Each year, as many as 600,000 U.S. Latinos leave the Catholic Church for other Christian denominations, Espinosa said.

In the most recent numbers — a 2007 Pew Research Center report — 43 percent of the 4,600 Hispanics interviewed identified themselves as evangelicals who had converted from Catholicism.

Destiny Church in Indio, Calif., opened its doors in 2004. Five years later, it added a Spanish service and bought another building in anticipation of the growing Spanish ministry.

In 2009, when the Spanish service was first offered, 15 to 20 people would attend the service, said Anthony Martinez, the church's membership director. Now, an average of 150 are there.

Most of the Hispanic former Catholics at the church are second and third-generation, he said. READ MORE

AT&T has received the highest rating for all telecommunication firms on the 2011 Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility's Corporate Inclusion Index (HACR CII). AT&T was one of only two companies to achieve a 95 rating, the highest in the 2011 HACR CII. The HACR CII rates Hispanic inclusion by Fortune 100 companies and its corporate partners in the areas of workforce, procurement, philanthropy, and governance.

"AT&T continues to demonstrate its commitment to diversity with policies that ensure the inclusion of Hispanics at all levels and in every one of its varied business lines," said Janet Murguia, chairperson of the HACR Board of Directors and president and CEO of National Council of La Raza. "AT&T is one of the few companies moving the needle in advancing full inclusion of Hispanics in this country."

Examples of AT&T's commitment to Hispanic inclusion are:

A 12 percent representation of Hispanics in the AT&T workforce. The total U.S. AT&T workforce is 40 percent female and 38 percent people of color.

Sponsorship of an award-winning employee resource group, HACEMOS (the Hispanic/Latino Employee Association of AT&T).

A top-rated global supplier diversity program that spent more than $9.2 billion with minority, women and disabled-veteran suppliers in 2010, representing 18.8 percent of the company's procurement base. AT&T's goal is to achieve 21.5 percent of its procurement from diverse suppliers.

Strong focus on the Hispanic Consumer Market, which includes converting more than 700 retail stores in high-density Hispanic markets including California, Florida, New York and Texas to a bilingual (Spanish/English) format; full online and social media presence in Spanish; a strong advertising investment in Hispanic media; and sponsorship of top-rated Hispanic music, television, sports and entertainment programs and events. READ MORE

It is a known fact that there are more female voters during Presidential primary elections than male. The National Tequila party movement is female led and we intend on appealing to compassionate female voters throughout the country and to open minded college students in an effort to sway public opinion in support of humane and compassionate views with regard to the DREAM Act, legal immigration that would benefit the American economy.

As a female leader, I have discovered several male writers, pundits, political leaders who really do take an issue with female leadership. I don’t know for certain if some of these chauvinistic males feel threatened by female leadership or not, but there is definitely an antiquated slant to their approach and attacks of females in general. It makes no sense for males to feel threatened by female leadership particularly when there are more female voters to begin with. READ MORE

It’s time to recognize the talent pool we have right here in America, putting an end to minority statistics that may soon be more fairytale than truth. Especially in Florida where the Hispanic population is outperforming other states in college degree attainment levels.
Florida’s business schools, particularly Miami-Dade College, are being recognized nationally for their cutting-edge programs and for graduating among the highest numbers of Hispanics. Not only are these Hispanics brushing up on their business skills, but, according to recent studies by Florida State University’s Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication, they are proving to be digital innovators and significantly expanding their online presence. Compared to other groups, Hispanics were the most likely to own and manage their own online businesses, blogs and websites.
Why are these statistics important?
Broadband-enabled technologies have changed how businesses operate and thrive. It’s the innovators and skilled users of these technologies that bring opportunity for innovation and job creation across a range of industries. Though some statistics show that Hispanics are behind in education and technology adoption, many others are proving that they are in fact poised to become prominent figures in America’s digital business future, including the wireless industry.
While minorities are undoubtedly making big gains in broadband adoption, there are still many without online connections. According to a study by The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, there are many barriers at play, including financial, educational, and linguistic hurdles. Yet when socioeconomic factors are similar, studies show that Hispanics and non- Hispanic whites end up having similar usage patterns for broadband-enabled technologies. READ MORE

On Friday, most in the Spanish speaking world marks Three Kings Day, an ancient celebration that commemorates the visit of Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

Each country in Latin America has its particular customs, many of which have been transported — and somewhat adapted — to Latino homes across New York. Dominican and Puerto Rican children leave dry grass for the camels under their beds; in Argentina and Mexico, they leave their shoes — with grass or a letter — outside their rooms or under the tree. But everywhere, the kids — at least the well-behaved ones — wake up to gifts from the Magi.

