News (Noticias) Tagged ‘Pew Hispanic’

Since 2000 Hispanics have accounted for more than half (50.5%) of the overall population growth in the United States — a significant new demographic milestone for the nation’s largest minority group. During the 1990s, the Hispanic population also expanded rapidly, but in that decade its growth accounted for less than 40% of the nation’s total population increase. In a reversal of past trends, Latino population growth in the new century has been more a product of the natural increase (births minus deaths) of the existing population than it has been of new international migration. As of mid-2007, Hispanics accounted for 15.1% of the total U.S. population.

Since 2000 many Latinos have settled in counties that once had few Latinos, continuing a pattern that began in the previous decade. But there are subtle differences in Hispanic settlement patterns in the current decade compared with those of the 1990s. The dispersion of Latinos in the new century has tilted more to counties in the West and the Northeast. Despite the new tilt, however, the South accounted for a greater share of overall Latino population growth than any other region in the new century. There is also an ever-growing concentration of Hispanic population growth in metropolitan areas. These findings emerge from the Pew Hispanic Center’s analysis of the Census Bureau’s 2007 county population estimates, supplemented by 1990 and 2000 county population counts from the Decennial Censuses. “

Direct link to report PDF: http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=95

The current economic slowdown has taken a far greater toll on non-citizen immigrants than it has on the United States population as a whole. The median annual income of non-citizen immigrant households–a group that accounts for 7% of all U.S. households and 52% of all immigrant households–fell 7.3% from 2006 to 2007. In contrast, the median annual income of all U.S. households increased 1.3% during the same period.

The characteristics of immigrant heads of households who are not U.S. citizens help explain the vulnerability of this population to the latest economic slowdown. Most arrived in the U.S. in recent years with only a high school education or less. Many are employed in blue-collar production and construction occupations or lower-rung occupations in the service sector. The majority (56%) of non-citizen households are Hispanic. And nearly half (45%) of non-citizen immigrant households are headed by an undocumented immigrant. ”

follow the link above to learn more…

“There were 11.9 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States in March 2008, according to new Pew Hispanic Center estimates. The size of the unauthorized population appears to have declined since 2007, but this finding is inconclusive because of the margin of error in these estimates.

However, it is clear from the estimates that the unauthorized immigrant population grew more slowly in the period from 2005 to 2008 than it did earlier in the decade.

It also is clear that from 2005 to 2008, the inflow of immigrants who are undocumented fell below that of immigrants who are legal permanent residents. That reverses a trend that began a decade ago. The turnaround appears to have occurred in 2007.

The Pew Hispanic Center also estimates that inflows of unauthorized immigrants averaged 800,000 a year from 2000 to 2004, but fell to 500,000 a year from 2005 to 2008 with a decreasing year-to-year trend. By contrast, the inflow of legal permanent residents has been relatively steady this decade.”

Read the Complete Report (PDF)

Half (50%) of all Latinos say that the situation of Latinos in this country is worse now than it was a year ago, according to a new nationwide survey of 2,015 Hispanic adults conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center.This pessimism is especially prevalent among immigrants, who account for 54% of all Hispanic adults in the United States. Fully 63% of these Latino immigrants say that the situation of Latinos has worsened over the past year. In 2007, just 42% of all adult Hispanic immigrants–and just 33% of all Hispanic adults–said the same thing.

These increasingly downbeat assessments come at a time when the Hispanic community in this country–numbering approximately 46 million, or 15.4% of the total U.S. civilian non-institutional population–has been hit hard by rising unemployment (Kochhar 2008) and stepped-up immigration enforcement. “

The number of Hispanic students in the nation’s public schools nearly doubled from 1990 to 2006, accounting for 60% of the total growth in public school enrollments over that period. There are now approximately 10 million Hispanic students in the nation’s public kindergartens and its elementary and high schools; they make up about one-in-five public school students in the United States. In 1990, just one-in-eight public school students were Hispanic.

