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Women and Minorities Getting Left Out of Green Job Market, New Study Finds

2009-11-22T21:14:38-06:00

November 20, 2009
by Brian Merchant

If James Brown had been around to witness the rise of the green jobs sector and learned of the news from this recent study, he'd shake his head and say, "It's a man's world. Ow! After all these years and so much progress, even in a sector dedicated towards achieving the noble aim of an emissions-free economy, it appears some prejudices still plague us." Well, he might not have said it exactly like that. But it appears to be the unfortunate truth: women--especially minority women--are getting largely left out of the green job market.

Apologies for that bizarre James Brown reference--it's Friday, you'll have to forgive me. But the case study from ARC (pdf) is very real, and the findings are indeed disturbing. According to the LA Times,

The Applied Research Center, a racial justice think tank based in New York, said in "Greening Los Angeles" that women and minorities are often left out of the green economy. Of the people employed in green industries and occupations, blacks and Latinos make up less than 30%. Black women fill just 1.5% of energy sector jobs, while Latinas occupy 1% and Asian women take up 0.7%.

Without digging into the stats too deeply, 30% doesn't sound like an overwhelmingly low number for black and Latino participation in the green jobs market--ideally it would be higher, but the more alarming numbers are those associated with women. Less than 3% of the green job market being filled by minority women is far too low.

The Applied Research Center is looking to help right the problem, and has created this Green Equity Toolkit designed to help women and minorities get a fair stab at green jobs. This is an issue worth examining, and keeping an eye on as the clean energy sector grows--women and minorities must absolutely get an equal shot at a green jobs.

Source: TreeHugger

Book review: 'Becoming Americans'

2009-11-22T21:10:46-06:00

November 22, 2009
By ANNE MORRIS

This ambitious anthology brings together 85 writings by American immigrants from 45 countries. Arranged chronologically, the letters, stories, articles and poems extend from 1623 to the present.

The earliest ones, by Phyllis Wheatley, John James Audubon and St. John Crèvecoeur, often have a schoolbook feel, like a reading assignment for an American history class from primary sources. Later pieces, by Isaac Bashevis Singer, Frank McCourt, Edwidge Danticat, Jhumpa Lahiri and Junot Díaz showcase some of the liveliest writing of our time.

Ilan Stavans, a professor of Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College and a frequent editor of anthologies, made the selections for this hefty volume. They include a revealing autobiographical essay by Stavans, a Polish-Ukrainian Jew born in Mexico City. He describes the moment when he first knew his identity: "I would perfect my English and thus become a New York Jew, an intellectual animal ... In just a single moment I understood who I could be."

Many of the writers deal with issues of identity, too. Not so many see the answer as clearly as Stavans or pursue it as effectively.

The Norwegian novelist O.E. Rolvaag (1876-1931) describes the alienation that sets in when one loses his Fatherland, "for it can never be regained," and "neither can you get another in its place, no matter what you do."

Julia Alvarez, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, writes in "Something to Declare" about this pain of loss of place. "For weeks that soon became months and years, I would think ... What was going on right this moment back home?"

Other immigrant writers repeatedly address the need to reinvent one's self, so as to fit the new land. In a selection from Henry Roth's classic 1934 novel Call It Sleep, a husband from Ukraine finds his wife and child an embarrassment when they finally join him in New York. Life here for him had been a disappointment – and he was angry at everyone.

A much earlier writer, Gottlieb Mittelberger (1715-79), a German, had suggested that his countrymen who came to America believing that "roasted pigeons are going to fly into their mouths without their having to work for them" were fools.

Anzia Yezierska (1885-1970) from Belarus shows in a short story from Children of Loneliness how the younger generation assimilates more readily than its progenitors, producing terrible tensions within a family. In the end, the daughter slams the door in her mother's face and tells herself: "I owe them nothing, nothing, nothing." (Sound familiar? Clearly she has assimilated as an American teenager.)

Sometimes children assimilate, but parents cannot follow. In "Dying in a Strange Country," Tahira Naqvi, a Pakistani-American born in 1952, tells the touching story of an aged mother who reluctantly visits her grown son in Connecticut but desperately fears she will die while outside her native land.

Eva Hoffman, who emigrated from Poland to Canada with her parents and earned a scholarship to Rice University, discusses in an essay how language shapes her perceptions and enlarges her identity.

