The American Latina

Latina Scout leader to be recognized by US Hispanic Chamber

2012-01-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

Anna MariaChávez To Be Honored by US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

HispanicBusiness reports that The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce todayannounced it would honor Anna Maria Chávez with its 2012 Chairman's Award at anevent titled "A Celebration of Women Entrepreneurship in America"during the Chamber's Legislative Summit gala. The Summit will take place inWashington, D.C., on March 21-23, 2012.

Theannual gala honors and recognizes the affect that Hispanic businesswomen havein America.

TheU.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman Nina Vaca said: "The annualChairman's Award is presented to an individual who stands out as a leadingadvocate of Hispanic entrepreneurship in America. Through her work with theGirl Scouts, the nation's largest organization for girls, Anna Maria Chávez isa true inspiration for young women in America and continues to help shapetomorrow's leaders through innovative and supportive programs."

Chávezsaid that she is "deeply honored to accept the The U.S. Hispanic Chamberof Commerce's 2012 Chairman's Award."

"Iam especially honored because entrepreneurship and financial literacy skillsare essential components of the Girl Scout experience," she added."The Girl Scout Cookie Program alone is the largest girl-led business inthe country providing immeasurable benefits to girls and their communities. Wereach girls from every sector of society and empower them to realize their fullpotential as leaders—as young women who have the courage and confidence to makeour world a better place. I look forward to a future in which our young girlswill be standing in my place for their remarkable and meaningfulachievements."

TheGirl Scout Cookie Program generates more than $750 million in sales. It aims toteach the Girl Scouts five essential business skills: goal setting, decision-making,money management, people skills, and business ethics. The Girl Scoutsorganization says that it has nearly 325,000 Hispanic Girl Scouts and adultvolunteers, an increase of more than 50% in the past decade.

An online place for Latina moms

2011-11-16T19:02:00.001-08:00

CafeMom Announces Founding Corporate Sponsors for Mamas Latinas, Its New Bilingual Online Destination for Hispanic Moms
Top Hispanic Industry Veterans Hired for Key Leadership Positions

NEW YORK,NY -- CafeMom has announced the launch partners for Mamas Latinas (www.mamaslatinas.com), its web destination catering to Hispanic moms which will launch in January, 2012. Moms can now pre-register at mamaslatinas.com and view a series of "Soy Mama Latina" videos featuring Latina moms sharing their unique stories and perspectives on raising their children in the U.S.

Founding partners include Chevrolet, General Mills, Kmart, and Sears. To support the new website, CafeMom also announced several key hires for the Mamas Latinas executive team.

"We are thrilled to be launching Mamas Latinas in collaboration with these great brands that have been consistently committed to reaching and connecting with Hispanic consumers," said CafeMom CEO, Michael Sanchez. "With the support of these companies, we look forward to creating a groundbreaking destination that will add value to the lives of millions of Hispanic moms."

Founding partners will be fundamentally integrated into the site experience, adding value to moms' lives through the development of active communities, compelling content, and great deals. Word of mouth initiatives and private insights platforms add to the level of custom programs, unprecedented in Hispanic marketing.

"Both Kmart and Sears recognize how critical Hispanic moms are to the success of our businesses," said Andrew Stein, VP of Marketing Planning for Sears and Kmart. "By 2014, one in four moms online will be Hispanic - as an influential and underserved group of consumers we want to make sure we fill their specialized needs. We are delighted to partner with CafeMom and Mamas Latinas to deliver this compelling platform for this important consumer."

Leading the effort is Mamas Latinas Co-founder and EVP Lucia Ballas-Traynor, a 25-year Hispanic media veteran who has been at the helm of leading brands such as Univision's Galavision, MTV Tr3s and most recently People en Espanol, the top selling Hispanic magazine in the U.S. Three well-known industry leaders will join Ballas-Traynor on the executive team. -- Johanna Torres -- Editor-in-Chief -- is a leading multi-media editor, journalist and producer with deep experience in the U.S. Hispanic media market. Torres has served as Editor-in-Chief for national publications like Ser Padres and Lamaze, and as Founding Editor of Meredith's Siempre Mujer magazine, one of the top three leading Hispanic magazines in the U.S. Torres also founded Mi Blogazine, a lifestyle blog for Latinas. She also serves as Lifestyle Expert and Blogger for outlets such as AOL Latino, and regularly appears as a guest on CNN en Espanol's NotiMujer, Univision, Telemundo, and Yahoo's De Moda.

-- Stacey C. Rivera -- Managing Editor -- joins the team from Latina Media Ventures, where she worked as Digital Content Director, responsible for the day-to-day management of Latina.com, the website owned by Latina magazine, the leading English-language lifestyle magazine for Hispanic women. Rivera's work with top Latino celebrities to create original video and social media content lead to significant increases in traffic to Latina.com. During her career, Rivera has served as managing editor at Hallmark Magazine, Stuff magazine, and Hamptons Country.
-- Andrea Slodowicz -- VP, Marketing -- is a Hispanic industry leader in consumer communication and innovation. As VP Director of Strategy and Content Development for Starcom MediaVest Group Multicultural, Slodowicz was responsible for the development of award-winning, ownable ideas and custom implementation for top 500 advertisers, such as Kraft, Post, Avon, Comcast, Heineken, and Wendy's. During her 10 year tenure with the agency, she also directed strategic media planning across Tapestry and MV42's for an esteemed client roster. Slodowicz has been recognized for her innovative multicultural marketing with numerous prestigious awards including AdAgeMagazine's "25 Twenty Somethings" and Media Magazine's "The New Media DNA".

"I am delighted to lead a team of such seasoned and talented Hispanic market veterans," says Ballas-Traynor. "They all have a deep understanding of Hispanic moms as well as what kind of conversations, content and offerings that engage and moves them. Most importantly, they are all as passionate as I am about the opportunity to create a rich destination where Hispanic moms can connect over their common culture, heritage, and life experiences."

About Mamas Latinas: Launching in January 2012, Mamas Latinas is poised to become the leading and most trusted bilingual online destination dedicated to connecting, informing, entertaining and empowering Latina moms by super-serving their culturally unique interests and needs. At the core of Mamas Latinas will be a dynamic community offering, engaging and targeted editorial content, and entertaining diversions like games.