Strong growth in Hispanic enrollment is expected to continue for decades, according to a recently released U.S. Census Bureau population projection. The bureau projects that the Hispanic school-age population will increase by 166% by 2050 (to 28 million from 11 million in 2006), while the non-Hispanic school-age population will grow by just 4% (to 45 million from 43 million) over this same period.¹ In 2050, there will be more school-age Hispanic children than school-age non-Hispanic white children.

To help Hispanics, national health reform must include more than just expanded access to health insurance, the president of the National Hispanic Medical Association said Wednesday.
“We need health reform plus,” said Dr. Elena Rios, with a big boost in health education for adults and children, and more training in cultural sensitivity for health care providers. She spoke at a briefing for reporters sponsored by the Alliance for Health Reform and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Among Hispanics in the U.S. lacking a usual source of health care, 45 percent already have health insurance, according to a study discussed at the briefing. The study was conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The term “health care provider” in the future should mean more than doctors and nurses, Dr. Rios said. “It’s a health care team with community linkages…We need the nutritionists and the educators…to be part of the team.” Education about diabetes and preventing obesity is crucial to Hispanics, she said.
Mass media should be an important part of health education, panelists at the briefing agreed. The Pew - Robert Wood Johnson study found that Latinos report getting health information from television almost as much as from medical professionals. The third most common source of health information was family and friends, with print media in fourth place.
“Health communications need to be targeted at (Hispanics) less than 30 years old,” Dr. Rios said. Such health education messages should be appropriate for those with low literacy skills, as well as for those who speak both English and Spanish, she added. “There’s got to be a new media approach (using) the internet and cable (and) social marketing.”
But panelists pointed out that having health insurance is still important for Hispanics, the largest ethnic group in the U.S. and the ethnic group most likely to be uninsured; more than one in three Hispanics lacks coverage.
The Pew - Robert Wood Johnson study shows that Hispanics with health insurance are much more likely than the uninsured to get preventive care, such as blood pressure checks and monitoring of cholesterol and blood sugar.
“Having equitable access (to care) affects the entire U.S. population, but especially affects the U.S. Latino population,” said Dr. William Vega, professor of medicine at the University of California - Los Angeles School of Medicine.
Also speaking at the briefing were Debra Joy Perez of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Susan Minushkin of the Pew Hispanic Center, and Sumi Sousa, health advisor to the speaker of the California Assembly.

Alliance for Health Reform
William Erwin, 202-789-2300
BillErwin@allhealth.org
or
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Adam Coyne, 609-627-5894
ACoyne@rwjf.org
or
Pew Hispanic Center
Susan Minushkin, 202-419-3611
sminushkin@pewhispanic.org
or
UCLA Medical School
Dr. William Vega, 609-977-0703
WVega@mednet.ucla.edu
or
National Hispanic Medical Association
Dr. Elena Rios, 202-628-5895
nhma@nhmamd.org
or
California Assembly
Sumi Sousa, 916-612-4780
Sumi.Sousa@asm.ca.gov

“

Download Full Report PDF

More than one-fourth of Hispanic adults in the U.S. lack a usual health care provider, and a similar proportion report obtaining no health care information from medical personnel in the past year. At the same time, more than eight in ten report receiving health information from media sources, such as television and radio, according to a Pew Hispanic Center survey of Latino adults, conducted in conjunction with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “

Fundacion Azteca America, the non-profit arm of the Azteca America Network, is teaming up with Voto Latino, an organization dedicated to promoting political awareness, in a national informational and fundraising campaign through its Movimiento Azteca America program.
Azteca America Network will run calls to action on its screen during the week of Aug. 4 - Aug. 10 inviting viewers to visit www.votolatino.org, as well as sending viewers of its web portal www.aztecaamerica.com to www.votolatino.org to encourage voter participation and funding for the non-profit organization Voto Latino.
Movimiento Azteca is one of the most powerful fundraising tools of Fundacion Azteca America. Through Fundacion Azteca, the foundation’s Mexico- based sister organization, over US$40 million have been raised to assist non- profit organizations that focus on an array of social and environmental causes.
“We’re excited to be able to expand our voter engagement activities in conjunction with Fundacion Azteca America’s Movimiento Azteca at this important moment of our nation’s history,” said Maria Teresa Petersen, founding executive director of Voto Latino.
“With three months to go to the Nov. 4 elections, now is the time to mobilize our community toward political participation,” said Luis J. Echarte, Chairman of Fundacion Azteca America and Azteca America Network.
Although the Hispanic community accounts for 16% of total US population, eligible voters represent 9% of the US total, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. “

Academic experts including myself and think-tank demographers like Jeffrey Passell at the Pew Hispanic Center agree that there has been a slowdown in undocumented migration since 2007; the real question is what is causing it. The CIS report declares victory for the “enforcement-only” approach, but it offers no direct evidence that fewer undocumented migrants are attempting to come to the U.S., nor that fewer of them are getting in, nor that more of those already here are leaving the U.S., as a result of enforcement efforts. In another romp through census (Current Population Survey) data that contains no information on the legal status of interviewees, CIS uses “young, less-educated, Hispanic” as a proxy for being illegal - at least three-quarters of them (another arbitrary guess-timate). This is such a grossly imprecise metric that it renders the rest of the analysis essentially useless, especially the alleged discrepancy between growth rates of the illegal vs. legal immigrant population, which the report claims is a key indicator that enforcement is working.”

Janet Murguia, national steering committee member of Strong American Schools and President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza, will call on more than ten thousand journalists and media executives to support education reform during UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc.’s 2008 annual conference.

Recent polls show that as Americans focus on the critical issues that face this country, education continues to be a top priority. A poll conducted by The Pew Hispanic Center recently found that 94 percent of Latino voters said that education is extremely or very important to them, coming in above health care, the economy, and education. Another recent poll by Rasmussen’s found that nearly 90 percent of Americans believe education is important in the next congressional election.

These issues will be at the forefront of Murguia’s discussion during the panel “What’s Next for Generation Next in Education.”

Date: Thursday, July 24, 2008

Time: 2:00 p.m. CST

Location: McCormick Place West

Room W-196

2301 S. Lake Shore Drive

Chicago, IL 60616″

atino community continues to rank education as number one issue
Former West Virginia Governor Bob Wise, advisor to Strong American Schools, president of The Alliance for Excellent Education, and author of Raising the Grade: How High School Reform Can Save Our Youth And Our Nation called today on thousands from the Latino community, in attendance at the National Council of La Raza’s Annual Conference, to continue to make education reform a priority. Wise, who cited recent polls that show education as a top issue of concern for Latinos, also urged the nation’s leaders to win the race to education excellence.
“Almost fifty years ago, President Kennedy challenged the nation to win the race to the moon and people responded with renewed vigor and aptitude in the sciences,” said Wise. “Today our nation’s leaders have the same responsibility. They must challenge the nation to win the race to education excellence. Our schools are in peril and the time to act is now.”
Wise, who was joined by National Council of La Raza President & CEO Janet Murguia, Tom Nelson, and United States Representative Joe Baca, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said that America’s future economic security depends upon the skills and knowledge of our students.
“Our struggling education system must be fixed in order to safeguard the economic future of American students and guarantee they are ready for college, work, and life,” said Wise.
Recent polls show that as Americans focus on the vital issues facing this country, education remains at the forefront. Rasmussen’s most recent poll found, for the second month in a row, that nearly 90 percent of Americans believe education is important, ahead of health care and immigration. The Pew Hispanic Center recently found that 94 percent of Latino voters said that education is extremely or very important to them, coming in above health care, the economy, and education.
“Given the uncertain economy, the emergence of education as a consistent top-tier issue signifies Americans recognize the future of the country depends on its ability to prepare our children to compete within a global economy,” added Wise.
“Almost one third of our kids are not graduating from high school. It is costly to the nation. The difference in lifetime earnings between a high school dropout and a college graduate is over one million dollars,” said Wise, who offered three solutions to address America’s education crisis including: setting standards higher, placing an effective teacher in every classroom and ensuring students are spending enough time in school.
Editor’s note: To speak with ED in ‘08 senior officials, please contact the ED in ‘08 press office at 202. 870. 1097.
CONTACT: Krista Zaharias, (202) 870-1097 - cell, Krista.Zaharias@StrongAmericanSchools.org “