Becoming Americans leaves out American Indians, who were already here, and gives only moderate attention to Mexican-Americans, despite their growing role in this country. The book is not an attempt to represent evenly every immigrant group. Rather, Stavans showcases good writing that shows how individuals, famous or obscure, felt coming to America, working to fit in.

Source The Dallas Morning News

Study says Hispanics at higher risk

2009-11-22T21:09:00-06:00

November 20, 2009
By William Pack

Hotel workers face a more hazardous work environment than service workers generally in the U.S., and Hispanic housekeepers are particularly at risk of sustaining injuries, researchers involved in a union-backed study said Thursday.

The report by researchers from four universities and Unite Here, a union representing hotel workers, said the injury rate for hotel workers is almost 40 percent higher than that of all other service sector workers at 5.2 injuries per 100 workers. Housekeepers who work at Hyatt properties had the highest risk.

Described as a pioneering study in its breakdown of injury rates by the race and gender of hotel workers, it said Hispanic women had almost double the risk of injury that Anglo female co-workers did.

The study analyzed injury records from 50 unionized hotels operated by the top five hotel companies from 2003-2005.

Housekeepers, the largest single occupational group in the industry and one that draws large numbers of minority women, experienced the highest injury rate of any group at 7.9 per 100 workers, 50 percent higher than the overall pool.

The study also concluded that housekeepers were injured the most at Hyatt properties, with an injury rate of 10.4 per 100 workers — almost twice that of the chain with the best record, Hilton. Hyatt officials did not respond to requests for comment.

“These are extremely alarming rates,” said Susan Buchanan with the University of Illinois' Chicago School of Public Health and the lead author of the study. “They raise many questions as to why they are so high.”

Researchers had no explanation for the difference in injury rates between racial groups or between hotels, but said the numbers should persuade hotel operators to find remedies.

At a teleconference Thursday, two housekeepers at Hyatt Regency properties in Chicago and Long Beach, Calif., talked about the toll taken by a job that involves repetitive bending and lifting of heavy mattresses and other bedroom materials. One said she now is responsible for 25-30 rooms in an eight-hour shift.

“People are not getting the proper rest to let their bodies heal,” said Francine Jones from Chicago.

John Wilhelm, president of Unite Here, said the report provides “stunning evidence of unequal impact of injuries in the hotel industry” and raises questions about “whether discriminatory workplace practices play a role.”

The study is being published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

His union, which obtained much of the data for the study, began organizing workers at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio but withdrew from the process before a vote to unionize was taken this summer.

Source: San Antonio Express News

US indicts 19 members of Hispanic street gang

2009-11-22T21:07:01-06:00

November 19, 2009
Via AFP

A federal grand jury Thursday indicted 19 members of a violent Hispanic street gang, alleging involvement in a criminal enterprise and conspiracy in a host of assaults and attempted murders, US officials said.

The defendants from the Maryland branch of the "Latin Kings" gang, a group with thousands of members largely based in Chicago and New York, face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted, the US Justice Department said in a statement.

"Today's indictment alleges that the Latin Kings gang is an organized criminal enterprise with leaders and members who commit violent crimes," said US Attorney Rod Rosenstein.

The indictment charges that "from a date unknown to the present, the Latin Kings members conspired to commit attempted murders, robberies, witness tampering and arson to further their racketeering scheme," the Justice Department said.

The group is alleged to have been started in Maryland from the spring of 2007 by Miguel Cruz and Erick Roman, who named their "tribe" of the main gang the "Royal Lion Tribe of Maryland."

Thousands of members affiliated with the gang -- officially named "Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation" -- are said to be spread throughout the United States and Latin America.

"Gangs, like the one charged in this indictment, may be relentless in protecting their turf, but we will be relentless in taking it back," vowed assistant attorney general Lanny Breuer.

Among the charges, officials accuse Latin Kings members of gathering materials for a firebombing; stabbing a suspected rival gang member in Maryland; shooting at other gang members in New York; committing a number of burglaries; and conspiring to murder a security guard, and a female gang member for "snitching."

"We dismantled a large part of the Latin Kings organization whose members allegedly used violence to secure the sanctity of their private society. We have made a serious impact on violent crime and gang violence," said Kenneth Melson, deputy director of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Americans Running South: Why We are Flocking to Mexico for Work

2009-11-22T21:05:22-06:00

November 21,2009
By Michael Wildes

Americans are moving to Mexico for work? This seems quite anomalous to many, considering that historically and currently millions of Mexicans continue to immigrate, legally and illegally, to the United States in search of a better (and more lucrative) life, not emigrate from it.