About CafeMom: Launched in late 2006, CafeMom is the number one site on the internet for moms and the premier strategic marketing partner to brands that want to reach moms in a rapidly changing digital environment. CafeMom reaches more than 9MM unique visitors per month on CafeMom.com and 23MM+ unique visitors per month on CafeMom Plus (comScore, Sept. 2011), a boutique network of sites that reach moms and parents. CafeMom is also the leader in developing custom programs for top brands that want to connect with and understand moms online. In May 2011, CafeMom extended its offering beyond community and content and into commerce by launching Mom.com, a local daily deals site targeted to moms and their families. CafeMom lead investors are Highland Capital Partners and Draper Fisher Jurvetson. The company was founded by Andrew Shue and Michael Sanchez.

SOURCE: CafeMom

Latina appointed to Education Board

2011-11-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

Lockheed Martin Vice President Maria E. Ruess Confirmed to Barry Goldwater Foundation Board of Trustees

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Maria E. Ruess, a Lockheed Martin vice president of business development, will serve on the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation Board of Trustees. She was nominated by President Barack Obama in May and recently confirmed by the Senate.

Since joining Lockheed Martin in 1999, Ruess has held various positions of increasing responsibility in business development, program management, engineering and finance. In May, Ruess was named vice president for international business development and strategy within the Mission Systems & Sensors business, headquartered in Washington, D.C.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was formed by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater. The organization encourages outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering and awards scholarships to undergraduate sophomores and juniors from the U.S.

Ruess has more than 20 years of experience supporting professional development with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). A former teacher at Saint Bernard's High School in Los Angeles and a Hands on Science Outreach volunteer at her local school, Ruess continues to mentor students through organizations such as the Hispanic College Fund and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, and is a board member of Great Minds in STEM(TM). She is also an active leader in many Lockheed Martin organizations including the Women's Success Forum, the Executive Diversity Council and the Hispanic Mentoring and Leadership Association, as well as the chair of the Hispanic Leadership council.

Ruess was honored as one of the Most Influential Hispanics in Technology and Business from Career Communications Group, Inc. at a ceremony this summer. In 2009, she received the Pioneer Award from Great Minds in STEM, a non-profit organization that focuses on STEM educational awareness programs for students from kindergarten to careers.

Ruess received her bachelor's degree in engineering from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cali, Colombia, and earned her master's of business administration from George Washington University.

Lockheed Martin invests heavily in STEM education programs. In 2010 alone, the Corporation spent more than $12 million on K-12 and higher education programs and scholarships. Lockheed Martin employees also volunteered nearly 200,000 hours in education-related activities. Overall, Lockheed Martin delivered standards-based, STEM-related curriculum to 3.5 million students through direct classroom engagement of its employees and strategic education partnerships with NASA, National Geographic, and the National Science Foundation.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 126,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's 2010 sales from continuing operations were $45.8 billion.

For additional information, visit our website: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/ms2

SOURCE Lockheed Martin

Latina serves as COO of the NTI Administration

2011-09-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

With experience as an attorney and with the FCC, Anna Gomez is ideal for her position as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information

Anna M. Gomez

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Anna Gomez is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and the Deputy Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

As Deputy Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, I serve essentially as the Chief Operating Officer of the agency. Though much of my time is spent on management, I also work on public policy, especially the challenges of expanding broadband Internet use in underserved communities and improving communications for the nation’s first responders. I am honored to play a role in addressing issues that are so vital to our nation’s safety and economic future.

My career path began early. I was born in the United States but spent most of my childhood in Bogota, Colombia, where my father’s family lives. I knew since childhood that I would one day become a lawyer because my mother always told me so. (I would like to think that she recognized in me a precocious talent for logic and deduction, but she was actually commenting on my willingness to argue a point!) I returned to the United States as a teen and did indeed go to law school. I am glad that I did because the law is a good foundation for a career in public service, though it is certainly not mandatory.

My first full-time job was in the litigation group of a law firm. I enjoyed it but wanted to practice communications law instead. While at the firm, I ran the D.C. Hispanic Bar Association’s mentoring program for Hispanic law students. It brought me to the attention of a partner at the firm, who soon went to work at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

I joined her at the FCC, where my communications policy work began.

I worked at the FCC for 12 years, serving in various management positions, including Senior Legal Advisor to former FCC Chairman William Kennard. In between positions at the FCC, I served as a staffer on Capitol Hill and at the National Economic Council. Before returning to government in 2009, I also worked several years in the telecommunications industry.

The communications policy field is interesting because it is dynamic and it affects so many aspects of daily life. When I started at the FCC, I handled issues involving payphones, new area codes, and toll-free numbers. Now I deal with broadband and Internet policy. In another decade, we may be grappling with a new set of challenges.

One challenge that I am determined we overcome is the Internet adoption gap, which persists along historic demographic lines. It has been roughly 15 years since the term “digital divide” gained national attention, but more than 28 percent of people in the United States still do not use the Internet. The situation is even worse for Latinos, who significantly lag the national broadband adoption rate. NTIA is active on various fronts to address this problem, and that is one of the most rewarding aspects of working here. The Obama Administration is committed to increasing broadband access and adoption in the U.S., which is a key ingredient for job creation and sustainable economic growth.

My career advice to young Hispanics is to pursue your passion and work hard. Volunteer for assignments, and perform them well. Join professional associations where you can help others. If you roll up your sleeves and do a good job with a positive attitude, you will be noticed.

Last, when facing an obstacle at work, I often think of advice that former Attorney General Janet Reno gave in remarks before the D.C. Hispanic Bar Association. She told us, “Don't lose your idealism.” That is especially good advice for anyone in public service. What we do can be challenging, and we must remind ourselves of why we are here. But no matter what path you choose, I hope it is one that has meaning for you.

Cervical Cancer for Latinas is twice as high

2011-08-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

Cuidate. Armate. Educate. Latinas for Cervical Cancer Prevention Campaign is launched.

NEW YORK, NY -- According to the American Cancer Society, there are approximately 10,000 cases and 3,700 deaths from cervical cancer in the U.S. per year.

The incidence of cervical cancer for Latina women in the United States is almost twice as high as non-Latina white women. Latina women have the 2nd highest mortality rate from cervical cancer (after black women).