BASF has launched a Spanish version of www.highperformancecommunity.com to serve the North American Spanish speaking building and construction community. Those interested in learning more about BASF’s solutions for sustainable, energy efficient and durable construction systems can easily click the “En Español” tab to access all information in their native language.

“As a leader in the building and construction industry, BASF wants to be the first major chemical company to provide building resources to the Hispanic population in their native language, both within the United States, as well as throughout Latin America,” said Jack Armstrong, Leader Construction Markets in North America, BASF.

In the United States, Spanish speaking professionals represent the largest minority segment within the construction industry. According to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center (Statistical Portrait of Hispanics in the United States, 2006), the Hispanic population make up roughly 14.8 percent of the U.S. population, yet comprise 21.9 percent of the U.S. construction workforce.

The website also serves BASF customers in Mexico, a key strategic market for BASF in the North America region. With a population of 100 million people, Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world and is an important market for BASF building and construction solutions.

Visitors to the site will have access to information about BASF integrated solutions including:

* Building envelope technologies;
* HVAC & plumbing components for high-efficiency comfort conditioning and plumbing systems;
* Concrete, additives and infrastructure technologies for improved durability, strength and lifecycle cost;
* Coatings that protect investments from weather, water, chemicals and wear; and
* Landscaping and exterior aesthetics that help sell a home or make a statement about a business

BASF - The Chemical Company. We don’t make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.®

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 15,000 employees in North America, and had sales of approximately $16.4 billion in 2007. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from oil and gas to chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals. As a reliable partner, BASF helps its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF has more than 95,000 employees and posted sales of almost €58 billion in 2007. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com. “*

Students designated as English language learners (ELL) tend to go to public schools with low standardized test scores. However, these low levels of assessed proficiency are not solely attributable to poor achievement by ELL students. These same schools report poor achievement by other major student groups as well, and have a set of characteristics associated generally with poor standardized test performance–such as high student-teacher ratios, high student enrollments and high levels of students who live in poverty or near poverty. When ELL students are not isolated in these low-achieving schools, their gap in test score results is considerably narrower.”*

Report PDF

Presumptive presidential nominees Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and John McCain (R-AZ) will speak at the League of United Latin American Citizens during the organization’s national convention at the Washington Hilton Hotel on July 8th. Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) will appear at the organization’s Presidential Banquet on Friday, July 11th. All three Senators underscore the importance candidates are placing on the Latino vote in the upcoming election.

McCain will speak at LULAC’s Unity Luncheon at noon on July 8 in the International Ballroom of the Hilton at 1919 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Obama will speak at an “Open Dialogue with Obama” Forum on the same day at 4:30 p.m. in the International Ballroom. Senator Clinton is scheduled to address the convention’s Presidential Awards Banquet at 7 p.m. on July 11.

The Presidential candidates Senator Obama and Senator McCain will appear before hundreds of Latino leaders from across the country, community, political and business leaders at the 79th annual convention of the nation’s oldest and largest Hispanic advocacy group. “The candidates are vigorously vying for the Latino vote,” said Rosa Rosales, LULAC National President of the 115,000-member organization. “Our voting power has been an important factor in the last decade and it is becoming more critical with each election, particularly in key battleground states such as Florida, Ohio, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Florida. At least 9.2 million Latinos will cast their votes this November.”