But in reality, more than one million Americans have chosen to make Mexico their home in the recent past - a trend that is showing no signs of slowing down - for a variety of reasons, such as a healthier environment in which to raise children, a warmer climate, inexpensive healthcare, an affordable and relaxing retirement destination and, more than ever before, a job.

This emerging trend should not come as a surprise. We see tens of thousands of legal border crossings every day from the U.S. into Mexico for commercial, tourist and cultural interests. More than 18 thousand companies with American investments have operations in Mexico. In fact, the U.S. accounts for 47 percent of all foreign investment in Mexico and in 2007, Mexico was the world's eighth largest crude exporter and the third largest supplier of oil to the U.S.

As such, Mexico's economy is highly dependent upon its exports to the U.S., including petroleum, automobile parts and electronic equipment, accounting for more than 25 percent of its GDP. And while the recent economic slowdown has caused significant declines in manufacturing, exports and investment on both sides of the border, it has resulted in a jump in Americans heading south.

As unemployment in the U.S. climbs past 10 percent, what does Mexico offer to Americans looking for work? While our leadership debates health care, and as more employers cut, limit or simply don't offer health care to their employees, Mexico offers a comprehensive health care plan for a flat fee of $250 per annum. This can be very attractive to an American family struggling with limited income and mounting medical bills or an individual simply unable to afford the high premiums. And though significant differences exist in the level of medical care provided in Mexico when compared to the U.S., given financial challenges, many Americans are flocking to Mexico not only for work but also so they can afford health insurance.

Likewise, many families are willing to settle for lower paying jobs in Mexico because of the significantly lower cost of childcare, housing and food, while entrepreneurs are willing to take business risks there because they see opportunity which may not, especially now, exist in the U.S. But working in Mexico isn't as easy as uno, dos, tres. There is paperwork involved, not to mention language barriers, discrimination...many of the things that plague Mexicans - legal or not - in the U.S. today.

As in American immigration law, anyone intending to live or work in Mexico for purposes other than tourism must apply for either an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa. The Mexican Consulate in New York reports a 40 percent increase in the number of Americans inquiring about moving to Mexico. And just as Spanish-speaking immigrants in the U.S. often need a third party to help them understand the many documents that need to be filled out, it is wise for Americans looking to go south to take at least one Spanish language course before moving abroad and to consult a third party in the U.S. who can help them navigate the paperwork.

Considering the contentious history of Mexican immigration to the U.S., it's a curious turn of events to discuss American emigration to Mexico. Many of the same issues that taint American perception of Mexicans apply to Americans moving to Mexico; for example, the language barrier, economic opportunities, and whether or not proper immigration procedures are being followed. Just as they always have, people are still immigrating to new countries in search of better opportunities, especially when the domestic economy is flagging - only this time, they're heading south.

Source: News Blaze

Museo Alameda in financial straits

2009-11-22T21:03:35-06:00

November 22, 2009
By Elda Silva

As the Museo Alameda prepared to mount the highest-profile exhibit in its brief history this summer, behind the scenes museum officials were struggling to keep the doors open.

Utility bills were unpaid. Attendance was far short of initial projections. More than $200,000 in donations pledged to the museum hadn't been received. Officials weren't sure if they could meet payroll.

The $12 million hot pink museum in Market Square opened two years ago amid a flurry of confetti and high hopes that it would anchor a new Latino cultural corridor.

It had multimillion-dollar support from corporate heavy-hitters such as the SBC (now AT&T) Foundation, Ford Motor Co. and the Ford Motor Co. Fund. The Pedro V. Cortez family, which owns Mi Tierra restaurant at Market Square, stepped up with a $1 million donation.

Since then, however, hopes for the museum have given way to concern for the fledgling institution's future.

A 2008 audit submitted to the city's Office of Cultural Affairs in May showed the Alameda National Center for Latino Arts and Culture — which operates the museum, the Alameda Theater, a design school and an office building — suffered a $1.47 million loss on revenues of $1.97 million last year.

The organization's cash reserves were down to $7,302.

The center also has had trouble paying its debt of about $1 million.

The Alameda has gone through three executive directors in its short history. To rein in costs, the staff was trimmed from 30 to a skeleton crew of eight shortly before Guillermo Nicolas was named president in September.