Cervical cancer is very preventable. 85% of women who die from cervical cancer never had a pap smear.

In June 2006, the FDA approved the first vaccine, Gardasil®, manufactured by Merck & Company, developed to prevent cervical cancer caused by four strains of HPV; two of which are responsible for 70% of cervical cancer incidences and two strains which are responsible for 90% of genital warts caused by HPV.

Campaign Wrap-Up!

Many Latina Advocacy Networks of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and other affiliated organizations around the country have been hosting great events related to the Cuídate. Ármate. Edúcate. Latinas for Cervical Cancer Prevention Campaign. Read more.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. CUÍDATE

Take care of yourself and the women in your life. Make sure you get regular pap smears and screenings for sexually transmitted infections.

Help the women in your community access reproductive health care services. Create a resource guide to help women get pap smears and learn how to get the HPV vaccine.

2. ÁRMATE

Ensure that you and others in your community are armed with the important tools needed to prevent cervical cancer. Support initiatives on the local and state level that expand public funding for cervical cancer screenings and access to the HPV vaccine.
Use the Cuídate. Ármate. Edúcate. Postcard and spread the word about cervical cancer prevention. Send the postcard to your friends, family and local decision makers (teachers, neighbors, local officials, community leaders) and start the discussion about cervical cancer and HPV.

3. EDÚCATE

Educate yourself about cervical cancer and HPV, and share that information with the people in your life, family and community.

Host a cafecito and invite community members to talk about cervical cancer, HPV and the vaccine. See the Cafecito guide for more information and tips for your cafecito.

Resources: Human Papillomavirus, Cervical Cancer and HPV Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions (Spanish)
Latinas and Cervical Cancer Fact Sheet (Spanish)
NLIRH Statement on the HPV vaccine (Spanish)

Latina picked as CEO for Girl Scouts

2011-08-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

Ana Maria Chavez, a Mexican-American from Arizona, will be taking over the national Girl Scout's organization.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ana Marian Chavez

NEW YORK, NY — As a young Mexican-American girl, Anna Maria Chavez was a member of the Girl Scouts in a small farming town in southern Arizona.

Now, she will lead the nonprofit as it experiences an increase in participation by Hispanic girls in the U.S., even as its overall membership has decreased.

The New York-based Girl Scouts of the USA announced Wednesday it had selected Chavez as its new chief executive officer — the first Hispanic woman to serve in the position.

"We wanted to find someone who had a strong leadership story of her own whose journey in life could serve as a shining example for all of our girls," said Connie Lindsay, the national president of the organization and a member of the search committee.

Chavez, 43, has been the chief executive of Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas since 2009. She will be taking over for CEO Kathy Cloninger, who is retiring after leading an overhaul of the leadership organization's programs and direction over the past eight years.

Chavez, born in Arizona, was raised in the small town of Eloy, about 50 miles northwest of Tucson, before the family moved to Phoenix. She said the experience of being a member of Girl Scout Troop 304 in Eloy was formative.

"One of my best friends came to school one day and said she was going to be a Girl Scout, and I decided that was for me, even though my family hadn't had a tradition of Girl Scouting," said Chavez, speaking by phone from San Antonio.

"The Girl Scout opportunity that went on from there really opened my eyes," she said.

Before working for the Girl Scouts, Chavez served as an urban affairs policy adviser to former Arizona governor and current U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and for other state agencies involved in providing community services. She also worked for the federal government, including as chief of staff for the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Government Contracting and Minority Enterprise Development.

The Girl Scouts is increasingly seeing its future in the growth of the Hispanic community.

The organization, founded in 1912, said it had noted a 55 percent increase in the number of Hispanic girls who have joined its ranks over the past 10 years. They now account for about 12 percent — or 272,000 girls — of the nearly 2.3 million girls who were Scouts in 2010.

In response to the growth of Hispanics among its membership, the Girl Scouts of the USA has redoubled its outreach to the community, including with bilingual public campaigns.

Overall, membership has declined by 14 percent since 2006, when there were 2.7 million Scouts, the organization said. It attributed the decline to the economy and a decrease in funding for large nonprofits.

Hispanic Nurse group awards $40k in scholarships

2011-08-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

National Association of Hispanic Nurses Awards $40,000 in United Health Foundation Scholarships
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) awarded a total of $40,000 to eight NAHN student members enrolled in a baccalaureate or graduate nursing program at its recent 2011 Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Each student received a $5,000 Scholarship.

The United Health Foundation National Association of Hispanic Nurses Scholarships, funded by a grant from United Health Foundation, aim to increase the number of qualified, bilingual/bicultural Hispanic/Latino student nurses. As the Hispanic population increases in the United States, the need for bilingual/bicultural Hispanic nurses rises. Of the more than 3 million registered nurses in the United States, only about 3.6 percent are Hispanic.

The following students were selected based on their outstanding academic achievements and commitment to the Hispanic community:

-- Maria Beltran, RN of New York;

-- Luz Marina Bradberry, BSN, RN of Arizona;

-- Lorraine Cuesta, MS, RN, ANP of Arizona;

-- Josephine Foley, BSN, RN, CCM, of Michigan;

-- Alessandra Gonzales of Texas;

-- Amy Hardy of Oregon;

-- Paulette Lizarraga of Arizona; and

-- David Sanchez, RN of California.

"We had a very strong group of students this year, four of whom are pursuing their Masters or Doctorate degrees in Nursing. These nurses will help expand the number of culturally competent Advance-Practice Nurses serving our diverse population," said NAHN President Angie Millan, RN, MSN, NP, CNS.

"With these scholarships, United Health Foundation is helping to address disparities in the nursing field to ensure that everyone, including diverse communities, has access to quality, culturally competent care. Partnering with a respected organization such as the National Association of Hispanic Nurses to create these scholarships is an effective way to help foster a more diverse health care workforce," said Kate Rubin, President, United Health Foundation.

About the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN)

The National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) is actively involved in issues affecting Hispanic nurses and the health of Hispanic communities on local, state, regional and national levels. The organization is committed to work toward providing equal access to education, professional and economic opportunities for Hispanic nurses and to improving the health and nursing care for Hispanic consumers.