LULAC, a nonpartisan civil rights organization, is participating in a nationwide voter registration drive aimed at significantly increasing the Hispanic vote in the Nov. 4 election. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, “Hispanics constitute a sizable share of the electorate in four of the six states that President Bush carried by margins of five percentage points or fewer in 2004 — New Mexico (where Hispanics make up 37% of the state’s eligible electorate); Florida (14%); Nevada (12%) and Colorado (12%). All four are expected to be closely contested once again in 2008.”

The theme of LULAC’s convention, America’s Latino Community Center Stage, highlights the importance of Latino voters in determining the next president. “Every year the LULAC national convention draws attention to the challenges facing Latino,” said Ms. Rosales. “This year will be no exception as we focus on such issues as voter participation, education, immigration and health care reform and the need to increase Latino representation in the highest levels of government and corporate governance. We are delighted that Senator Obama, Senator Clinton and Senator McCain will be joining us as we work on these critical issues.

For more information or to register for the convention visit,

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) has signed a two-year agreement with VivaReal, operated by Bilingual Marketing Group, an online real estate media company, that will give its 15,500 members prominent placement on the recently launched Spanish-language web site VivaReal.us (www.vivareal.us). The online portal, which is in beta, provides Hispanic home-buyers with home-buying how-to videos, podcasts and educational content all in Spanish and links them with bilingual local real estate professionals and property listings they are interested in.

“VivaReal.us offers a perfect online meeting space for NAHREP members and Hispanic buyers that want to learn about the home-buying process, connect with experts and search for properties,” said Timothy Sandos, NAHREP President & CEO. “This is a great benefit for members because it also gives them a forum to share their expertise in their local markets through social media networking tools.”

Under the agreement, NAHREP members will be able to create a professional profile, upload property listings and generate a blog on the Hispanic home-buyer network that is gaining popularity with potential homebuyers.

“The sub-prime crisis has highlighted the need to educate Latinos at every step of the home-buying process,” said Brian Requarth, CEO of Bilingual Marketing. “We understand the growing need to have one reliable place online where Hispanics can start pursuing their dream of owning a home. VivaReal’s partnership with NAHREP brings together information specifically for Hispanic home-buyers, property listings and local professionals to help them make educated decisions to make that dream come true.”

VivaReal.us features user-friendly audio and video content in Spanish that communicates clearly with Hispanic home-buyers who want to learn more about the home-buying process. Topics such as “Choosing an Agent,” “Getting Prequalified for a Loan,” “Looking for and Finding the Right Home,” “Negotiating an Offer,” are just a few of the subjects covered.

The Spanish language web site currently has listings in major markets and, with recently agreed partnerships, will increase its database by over 100,000 listings in the coming months.

Under its partnership with NAHREP, Requarth and his company will teach bilingual agents how to create an effective blog that builds their profile in the online real estate community with other Spanish speakers. The service is free for NAHREP members.

According to a study issued earlier this year by the Pew Hispanic Center, more than one-in-two Latinos goes online and 76 percent of bilingual Hispanics use the Internet.

About VivaReal.us

VivaReal.us is where Spanish speaking professionals and home-buyers go to learn about buying and selling homes.

VivaReal is operated by Bilingual Marketing Group, which is a privately owned California company with offices in Santa Rosa, California and Bogota, Colombia.

About NAHREP

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, a non-profit 501c6 trade association, is dedicated to increasing the homeownership rate among Latinos by educating and empowering the real estate professionals that serve them. Based in Washington D.C., NAHREP is the premier trade organization for Hispanics and has more than 15,500 members in 48 states and 62 affiliate chapters. “*

With the focus now squarely on the general election, the pressure intensifies to work those pieces of the demographic pie that could mean The White House. Among the tastier slices? U.S. Latino voters.