The museum, which was free to visit last year, reinstated admission fees last month to increase revenue. It also depends on city funds and donation pledges, which are “slowly trickling in,” Alameda board Chairwoman Margarita Flores said.

“The message that we have is critical to get out there, but if we don't have the financial backing to do it in a responsible way, I'm not going to sit here and tell you we're going to stay open and continue to get in debt,” said Flores, senior director of community relations at Anheuser-Busch Inc.

Economic downturn

After repeated delays because of fundraising difficulties, the Museo Alameda opened in April 2007 as the first affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

That affiliation gave the museum access to Smithsonian exhibitions such as “¡Azúcar! The Life and Music of Celia Cruz,” which opened in 2007, and objects from Smithsonian collections.

Thousands of visitors poured through the Museo Alameda's doors the first weekend. In the following months, annual attendance fell short of the projected 400,000.

In its first year, the museum drew 140,000 visitors. Numbers have fallen steadily. In 2008, the museum counted 45,000 visitors, and the total so far this year is 26,000.

In addition, money problems continued to dog the museum as the economy headed into a downturn.

“My fondest wish and desire is that the Alameda, which is a very important national institution and has done incredible work, is able to be sustained and prosper,” said founding chairman Henry Muñoz III, who stepped down in May. “I think it's unfortunate that it opened right before the economy cratered, and I think it's unfortunate that it hasn't had — apart from Henry Muñoz — a consistent, sustainable development effort.”

Until he left this year, Muñoz was, in fact, the most visible and consistent leader of the museum he brought into being.

Director Laura Esparza left a little more than a month after the grand opening. Ruth Medellin resigned soon after. Eliseo Rios, who became interim director of the museum after Esparza's departure, left in July after a year on the job.

Nicolas, former director of the Florida-based Home Shopping Español, took over an organization in financial distress — one paying out $1.2 million for staff salaries and contract personnel, leaving only $770,000 to cover programs, marketing and building overhead expenses, according to the 2008 audit.

Expensive proposition

How did it get there? While Muñoz blames the economy and a lack of consistent fundraising, Flores and Nicolas said the museum sometimes lived beyond its means.

“The museum is an expensive proposition,” Flores said. “Could we have (had) better oversight ... or could it have been done in a tighter business model to not have run up these expenses? Sure.”

Rather than pointing fingers, they prefer to look forward.

“It's an institution that has provided good shows, good economic development for Market Square,” Nicolas said. “It has brought in tourists; it has educated a lot of our own people in the community. All the good things are there. It's just a matter of righting the ship.”

Flores and Nicolas have taken aggressive steps to shore up the museum, including reducing the staff and paring down the budget from $3.4 million to what Nicolas calls a “do-able” $1.9 million.

They also have implemented practical measures: requiring board members to donate $1,500 annually and re-routing visitors so they exit through the gift shop.

“If we didn't have that debt, we wouldn't be running a deficit,” Nicolas said. “Because if we live within our means and we only spend what we take in, we'd be fine.”

The problem is finding corporate funders and individuals willing to help bail out the organization.

“It has been very hard to find people that want to give money to pay off debt,” Nicolas said. “That's a tough thing to do. That's my greatest challenge right now — trying to figure out how to pay that because I want to rebuild our credit and our credibility.”

Can't let it fall

George Cortez, part owner of Mi Tierra Corp., said he only recently learned about the museum's financial problems. He voiced his support for Flores and Nicolas.

“This museo is the legacy to our parents,” said Cortez, who was part of the early effort to create a Latino museum in San Antonio. “This is an affirmation to the younger generations that are coming forward. This is an American story of who we are. So, can we let this bandera (flag) fall? Absolutely not.”

The museum receives arts funding from the Office of Cultural Affairs. In addition, the city, which owns the three buildings the Alameda manages, gave the museum $315,000 in 2007 to underwrite free admission.

If the Alameda is seeking additional city funding for the museum, it won't be able to count on Mayor Julián Castro as an ally. His wife, Erica, is a member of the board — though her involvement has been limited — and Castro said he would recuse himself if the issue came up for a council vote.

“It's a significant institution that merits serious consideration in its request, but I'd rather avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest,” Castro said.

Deputy City Manager Pat DiGiovanni said the city isn't in position to help the museum pay its debts but is exploring other ways to help.

“We have an interest in seeing them stay there and remain viable there because they are in our building,” DiGiovanni said. “We don't want to see that building go dark.”