A tradition that is common in many countries is eating La Rosca de Reyes, a round sweet bread baked with dried or candied fruits and a little figurine of a baby Jesus inside. The rosca is available in many Latino bakeries in the city during this time of the year.

Viva asked some Latinos their thoughts on the holiday and how they mark it:

MEXICO
María Diaz, 38, who has a 13 year-old son and a 19 year-old daughter, works cleaning a store.
“We meet at a house in the Bronx with my brother and my sister-in-law, who have four young children, and we eat tamales or posole. We also eat taquitos with cheese. We buy the Rosca de Reyes in the Mexican bakery.”

PUERTO RICO
Janette Colón, 48, born in the South Bronx
“My parents are from Puerto Rico. My mom told me that she celebrated the day when she lived there as a child. She lived in the countryside, and they were very poor but they put hay and water for the camels and they left a hand-knitted dollas a gift. As we are very Americanized, we don’t celebrate here, but I would like to go to the Three Kings Day Parade at El Museo del Barrio.” READ MORE

The number of Latinos who own and operate small businesses in Minnesota is booming. This state-wide trend is spreading to Moorhead.

Express Janitorial Services owner Jesus Gutierrez is making sure Fargo's Family Healthcare is squeaky clean.

Jesus Gutierrez – Express Janitorial Services: "I want to provide to my family whatever they need."

Gutierrez is pretty busy. He's got accounts all over the F-M area, including Moorhead's Menards.

Jesus Gutierrez: "I was an employee a couple years ago, and I got a lot of experience, and in the meantime I decide to be more successful on my own."

The native of Mexico made the Midwest move to take advantage of a thriving economy, and he's not alone. The number of Latino owned businesses has grown a quarter in just 5 years.

Jesus Gutierrez: "Business like food business, cleaning business, any kind of small business pretty much."

Don't forget antique businesses, like Latino-owned and operated Lucia's Vintage Decor, which just opened up in October.

David Miranda – Sister Owns Lucia’s Vintage Decor: "It's just picking up; people are realizing we are here now." READ MORE

A new survey says that Hispanic spending on mobile devices over the holidays may have reached up to $5 billion.

Zpryme Research and Consulting surveyed over 500 Latinos on their mood as consumers and intentions to spend money during the holidays and overwhelmingly found a desire to spend.

One out of four Hispanics intended to spend $251 to $1,000 on mobile devices and Latinos surveyed as the most likely to buy tablet devices (19 percent) and smartphones (19 percent).

Ariel Coro, founder of TuTecnologia says that the numbers are no surprise.

“Many Hispanics see the tablet and smartphone as a gateway to the technology world that not so long ago was held captive by expensive entry-level desktops and laptops,” he says. “This is a similar phenomenon to the one seen a couple of years ago with netbooks. Nowadays, tablets are more convenient, portable, affordable and even easier to use.”

Ramon B. Nuez Jr., the founder of technology site Dads on Tech, says that the intersection of Hispanics and mobile devices is the continuation of the education and success of Latinos. READ MORE

We have good news for tens of millions of Spanish-speaking Americans. For years, Social Security has been at the forefront of providing online services for Americans, and we’ve provided a wealth of information in Spanish. Now, you can do even more with the expanded suite of services offered in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov.

The most exciting enhancement: you can now apply online for both Social Security retirement benefits and Medicare in Spanish!

If you are ready to apply for Social Security retirement benefits now, you can do it quickly and easily on your home or office computer. The online application takes as little as 15 minutes. Once you complete the online application and “sign” it with the click of a mouse, your application is complete.  In most cases there are no documents to submit or additional paperwork to fill out. Online is the easiest way to apply, and now you can do it in Spanish.

In addition to applying for Social Security retirement benefits, you can also go to www.segurosocial.gov to apply for Medicare. How’s this for convenient and easy:  it can be done in as little as 10 minutes, from start to finish.

But you can do more than apply for benefits at www.segurosocial.gov. You can get a lot of information and publications written in Spanish. In addition, there are a number of online transactions that allow you to complete your Social Security business online, and in the language you’re most comfortable using. One of the most popular of all is our Retirement Estimator.

Get an instant, personalized estimate of your future Social Security benefits using the Retirement Estimator. Using the actual wages posted in your Social Security record, the Estimator will give you a good picture of what to expect in benefits. It protects your personal information by providing only retirement benefit estimates — it does not show the earnings information used to calculate the benefit estimate, nor does it reveal other identifying information. You can plug in different scenarios and future wage amounts to get estimates for different situations.