United Health Foundation Guided by a passion to help people live healthier lives, United Health Foundation provides helpful information to support decisions that lead to better health outcomes and healthier communities. The Foundation also supports activities that expand access to quality health care services for those in challenging circumstances and partners with others to improve the well-being of communities. Since established by UnitedHealth Group in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private foundation, the Foundation has committed more than $187 million to improve health and health care. For more information, visit www.unitedhealthfoundation.org .

SOURCE: National Association of Hispanic Nurses

Latina boxer sets sight on Olympic gold

2011-07-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

Marina Ramirez is a young woman with a vision…an Olympic vision.

By Adrian Perez

SACRAMENTO, CA -- With lightening speed, Marina pounds the punching bag as if to knock it from its hook at the Prime Time Boxing gym in Sacramento, California. Anyone standing close by can feel the power punches in the stomach that the number 2 nationally Ranked boxer lands on the bag. Stepping back, she pauses, looks at us, and flashes the smile of a pretty and shy girl.

Marina Ramirez is a young woman with a vision…an Olympic vision. At five-foot even and edging 112 pounds, her 4-hour daily training and hard-body tells you she means business. Her goal? To make the 2012 U.S. Olympic Women’s Boxing Team. So what motivates the 21-year old to become a boxer?

“I really like it,” says Marina while beaming a smile. “It’s what I want to do and I’m good at it.”

And, she’s convincingly believable in the ring.

Born in the small community of Parma, Idaho, about 30 minutes outside of Boise, Marina grew up as an outdoor girl, riding horses (even a bull) and an athlete (running cross-country and playing basketball.) But, it was getting bullied that drove her to learn how to box.

“I learned to box to stop the bullying and found that I liked the sport,” she says. “I also beat up a couple of boys.”

Interestingly, the soft-spoken Latina does not pass as the image of a boxer, especially that created by other women boxers like Laila Ali, who has been inspiration for Marina.

“I work for the HardRock Café in Las Vegas,” says Marina. “I need to provide for myself, and that’s where I live. But, I’m a very nice person when I’m not in the ring.”

In fact, if anyone met Marina in the street, they would see her as a pretty and feminine young girl, unsuspecting of her real skills and power-punching abilities.

“I took karate, but I really like boxing,” she remarks.

Helping Marina in her corner is Cary Williams-Nunez, who is one of only three women in the nation trained to coach Olympic level boxing for women and owner of the Prime Time Boxing gym in Sacramento.

“There are only three weight classes for the women in the Olympics, 112 pounds, 134 pounds, and 164 pounds,” says Cary. “She’s fast and very determined and she’s our secret little weapon when we go to the Golden Gloves in Florida.”

Women’s boxing was added to the 2012 London Olympics by the International Olympics Committee, giving legitimacy to the sport, which has had limited exposure having been limited only to the professional ranks.

“I have dedicated my life to boxing,” says Marina. “I used to drive 30 miles from where I lived (in Idaho) to a boxing gym when I first started.”

Marina won her first amateur fight, which gave her additional motivation to continue and has since collected 30 fights, raising the eyebrow of the U.S. Women’s Olympic Boxing team coaches.

“My parents and my friends support me, and that’s very important to me,” says Marina, also sharing that she owns a horse back in Parma where her parents live as well.

Upon turning 18, she moved to Las Vegas, seeking better training and an opportunity to be more competitive. It was here where Cary saw Marina at an amateur tournament and asked if she wanted to train at her Sacramento gym. Spending a week at Prime Time Boxing has helped sharpen Marina’s skills preparing her for the Golden Gloves.

“I think there is going to be a flood of girls, like Marina, who will be coming in when the sport is televised from the Olympics,” says Cary. “I’ve seen a number of girls already and some will be showing up over the next few years with a lot of experience.”

"Team Marina" are still seeking sponsors. Follow Marina’s career through www.primetimeboxing.com Facebook page.

Program helps Latinas grow their own business

2011-07-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- At a time of economic crisis, a program in the San Francisco Bay Area is working toward helping women establish a business. The program, "ALAS" or Alternatives in Self Sufficiency for Latin Women, the Women's Initiative Program, is designed to help low-income women with the knowledge and financial needs to establish their own business.

The following video was produced in Spanish by AARP, with English sub-titles. For more information visit: www.womensinitiative.org.

Latina Ad Exec to be recognized at TV Summit

2011-06-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Monica Gadsby, CEO U.S. Multicultural & Latin American, Starcom Media Vest Group, will receive an award for achievement in Hispanic television at the 9th Annual Hispanic Television Summit.

NEW YORK, NY -- Leading television industry publications Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News announced that the 2011 recipient of their Award for Achievement in Hispanic Television is Monica Gadsby, CEO, U.S. Multicultural & Latin America, Starcom MediaVest Group. The award will be presented at the Hispanic Television Summit, on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at the Marriot Marquis New York Hotel

Ms. Gadsby is the top executive at the #1 Hispanic Agency in America. Under her direction, the agency has become the leading multicultural media network in the country and has placed hundreds of millions of advertising dollars in the Hispanic TV marketplace.

"Monica Gadsby has had a remarkable impact on the Multicultural television business, especially within the Hispanic market. We feel strongly that she deserves to be recognized for the role she plays in television for Hispanic viewers and with its advertisers," said Louis Hillelson, Group Publisher for Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News.

Previous award recipients include Sabado Gigante host, Don Francisco; sportscaster Andres Cantor; host of Al Rojo Vivo, Maria Celeste Arraras; talk-show personality, Cristina Saralegui; network news anchorman, Jorge Ramos; Procter & Gamble's, Edgar Sandoval and boxing champion and entrepreneur, Oscar de la Hoya.

About the Summit: The Summit is the television industry's signature conference for executives involved in the business of television and digital video targeted to the US Hispanic and Latin American viewing audience. It attracts more than 400 attendees. The Summit is produced for Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News by the Schramm Marketing Group Inc., a NY-based marketing services company which includes Hispanic marketing among its specialties.