Ten years ago, at just under 11% of the U.S. population, the U.S. Hispanic market began drawing interest in earnest, some pointing to untapped spending, others to the potential for playing a decisive role in an election. Even so, efforts have been piecemeal and adjunct. Today, at just over 15% of the population and growing, campaigns are finally getting game, dedicating larger budgets and integrating efforts earlier. More important than the percentage of the U.S. population that is Latino is the percentage of the voting public they represent in many key states as demonstrated in the recent Democratic primary contests.

In Texas, Latino participation went from 24% in 2004 to 32% this year. In California, where roughly a third of the population is Latino, 1.2 million Latinos voted – the highest total of any state – representing a whopping 29% of the total vote. This is a dramatic increase from the 2004 primaries where Latinos accounted for just 16% of the total vote. According to studies by the Pew Hispanic Center, Latinos’ stake of the Democratic primary vote increased significantly since 2004 in 15 other states, including Arizona, Nevada, New Jersey and New Mexico.

What could be bringing Latino voters out in such record numbers? It could be the record amounts being spent on Spanish and English language ads targeting Latinos; however, the proportion of dollars spent to the relative increase in voter turnout doesn’t support this idea.

And although more attention than ever is focused on the Latino electorate, media still struggles with how to characterize Latino voters and campaigns how to decisively galvanize their support.

Why should this group be so hard to get a handle on?

Perhaps it’s because the descriptor “Latino” tends to be erroneously interpreted as meaning this is a homogeneous group or, at least as an electorate, a group that shares the same general cluster of characteristics somewhat discrete from other groups. In my experience when there is some acknowledgement of heterogeneity it is typically in terms of different levels of “acculturation,” a concept I heartily dissuade clients and all comers alike to discard as virtually useless.

The problem with applying the term “acculturation” to the U.S. Latino experience is that there is no specific definition, only the vague inference that people progress along an implicitly linear continuum of mainstream American-ness going from “Less American” to “More American” until they are “fully acculturated.”

But more or less American than whom or what? A flourishing advertising and marketing industry spends tens of millions of dollars each year carefully dissecting and targeting all different kinds of Americans.

Going back to the homogeneity assumption, when it comes to trying to differentiate Latinos as a group from other groups, the temptation is to focus on cultural differences such as the much-touted family-centric ethos. I contend this is not relevant when addressing Latinos as voters. Instead, I believe the focus needs to be on characteristics that correlate highly with being a U.S. Latino and are shared in common with other groups in order to understand their needs and draw support.

The average U.S. Latino has more children, earns less money and has a lower level of educational achievement than the average American. For Spanish language dominant Americans (22% of eligible Latino voters), the language barrier means there are fewer resources available to them, resulting in frustration and alienation. They feel no one understands the special challenges they face in raising their family in today’s society. Interestingly, in focus groups I’ve found these same feelings voiced by single mothers.

The lower paying jobs U.S. Latinos tend to hold typically don’t offer health insurance, further threatening the tentative foothold many have on economic survival – a worry they have in common with more and more Americans as the ranks of the middle class continue to shrink. Latinos also represent an unusually high proportion of family members serving in the Iraq war – a burden they share with low income Americans of all races and ethnicities.

The key to appealing to Latinos in this election year is understanding that they represent the hardest hit of the hardest hit in the current economic downturn and have the most to lose as the war grinds on in Iraq. Hillary Clinton’s relative success with Latino voters had nothing to do with Black-Brown tensions undermining Obama and everything to do with her campaign focus on the needs of working class people and the Bill Clinton legacy of a strong economy.

And while historically Latinos have leaned towards the Democratic Party, examination of Latino voter behavior over the last few elections suggests neither Democrats nor Republicans can count on party line support. In 2004 George Bush drew more than 40% of the Latino vote, and I would contend this was in large part due to his ability to appeal to the working class. And while the 2006 mid-term elections showed an overall decrease in Latino support of Republican Congressional and gubernatorial candidates and an overall increase in support of Democrats, Latinos split their ballots voting in record numbers for certain Republicans.