If you are already entitled to Medicare and are having trouble with the high cost of prescription drug costs, you might qualify for Extra Help from Social Security. The Extra Help can save you as much as $4,000 each year. You can learn all about it and apply online for the Extra Help at www.segurosocial.gov too.

Do you need a little help getting started on the computer?  Ask your children or grandchildren to help you. Chances are they would be happy to spend a few minutes helping you.

If you prefer to do business online in Spanish, then our website is the place for you. Visit www.segurosocial.gov today. It’s so easy!

Somos un líder por Internet en español también

Tenemos buenas noticias para decenas de millones estadounidenses que hablan español. Por muchos años, el Seguro Social ha estado a la vanguardia proporcionando servicios por Internet a las personas, y hemos proporcionado gran cantidad de información en español. Ahora, usted puede hacer aún más con el conjunto expandido de los servicios ofrecidos en español en www.segurosocial.gov.

La mejora más excitante: ahora puede solicitar por Internet ambos, ¡beneficios de Seguro Social por jubilación y Medicare en español!

Si está listo para solicitar beneficios de Seguro Social por jubilación ahora, puede hacerlo rápida y fácilmente desde la comodidad y conveniencia de la computadora en su casa o en su oficina. La solicitud por Internet toma tan poco como 15 minutos. Una vez que completa su solicitud por Internet y la firma con un clic en el ratón, su solicitud está completa — en la mayoría de los casos no hay documentos que enviar o papeleo adicional para llenar. Es la forma más fácil de solicitar, y ahora lo puede hacer en español.

Además de solicitar beneficios de Seguro Social por jubilación, también puede ir a  www.segurosocial.gov para solicitar Medicare. Qué le parece esto para conveniencia y facilidad: se puede hacer en tan poco como en 10 minutos, desde el comienzo hasta el final.

Pero usted puede hacer más que solicitar beneficios en www.segurosocial.gov. Puede obtener mucha información y publicaciones escritas en español. También hay un número de transacciones por Internet que le permite completar sus asuntos de Seguro Social por Internet, y en el idioma con el que se sienta más cómodo. Uno de los más populares es el Calculador de beneficios por jubilación.

Obtenga una estimación instantánea y personalizada de sus futuros beneficios de Seguro Social usando el Calculador de beneficios por jubilación. Usando los salarios actuales de su registro de ganancias del Seguro Social, el Calculador le proveerá una buena imagen de lo que debe esperar recibir en beneficios. Éste protege su información personal al proveer solo cálculos de su beneficio por jubilación —no muestra la información de ganancias que se usó para calcular la estimación del beneficio, ni revela ninguna otra información que lo identifique. Puede ingresar diferentes escenarios y cantidades futuras de salarios para obtener estimaciones para diferentes situaciones.

Si ya tiene derecho a Medicare y está teniendo problemas con el alto costo de medicamentos recetados, es posible que tenga derecho para el Beneficio Adicional del Seguro Social. El Beneficio Adicional puede ahorrarle tanto como $4,000 cada año. Puede informarse mejor sobre esto y también solicitar el Beneficio Adicional por Internet en www.segurosocial.gov.

¿Necesita ayuda para empezar en la computadora? Pídale a sus hijos y nietos que le ayuden. Lo más probable es que ellos conocen la Internet como a la palma de sus manos y estarían contentos de pasar unos minutos ayudándole.

Si prefiere tramitar sus asuntos por Internet en español, entonces nuestro sitio de Internet es el lugar para usted. Visite www.segurosocial.gov hoy mismo. ¡Es tan fácil!

While there can be debate about what it means, the unassailable fact is that Latino -owned businesses in the United States are growing at a blistering pace — in fact more than twice the national average. This trend has been sustained for at least the last decade and manifests itself both in the growing number and size of Latino- owned businesses. During the latest 5-year period for which information is available from the census bureau, Latino owned business’ revenue jumped by an astonishing 55% to nearly $350 billion. Some think that the census data underestimates the economic clout of Latino businesses, estimating the sales of such businesses in 2008 at $547 billion. Many are very substantial businesses with numerous employees: the number of Latino- owned businesses with more than $1 million in revenue grew to over 44,000 in 2007, up from just 29,000 five years earlier.

The experts expect that this trend will continue over the next decade. Latino-owned businesses are expected to increase their total revenue contribution to the economy by 8% annually over the 10 years from 2005 to 2015. This is more than three times the average growth for all businesses. What does this mean: Latinos will have more economic clout, employ a greater proportion of the population and purchase substantially more in goods and services than they do today. Already this trend has had a major impact in states with large Latino populations. For example, more than 20 % of all businesses in New Mexico, Florida and Texas are owned by Latinos, and even in the state with the largest economy, California, the figure is fast approaching 20%. READ MORE