For sponsorship information, please call Sandy Friedman at (917) 281-4718. To register, please visit: www.multichannel.com/hispanic2011

Multichannel News covers multichannel television and communications providers, such as cable operators, satellite TV firms, and telephone companies, as well as emerging Internet video and communication services. www.multichannel.com

Broadcasting & Cable covers the business of television for industry professionals offering breaking news and analysis on programming, syndication, the station business, technology and advertising for broadcasting, cable, satellite, telco TV and the Web. www.broadcastingcable.com

SMG Multicultural is a division of Starcom MediaVest Group, the Human Experience Company. Our dream is to grow our clients' business by transforming human behavior through uplifting, meaningful human experiences. With nearly 6,000 employees in 110 offices worldwide, SMG partners with the world's leading companies including The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods, P&G, Samsung, Walmart, among others. In 2010, SMG was the #1 ranked Global Media Agency (AdAge) and "Media Agency of the Decade" by Adweek. Most recently, Festival of Media named Starcom MediaVest Group as Network Agency of the Year.

Latina to head Obama's national political director post

2011-06-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

From aide to former Denver Mayor Federico Peña to now the first Latina to hold the post of National Political Director for a presidential reelection campaign.

Katherine Archuleta

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's re-election team has chosen Katherine Archuleta of Denver to be his national political director, becoming the first Latina to hold that position. The Denver, Colorado native's selection is key toward winning Colorado in the 2012 Presidential race.

Archuleta is currently the chief of staff to Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis, but brings year's of experience issue knowledge to Obama's campaign. Some of here previous posts include: aide for Mayor Federico Pena, the only, Latino mayor of Denver; senior advisor to former Mayor John Hickenlooper, Denver's lead city planner for the 2008 Democratic National Convention; and, executive director for the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation.

"Her understanding of the issues of the West are important," Interior Secretary and fellow Coloradan Ken Salazar told the Denver Post. "And, the understanding in the Latino community is important as well."

Political experts believe Colorado will be the key state to win the White House in 2012, with Karl Rove overheard stating "as goes Colorado, so goes the nation."

Archuleta has a B.A. in Education at Metropolitan State College of Denver and her Master of Education at the University of Northern Colorado. She will be joining Obama's Chicago-based campaign team, which includes campaign manager Jim Messina, who earlier this year stepped down as deputy White House chief of staff, and David Axelrod, who stepped down as White House senior adviser to reprise his role as chief strategist and top political adviser.

New billboard focuses on Latina abortions

2011-06-09T06:04:00.000-07:00

New billboard ads by a conservative Latino group focuses on how abortion supporters target Hispanics.
by Steven Ertelt | Los Angeles, CA | LifeNews.com

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Billboards across the nation have focused on how abortions and the abortion industry target black Americans and new a new billboard campaign in Los Angeles will show how abortion hurts the Latino community.

Alfonso Aguilar, executive director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, talked with the Daily Caller about the new campaign to feature a jumbo billboard in Los Angeles.

“It’s clear that Latinos are being targeted by organizations that promote abortion like Planned Parenthood,” he said. “Many of their clinics are in Latino neighborhoods and communities.”

Aguilar has said, “Twenty-two percent of abortions in the U.S., for example, are performed on Hispanic women, and they are 2.7 times more likely to have an abortion than non-Hispanic white women. Motivated by their warped eugenic views, Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers are clearly going after racial and ethnic minorities in the country.”

The new billboard will read, in Spanish and English, “El lugar mas peligroso para un Latino es el vientre de su madre/The most dangerous place for a Latino is in the womb.” the Daily caller indicates the ads are part of a kickoff for a Sunday event called “Unidos por la Vida” (United for Life) at the LA Sports Arena sponsored by the pro-life group Manto de Guadalupe. The event features Governor Rick Perry of Texas and pro-life activist Lila Rose of Live Action Films.

The group was founded by Eduardo Verástegui, a famous Latin American actor and singer who became well known to the pro-life community in the United States via the feature film Bella. Earlier this year, he announced plans to build the largest pregnancy center in the United States in Los Angeles to reach out to Hispanic and other women.

A new study reported in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology and published by the Guttmacher Institute, shows the billboards are correct. The study found the abortion rate among Hispanic women at 28.7 per 1,000 women — more than twice as high as the abortion rate for white women, at 11.5.

Susan Cohen, also of Guttmacher, adds: “This much is true: In the United States, the abortion rate for black women is almost five times that for white women. Black women are not alone in having disproportionately high unintended pregnancy and abortion rates. The abortion rate among Hispanic women, for example, although not as high as the rate among black women, is double the rate among whites.”

Meanwhile, the CDC indicates Hispanic women account for 22.1 percent of all abortions in the Untied States even though the percentage of women in the United States who are Hispanic is less than that.

The Associated Press and Univision teamed up for a poll of 1,500 Hispanics conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago that found only 39 percent of Hispanics support legalized abortion.

Latina scientist appointed to Presidential Advisory Commission

2011-06-01T05:15:00.000-07:00

Dr. Alicia Abella has been appointed to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.

Dr. Alicia Abella

DALLAS, TX -- AT&T research scientist Alicia Abella, Ph.D. has been appointed to the prestigious Presidential Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Dr. Abella, executive director of technical research at AT&T Labs, is a leader in the nation's efforts to encourage minorities and women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math, commonly known as STEM fields.

The Commission, appointed by U.S. President Barack Obama, will support the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics and its director, Juan Sepulveda, and provide advice on matters pertaining to the educational attainment of the Hispanic community. Members represent a broad range of sectors including science, business, academia and the arts.

"I am honored to serve on this important commission whose mission is aligned with my long-standing effort to help minority and female students achieve their educational objectives," said Dr. Abella. "I owe my professional success to my education, and have made it my personal objective to help our youth reach adulthood with the educational background they will need to achieve their own version of the American dream."

At AT&T Labs Dr. Abella manages a group of researchers specializing in data mining, user interfaces, IPTV, mobile services, SIP/VoIP technology, and environmental sustainability. She has a Ph.D. in computer science from Columbia University, a M.S. from Columbia and B.S. from NYU, both in computer science.

Dr. Abella is a strong advocate of fostering the development of minorities and women in science and engineering. As executive vice president for the Young Science Achievers program, she works tirelessly to bring an interest and excitement in science and engineering to high school-aged women and minority students through a program of mentoring and scientific achievement. She also chairs the AT&T Labs Fellowship program, in which she helps encourage, advise and evaluate candidates for a prestigious graduate scholarship from AT&T targeted at women and minorities.