The county also has an interest in the organization. Last year, Bexar County commissioners earmarked $6 million from venue tax funds for restoration of the Alameda Theater.

“We have to be careful that our money goes to what the voters approved, which was for capital improvements to the theater,” County Judge Nelson Wolff said. “So we're trying to see how they're going to come along and how they're going to work their issues out. So we're monitoring it right now.”

Last month, “Jesse Treviño: Mi Vida,” the first major retrospective devoted to the San Antonio artist responsible for the landmark “Spirit of Healing” mural at Christus Santa Rosa Children's Hospital downtown, opened at the museum. The Alameda went forward with the show only after the initial $200,000 budget was whittled down to $75,000 and funding had been secured, Flores said.

“We're not in it to go into the former model where ‘Let's make the expense and see who takes care of it,'” she said.

Exhibit attendance has been “brisk,” Nicolas said. “The people are really excited about the show, and I think it has breathed some new life into the museum, which is very important.”

Just before the retrospective opened, the museum reinstated admission fees. When the show closes at the end of February, only one floor of the museum will be programmed at a time to leave a floor available for rental.

“I think that we saw from the Jesse Treviño two-day opening the interest our community has in continuing to see these kinds of exhibits,” Flores said. “So we hope that along with the effort that we're doing, that the economy eases up and we'll be able to get through this very difficult economic time.”

Source: The San Antonio Express News

Arizona: Hispanics increase economic clout

2009-11-19T20:29:10-06:00

November 18, 2009
By Ed Taylor

The rapidly growing Hispanic community in Arizona is playing an increasing role in the economic and cultural life of the state, according to a study released Wednesday by the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The report called "Datos 2009: Focus on Arizona's Hispanic Market" is released annually by the chamber and is compiled from publicly available information by graduate and undergraduate students at Arizona State University under the direction of Louis Olivas, vice president of education partnerships.

It includes the latest information on population, purchasing power, birth rates and other consumer and business trends.

According to the report, Arizona's 1.9 million Latinos accounted for about 30 percent of the state's total population in 2007, which ranks fourth highest among the states in terms of population percentage.

The Hispanic population is continuing to grow rapidly, especially in Maricopa County. Between 2000 and 2007 the country ranked second after Los Angeles County for the largest increase in Hispanic population. The majority - 63 percent - are U.S.-born.

The median age of Arizona Hispanics is 25 compared with 42 for the white non-Hispanic population. Median household income is $40,476 compared with $55,554 for the white non-Hispanic population.

The fertility rate for the Hispanic population considerably exceeds that for white non-Hispanics. In 2007 Hispanic births accounted for 25 percent of all births in the United States.

Teen pregnancy remains a major issue facing the Latino community. The birth rate for Hispanic teens fell 21 percent between 1991 and 2004, but it is still double the national average.

The median age of Hispanics in the U.S. was only 27.7 in 2008, compared with 36.8 for the total population. Nearly two-thirds of Hispanics are under 35.

The youth of the Hispanic community is reflected in Arizona classrooms. Hispanics accounted for 86 percent of total growth in the state's school enrollment from 1998 to 2008. According to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, Hispanic high school graduates will exceed the number of white non-Hispanic graduates in Arizona by 2017-18. That phenomenon has already occurred in New Mexico and California, and Arizona will likely follow, the report said.

Although Hispanics constitute 30 percent of Arizona's population, they account for only 16 percent of the state's buying power. Still, that amounts to $31.1 billion, and their purchasing power is growing faster than the overall average, Olivas said.

In 2008 Hispanics accounted for 8.9 percent of all U.S. buying power, up from 5 percent in 1990. In total, U.S. Hispanics account for $951 billion in spending power nationwide, and by 2013 that figure is projected to reach $1.38 trillion.

Hispanic consumers have diverse attitudes. They tend to be particularly avid movie watchers, being responsible for buying 297 million movie tickets in the past year compared with 150 million tickets for blacks and 155 million for all other ethnicities combined, the report said.

In Arizona, store and brand preferences of Hispanics differ from those of white non-Hispanics. Hispanics are likely to purchase audio-video equipment at Kmart and clothing at Burlington Coat Factory and might look to the Internet for insurance and sports-event tickets.

Hispanics are embracing new media and technology at a striking rate, the report said. Sixty percent of 18- to 34-year-old Latinos and 76 percent of U.S.-born Latinos access the Internet. During a recent 12-month period, the average amount spent online by a Latino in Phoenix was $831.