So why are Latinos turning out in record numbers to vote? Because not since the 1960s has so much been at stake for the lowest on the economic totem pole. The economy and the war have only worsened in the last two years. While these are important issues for everyone, for working class families their very survival hangs in the balance.

To carry the Latino vote in this election, the focus is simple… think “hardest hit of the hardest hit.” McCain has a good start in this direction. His Spanish language ads are direct and to the point, saying, “When it comes to filling up our shopping carts or gas tanks, we aren’t Democrats or Republicans. We’re Latinos suffering in this together…” and promising (however vague) solutions to these economic woes.

While Obama’s Latino-focused ads are hip, catchy and even moving (reggaeton beats to chants promising “Hope has arrived”), they do not address important needs or propose a plan of action. As Reina, an anonymous Latina in Los Angeles commented in response to seeing these ads, “It’s upbeat, but does he get how bad things are? Can he handle the challenges? What has he ever done?”

As Obama heads into the final months of the general election, if he wishes to garner the coveted Latino vote, he will have to present the answer to an even more important question: what will he do for Hispanics, the people on the front lines of our floundering economy.

Ines Poza, Ph.D., is the owner of Poza Consulting Services, a market research firm based in Santa Monica, CA providing research and strategic planning for media and consumer goods targeting general market and Latino audiences in the U.S. and Latin America. Contact Dr. Poza at 310.264.4637.

“*

The race to the White House is in full gear. With the tense political atmosphere, the remaining presidential nominees need to sway Latino voters in swing states. Hispanics tend to reside in key battleground states, such as Florida and Texas that have traditionally been the focus of the candidates. The Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research organization, stated, “Hispanics constitute a sizable share of the electorate in four of the six states that President Bush carried by margins of five percentage points or fewer in 2004 — New Mexico (where Hispanics make up 37% of state’s eligible electorate); Florida (14%); Nevada (12%) and Colorado (12%). All four are expected to be closely contested once again in 2008.”

The pulse of Latino voters may be best observed this summer at the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) National Convention where an estimated 15,000 political, community and business leaders will unite in the nation’s capital to discuss the impact of the Latino vote that will take center stage at this year’s presidential election.
“This election year is a true reflection of the increased mobilization of Latinos,” said LULAC National President Rosa Rosales. “Each of the presidential nominees is clearly vying for the Latino vote, as our voting power has been a crucial factor in the last decade.”

Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain provided a statement to LULAC regarding the highly anticipated 2008 presidential election. “Over the next five months, we will debate the future direction of our country. In the end, the American people will recognize that I am ready to act to protect our country, grow our economy and reform our government. I appreciate the opportunity to share my vision for the future of America at the LULAC National Convention and look forward to participating.”

The theme for the 79th annual convention, America’s Latino Community Center Stage, will highlight the importance of Latino voters and their determination of the next U.S. President at a crucial time during a poignant presidential election.

“Every year, the LULAC National Convention brings to light the current and pressing issues that face Latinos,” stated Brent Wilkes, LULAC Executive Director.

At the forefront of the American people, concerns are raised about affordable healthcare and housing. Healthcare is a grave concern within the Hispanic community and has been ushered with a need for an immediate solution. Democratic presumptive nominee Senator Barack Obama stated, “I want to stop talking about the outrage of 15 million uninsured Hispanics in this country, the largest group of the uninsured in the U.S., and start actually doing something about it.”

Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton provided LULAC with their Top Ten Issues Facing Latinos, which will be discussed at the Convention.

Scheduled for July 7 through July 12, 2008 in Washington, D.C., which is also the headquarters for LULAC, visitors can attend a FREE Expo and career fair which boasts hundreds of exhibitors. Appearances from Senators John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are expected; additionally, there will be an impressive lineup of nationally recognized speakers and presenters, along with world class entertainment.

The League of United Latin American Citizens advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide.”*