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics Director Juan Sepulveda said Abella will help the Commission discover new ways to increase Latino educational attainment, which is important in the global contest for the jobs and industries of the future.

Other individuals appointed by President Obama to the Commission include Dr. Eduardo J. Padron (chair) and Cesar Conde of Florida; Francisco G. Cigarroa, Ricardo Romo, Sylvia Acevedo and JoAnn Gama of Texas; Darline P. Robles and Patricia Gandara of California; Marta Tienda of New Jersey; Luis R. Fraga of Washington; Maria Neira and Lisette Nieves of New York; Daniel Cardinali of Virginia; Manny Sanchez of Illinois; and Alfredo J. Artiles of Arizona.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.

Interview with Lisa Garcia, a Latina who is Chief of Staff to US Trade Rep

2011-05-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

Lisa Garcia is Chief of Staff to the United States Trade Representative, serving as managing adviser on policy and personnel.
By Stephanie Valencia, White House

WASHINGTON -- As part of WhiteHouse.gov/Hispanic, we are featuring interviews with Obama Administration staff whose work impacts the Hispanic and Latino communities. This interview is with Lisa Garcia, Chief of Staff to the United States Trade Representative.

What is your key responsibility?
As the Chief of Staff in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, my job is to be the right-hand aide to the President’s top trade negotiator – Ambassador Ron Kirk – and to provide leadership and management for USTR, a key economic agency.

I serve as the managing advisor on issues of policy, personnel, and in other areas that serve USTR’s core mission: to make sure that our trade agreements provide real export and job opportunities for Americans, and that those agreements are enforced so that their promised benefits are really felt right here at home.

Where did you grow up?
I was born in the state of Kansas but consider myself a Texan, since our family moved to Houston when I was two. It was supposed to be a temporary stay, but became permanent after my father graduated from the University of Houston and recognized that Houston was the place to stake out our legacy. Houston Hispanics caught the political bug and my family, like so many, was caught up in the excitement of influencing the destiny of our people through the political process. We shared a true sense of responsibility for our community and participating in the political process was key to making changes. I have never known another way of life than to be politically involved, and remember being involved at a young age in the screening of political candidates in the Houston area.   My father would smile and take seriously my impressions and evaluations – of course, I volunteered this wisdom whether he asked for it or not!

What is your educational background?
My formal education started with the Dominican Sisters and I am a graduate of Houston’s St. Agnes Academy. I then headed to Austin and attended the University of Texas, received my Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and truly appreciated attending working at the local PBS channel located at the University of Houston. But I also got a political education, working local city, county and state races from the grassroots up, spending several years working in the state House and Senate, then as the Executive Director of the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus and was scouted by a global company to lead a regional government affairs office. Eventually I joined the Democratic Presidential campaign in 2004, worked the Florida governor’s race, then worked for Senator John Kerry in Washington for a while, and returned to Texas for my family and established my own consulting firm. But I could not stay away from the excitement surrounding then-Senator Obama’s quest for the White House – and now here I am serving in his Administration.

I do not believe that life is one random event after another. All of these activities built on one another to teach me lessons, enrich my life, and make me more complete as a public servant and as a person.

Are you a member of a notable community organizations, church, or volunteer/mentorship program?
I am a Graduate and Alumni Member of the 2002 Leadership Texas Program, Member/volunteer NALEO National Association for Latino Elected Officials, Mexican American Women’s National Association (MANA) a National Latina Organization lifetime member

During the State of the Union, the President laid out his vision for "Winning the Future" through Education, Building, Innovation, Responsibility, and Reform. How does your role in the Administration help to advance the President's agenda?

Every day, USTR contributes to the President’s work to create jobs in the United States by doing trade in a new way.   We’re working to get trade right by talking to more Americans, by listening to more Americans, and by seeking trade agreements that are fair, full of export opportunities around the world and job opportunities here at home.   At the President’s direction, we’ve also put a special emphasis on enforcing the trade agreements already on the books – helping to foster a global trade environment in which American innovation can thrive in every corner of the world.   As we work to out-educate and out-innovate, USTR will make sure that the fantastic made-in-America products springing from all that effort have ready markets around the globe.

How does your work impact the Hispanic community?
The goal of USTR is to do trade in a new way that increases opportunities for ALL Americans, including the Hispanic community. Specifically our focus with ensuring that our trade agreements provide export opportunities for small businesses – this is key and supports the entrepreneurial spirit of the Hispanic community, my community.

Latina filmmaker tells it like it is

2011-05-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

Fanny Veliz is making it her business to change the image of Latinos in media.
By La Cosmopolatina

Producer/Director Fanny Veliz

HOLLYWOOD - It’s no secret that Hollywood has never been great at portraying Latinos accurately. Latino characters on the silver screen are often underdeveloped, and the stereotypes surrounding them are rampant. Women are either the maid or the overly sexual, sassy sidekick and men are usually depicted as aggressive or gangster types. So what’s a young Latina actress and filmmaker to do? Take matters into her own hands, of course.

Venezolana Fanny Veliz is such a Latina, and she is making it her business to change the image of Latinos in the media. She has been doing so since 2005 when she launched her own production company, Criolla Productions. Since then, she has written, directed and produced multiple short films that have been screened at various international film festivals. All of these projects have one common purpose: to create Latino characters that are rich and multidimensional, and whose struggles and achievements truthfully portray the experience of Hispanics in the United States.

Her latest endeavor is a film called Homebound about the lives of a family in El Campo, TX. The film is currently gathering backers so it can get off the ground, so be sure to support a fellow Latina in her noble quest to make us look like the rockin’ badasses that we are. Or at least make us look authentic.

Prenatal vitamins reduce autism study says

2011-05-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

Study first to suggest women can take vitamins while pregnant reduce child's risk of autism.

Dr. Rebecca J. Schmidt

SACRAMENTO, CA — Women who reported not taking a daily prenatal vitamin immediately before and during the first month of pregnancy were nearly twice as likely to have a child with an autism spectrum disorder as women who did take the supplements — and the associated risk rose to seven times as great when combined with a high-risk genetic make-up, a study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute has found.

"Mothers of children with autism were significantly less likely than those of typically developing children to report having taken prenatal vitamins during the three months before and the first month of pregnancy,” said Rebecca J. Schmidt, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences in the UC Davis School of Medicine and the study’s lead author.