Forty percent of Hispanics maintain profiles on sites such as MySpace, Facebook or MiGente, a sign of the high social connectedness among Latinos, the report said,

Cell phone use is notably high among Latinos. Specifically, Hispanic adults ages 18-34 use an average of 1,200 cell phone minutes per month compared with 950 minutes for the general population.

The Phoenix market ranks eighth in the nation for Spanish TV watching, according to Nielsen Media Research. The vast majority of Hispanic adults - 82 percent - also say they read Hispanic newspapers.

The data portray a Hispanic community that is "a powerful and dynamic consumer market with many layers of social, economic and cultural complexity," the report said. "This year's edition is full of demographic and consumer insights that suggest the Hispanic population's upward trajectory is too strong to be derailed by the current economic recession."

Source: East Valley Tribune

DOOH Effectively Reaches Latinos On The Go

2009-11-19T20:26:52-06:00

November 19, 2009
by Rob Gorrie

The 2010 Census is nearly complete, and all marketers are on the edge of their seat waiting to see how the pie will break out. But while we wait, we should be doing much more than sitting - we should be preparing, since we already know what the upcoming Census will simply confirm - that ethnic groups have continued to increase as a percentage of the population and as a viable target market.

In particular, Hispanics, which make up over 15% of the American population with a total of 46 million living in the U.S. today, offer tremendous marketing opportunities. In 2008, the Latino community wielded a buying power of more than $980 billion, a number that is projected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2013.

However, sheer size is not this group's only asset. Latinos have been showing increasing technology adoption rates and high mobile saturation, making digital media ideal for reaching and engaging them. Yet, few marketers truly utilized digital media when reaching out to the Hispanic community.

While some multicultural marketers are using websites such as YahooTelemundo.com and MSNLatino.com for reaching Hispanics online, most marketers stop at a handful of TV networks, radio stations and magazines, resulting in many lost opportunities. The fact remains that Hispanic consumers are increasingly on the go and are consuming media in new and often dynamic ways throughout their day.

Reaching busy Latinos on the go

One of the forms of media that is effectively reaching on-the-go Hispanics is digital out-of-home (DOOH). DOOH is made up of LCD screens placed in premium and highly targetable consumer viewing locations ranging from doctor's offices to taxi cabs, pharmacies, restaurants, gas pumps and more. The screens, which are controlled by a networked software system, offer real-time, closed-loop distribution of relevant, customized content with advertising spots interspersed between the content segments.

One of the main benefits of digital out-of-home is its precise targeting. DOOH campaigns can be planned down to a specific screen with specific content in a specific zip code. The ability to hyper-target is amplified even further when paired with overlay data from organizations such as the U.S. Census, Simmons or Scarborough. Thus allowing marketers to drive localized campaigns while sitting in the national driver's seat. And the results are strong.

A recent Samsung DOOH campaign generated a 49% increase in unaided brand awareness. In addition, a current study showed an increase of 70% in same store lift for potato chips when DOOH advertising was added to the marketing mix. Recent results from a national financial services institution campaign, specifically targeting Hispanic consumers utilizing DOOH resulting in 66% of the audience being Hispanic. Hispanic consumers are among the highest indexing profile of those who notice DOOH, according to Arbitron. The "digital" nature of digital out-of-home media can lend itself to an array of options in delivering the right message to the right consumer at the right time.

Consider a Hispanic-targeted campaign for the Texas State Lottery, promoted in grocery stores, gas stations and convenience stores. The campaign is optimized to reach zip codes within the top 10% of Hispanic markets. A baseline content program features a 15-second ad promoting jackpot size, ticket sales and draw dates - Wednesday and Saturday. When the jackpot reaches $10 million or more, a second spot is activated up until the draw date, promoting the new jackpot number.

An ad such as this could be targeted even further by customizing the content by venue category. For instance, in a grocery environment, the ad could read: "Imagine your grocery list after winning $13,000,000. Pick up your Texas Lotto ticket at the check-out." Now imagine how it could be targeted to a gas station network: "Nice car...what would you be driving if you won this Saturday's Texas Lotto for $13,000,000? Pick up your ticket at the counter inside."

If you're looking for a great way to reach and engage Hispanic consumers, look into digital out-of-home media. Hispanic consumers are on the go, and their behavior, adaptation to technology and media consumption patterns show that there is a gold mine of opportunity in DOOH media awaiting multicultural marketers. Take advantage of this opportunity today and you will capture the loyalty of Hispanic consumers for the long-term.

Source: MediaPost

Immigration Reform: The Phone Call Heard Around the Country

2009-11-19T20:25:17-06:00

Nov 19, 2009
By Marcelo Ballvé

Organizers described them as immigration reform "house parties."

Across the country last night, in churches, schools, immigrant support centers and private homes, backers of immigration reform gathered around telephones (the speaker phone turning the device into a de-facto radio) as Hispanic U.S. legislators laid out the strategy for pushing a reform of the immigration system in 2010.

On the call were Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.; Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y.; and Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz. Immigrant rights advocates from various parts of the country also spoke.

In effect, the event was a massive conference call, connecting thousands of immigration reform supporters to one another and to Washington, D.C. decision makers.

The “house parties” came less than a week after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the White House was preparing to push the U.S. Congress on immigration reform early in 2010.

On the call, the legislators urged listeners -- 16,000 telephone lines were active during the event, and translation services were provided for tens of thousands of participants -- to call their members of Congress and ask for action on immigration reform.

The immigrant organizers who spoke on the call urged listeners to call their legislators and use their cell phones to text the words "Justice" or "Justicia" to the number 69866. In the coming months, they would receive, via cell phone, updates about actions they might take to advance immigration reform.

The call, organized by the Washington, D.C.-based Reform Immigration for America campaign, a coalition of pro-reform organizations, was first conducted in English, and 15 minutes later, in Spanish.

Reps. Grijalva, Gutierrez and Velázquez spoke on both calls.

At Make the Road New York, an immigrant services center in the Jackson Heights section of Queens, the first call was heard during an evening English class, the phone on speaker mode placed on a chair in the middle of the room.

"We're going to make sure that the families that were broken by our system have a pathway to reunification," said Rep. Gutierrez, near the end of the call.

Pietro Idrovo, a 43-year-old Ecuador-born welder, was among those in the classroom.

Although some of his classmates were undocumented immigrants, Idrovo said he was a U.S. citizen and had voted in U.S. elections since 2000.

He said the call had made him feel more engaged with the immigration issue. "Since I came to this country, I've been hearing about immigration, but I had never paid that much attention because I came in legally and I'm a citizen," he said. "But that doesn't change this fact -- I'm an immigrant too."

After the call, the English teacher scrawled a list of items on the writing board, while her immigrant students, young and old, looked on.

"Call Congress," the teacher wrote. Below that, she wrote, "Text Justice."

The students dutifully took notes and began pressing the keys on their cell phones.

Meanwhile, the twang of guitars and wheeze of accordions drifted in from a nearby room -- a neighborhood music group was meeting at the same time.

Then the teacher read out the phone number to powerful New York Sen. Charles Schumer and urged her students to give him a call. Again, the students put their cell phones to work.

Fifteen minutes later it was time for the call in Spanish. Some 50 to 60 immigrants were gathered in a large, brightly painted room, and members of the center's staff handed out plates of arroz con pollo and beverages.

During the call, participants from far-flung states like Arkansas and Iowa dialed in and asked questions of the legislators.

The call to action was repeated: Immigrants should prepare for a concerted grassroots push on immigration reform in the first half of January.

"We're committed to having immigration reform be considered by Congress in the next few months," said Rep. Velázquez.

Among those drifting out of the room after the call was Rosa Y., a 34-year-old Ecuadorean who did not want to give her last name because she does not have papers.

She said she had two children in Ecuador whom she had not seen in nine years, and was mainly interested in immigration reform to have a chance to be with them.

"They should give us a chance to get our papers, so that we can work and help our children get ahead," she said.

Source: New America Media

Juan Tornoe: Hispanic Households and Consumer Durables 1998 - 2005

2009-11-19T13:02:04-06:00

Today I received a press release from the Census Bureau with the header, "Homes with Cell Phones Nearly Double in First Half of Decade." You can thank them for sending me down this rabbit trail... "Inquiring minds wanted to know" not only how HH cell phone ownership trended through time for Latinos, but hey, I could also find out how the % of ownership of other interesting (at least for me) consumer durables varied in recent times in Hispanic HHs, AND how they compared with the Jones' (non-Hispanic white HHs, that is).

Continue reading and check out some cool graphs by clicking on the link below...

via www.juantornoe.com