The finding was “strong and robust,” the study authors said, and is the first to suggest a concrete step women can take that may reduce the risk of having a child with autism. The study, "Prenatal vitamins, functional one-carbon metabolism gene variants, and risk for autism in the CHARGE Study," is published online today on the website of the journal EPIDEMIOLOGY. It is scheduled to appear in print in July.

Consuming prenatal vitamins may be especially effective for genetically susceptible mothers and their children. For women with a particular high-risk genetic make up who reported not taking prenatal vitamins, the estimated risk of having a child with autism was as much as seven times greater than in women who did report taking prenatal vitamins and who had more favorable gene variants, the study found.

The authors postulate that folic acid, the synthetic form of folate or vitamin B9, and the other B vitamins in prenatal supplements, likely protect against deficits in early fetal brain development. Folate is known to be critical to neurodevelopment and studies have found that supplemental folic acid has the potential to prevent up to 70 percent of neural tube defects, the authors said.

“This finding appears to be the first example of gene-environment interaction in autism,” said Irva Hertz-Picciotto, professor and chief of the division of environmental and occupational health in the Department of Public Health Sciences in the UC Davis School of Medicine.

“It is widely accepted that autism spectrum disorders are the result of multiple factors, that it would be extremely rare to find someone who had a single cause for this behavioral syndrome. Nevertheless, previous work on genes has generally ignored the possibility that genes may act in concert with environmental exposures,” said Hertz-Picciotto, the study's senior author and a researcher affiliated with the UC Davis MIND Institute.

To conduct the study, researchers collected data from approximately 700 Northern California families with 2- to 5-year-old children who had autism or typical development and were participants in the Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) study between from January 2003 to December 2009. All children were born in California and came from families that spoke either English or Spanish. The autism diagnoses were confirmed through testing at the UC Davis MIND Institute.

Women who participated in the CHARGE study were asked via telephone whether they took prenatal vitamins, multivitamins or other supplements at any time during the three months prior to and during their pregnancies and during breastfeeding. If the respondent said she had taken vitamins, she was further asked what type she took, at what dosage and frequency and during which months of pregnancy she consumed them.

“Because the mothers were asked about their vitamin use years after their pregnancies and after their child’s developmental status was known, some error is expected in their reporting. Moreover, in comparison with mothers who have an affected child, mothers whose children are healthy and show typical developmental milestones may be less likely to remember accurately, simply because they have less reason to reflect on and be concerned about their behaviors years earlier,” Schmidt said. This could have biased the results, she pointed out. Further research will be needed to rule out reporting bias.

The researchers accounted for maternal education and the year the child was born; results were the same when also accounting for the mother’s age. However, after the first month of pregnancy, there was no difference between mothers who did and did not take prenatal vitamins. This indicates that, by the time most women are aware that they are pregnant, taking prenatal supplements may not benefit the child in terms of risk for autism.

Significant interaction effects were observed for two maternal genes, including a well-studied variant on the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene associated with less efficient folate metabolism and increased levels of homocysteine, an amino acid.

Mothers of children with autism were 4.5 times more likely to both have the less efficient MTHFR 677 TT genotype and to report not taking prenatal vitamins during the period around conception than were mothers of typically developing children.

The other maternal gene variant with a significant interaction leads to decreased cystathionine-beta-synthase (CBS) activity and elevated plasma homocysteine. Increased risk for autism was also associated with other maternal gene variants associated with less efficient one-carbon metabolism, but only if the mother reported not taking the prenatal vitamins in those early months before and right after conception.

In addition, being homozygous for a common, functional variant in the child’s catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene was associated with more than seven times the estimated risk for autism in mothers who reported not taking the supplements around the time of conception, compared to children with other genotypes whose mothers did report periconceptional prenatal vitamin intake.

This gene reduces COMT enzyme activity three- to four-fold. The COMT enzyme, well known for its role in dopamine degradation, is activated during early neurodevelopment. Structural and functional brain differences have been described across COMT genotypes, particularly in the hippocampal and prefrontal cortex, regions affected by autism.

The finding, if replicated, provides a potential means of reducing the risk of having a child with autism. the authors said.

“The good news is that if this finding is replicated, it will provide an inexpensive, relatively simple evidence-based action that women can take to reduce risks for their child, which is to take prenatal vitamins as early as possible in a pregnancy and even when planning for pregnancy,” Hertz-Picciotto said.

Other study authors include Robin L. Hansen, Linda C. Schmidt and Daniel Tancredi, all of UC Davis, and Jaana Hartiala and Hooman Allayee, of UCLA.

The study was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, including funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; a United States Environmental Protection Agency Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grant; and a UC Davis MIND Institute Pilot Research Study grant.

The UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, in Sacramento, Calif., was founded in 1998 as a unique interdisciplinary research center where parents, community leaders, researchers, clinicians and volunteers collaborate to study and treat autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. The institute has major research efforts in autism, Tourette syndrome, fragile X syndrome, chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). More information about the institute, including previous presentations in its Distinguished Lecture Series, is available on the web at http://healthsystem.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/.

AltaMed Exec awarded prestigeous 2011 Latino Spirit Award

2011-05-11T10:11:00.002-07:00

Zoila Escobar Recognized for Her Contributions to Latino Communities in California

LOS ANGELES, CA -- AltaMed is proud to announce that Zoila Escobar, Vice President of Strategic Development and Community Support has received a 2011 Latino Spirit Award from the California Latino Legislative Caucus. Overseeing the Foundation, managing the organization's strategic planning and connecting with Latino communities throughout Southern California are just a few of the reasons why Escobar has received this acknowledgement. AltaMed's leadership, employees and patients celebrate her success.

"Zoila Escobar's contribution to the health care field in California has been extensive," Assemblymember Tony Mendoza said. "By acting as a pioneer in AIDS prevention efforts for our community, she has truly epitomized what the Latino Spirit Awards are all about – furthering understanding and acceptance through leadership and service. It is an honor to present her with the 2011 Latino Spirit Award for Achievement in Health and Business."

The California Latino Legislative Caucus created the Latino Spirit Awards in 2001 to celebrate the contributions of Latinos to the common culture of the United States and to motivate the youth of California. Escobar received her award at the 10th Annual Latino Spirit Awards Ceremony at the California State Capitol on May 9, 2011.

"It is truly an honor to receive this award among so many outstanding representatives of the Latino community," says Escobar (watch video below). "Their contributions and standards of excellence are truly inspirational to us all."

Escobar has an extensive history in the health care arena. She supported AIDS Project Los Angeles, as Program Director of the first "Latinas and AIDS" program in Los Angeles County. At the UCLA Family Planning Clinic, Escobar served as Clinic Administrator for HIV Services and later became the Director of Education and Government Affairs for the Arthritis Foundation. She has also served as Technical Assistant for the World Health Organization where she worked to develop and implement a comprehensive training program to help physicians and other health care professionals improve Hemophilia and HIV Infection Health Care Systems. Escobar has served as co-chair of the first "Binational U.S./Mexico AIDS Conference"; "Latino Artists Against AIDS" Art Show; the "Big Sisters of Los Angeles - Latina Advisory Dinner and Gala" fundraising committees and more. At AltaMed, Escobar is responsible for strategic development and cultivating community support from stakeholders in Los Angeles and Orange Counties and philanthropic support from public and private funding sources.

AltaMed Health Services

AltaMed is Southern California's leading nonprofit health care system delivering integrated primary care services, senior care programs, and health and human services for the entire family. AltaMed's team of multicultural and bilingual physicians and health care professionals deliver superior quality care through an integrated delivery system of 43 sites and an affiliated Independent Practice Association (IPA) of contracted physicians in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

A Celebration with Posolè

2011-04-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

The smell of the flavorful broth fills the home with warm feelings of togetherness.

By Cecilia Rey, Food Editor, The American Latina

Cecilia Rey

Most Latinos know that it brings in the New Year, keeps our tummy full and warm for every party throughout the year, and recipes have been handed down for hundreds of years. I’m talking about good old fashion and traditional Posolè.

The smell of the flavorful broth, a mixture of onions, garlic and chilies, combined with port meat, fills the home with warm feelings of togetherness. For me, as it does for many Latinos, the smell of Posolè brings back childhood memories, especially family gatherings.

There are many different ways of making Posolè, based on the taste each cooking person’s taste, yet it’s simple to make.

The key ingredients used are onions, garlic, and chilies. They are the foundation of the broth along with the meat. Historically, Posolè is made with pork meat including la pierna (butt), espinaso (spine), lomo (loin), and pata (foot). But the pork can be substituted with chicken, pork rinds, turkey and vegetarian, usually without losing the flavor.

Today, a staple ingredient has become optional, but it is what made this soup a delicacy with Spanish Conquistadores writing about it and introducing it to their Queen - the corn (maiz) or hominy. Corn was sacred among many of the indigenous inhabitants of pre-Columbian America and was viewed as a true gift of the Gods. Many tribes believed that God had made humans from corn.

Well, I happen to like pork in my recipe with maiz (hominy) - in fact, in my home, the more maiz the better.

I make Posolè as the ancient peoples of Mexico did centuries ago, only for special occasions. Plus, leftover Posolè is ever so tasteful, or as we Latinos call it “recalentado” (reheated). After letting the broth cool, it becomes thicker because of the fat in the pig’s feet, but when it’s reheated slowly, the meat falls apart because of its tenderness. By the way, before cooking, I wrap the pig’s feet to help keep them together.

Posolè is a great soup for the “pobrecitos” (poor ones) who over indulged the night before during a celebration and suffer from a “cruda” (hangover). I can personally say that it does wonders for an upset stomach.

I always set up the table in a “buffet” style, where family and guests serve their own bowls of Posolè soup and garnish it with shredded cabbage, coarsely chopped onions and tomatos, sliced radishes, and slices of lime. I do the same when making the “tortas” (sandwiches made with French rolls or bolios) and tostadas, except instead of providing the soup I only provide the reheated leftover Posolè meat.

As with many Mexican foods, Pozolè can be enjoyed with a beverage of your liking. My favorite is a good Mexican beer or margarita.

I hope you can enjoy this recipe and be sure to measure it for your own taste - until the next time.

My Posolè Recipe

(For 20 People)

The Soup

Fill a 20qt stockpot to ¾ water

Add: 1 onion cut in half; 1 whole peeled garlic head; port meat (stir occasionally to prevent meat from sticking to the pot)

Boil meat and ingredients for one-half hour (when foam appears, remove with spoon – this may occur a couple of times)

When foaming stops, add: ¼ cup salt; ¼ cup garlic salt and reduce heat to slow boil for one-half hour

Peel and clean chili pods and place in a medium saucepan filled with ¾ water and let it simmer until the pods soften and water turns red, then let it cool

Take soften pods and place into blender and add a little of the water from the saucepan. Grind until liquid. Pour through strainer into the soup, which should have been cooking for about an hour.

Add two cans of hominy and continue simmering for 20 to 30 minutes

Pour into serving bowl

Garnishments

Thinly slice 1 head of cabbage and 6 large radishes and place in separate serving bowls

Coarsely chop three large tomatoes and 1 onion and place in separate serving bowls

Pour ½ cup of Mexican sour cream into serving bowl

Pour ½ cup of salsa into serving bowl

Ready to serve.

A picture of the growing Hispanic consumer power webinar

2011-04-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

APRIL 27 WEBINAR PROVIDES A PICTURE OF THE RISE IN HISPANIC CONSUMER POWER.

Registration link address is:
https://www302.livemeeting.com/lrs/geoscape/Registration.aspx?pageName=xhjtpgxck6v0g42v

MIAMI (APRIL 26, 2011) ‐‐ Tomorrow, a webinar will be conducted at 2 p.m. EST and 11 a.m. PST that will provide insights into the changing face of the American economy with the rise of Hispanics, and in particular Latina consumers. Called "Picture of the New Mainstream; Today's Latina Consumer," the webinar features multicultural sales and marketing experts from Geoscape and GfK MRI. It will look at how the more than 50 million Hispanics in the United States wield an increasingly powerful influence on the American economy.

The webinar will feature Susan Nunez, of GfK MRI, whose specialty is developing multicultural strategies for advertisers and advertising agencies. Ms. Nunez will provide insights into the most effective strategies and best practices when reaching out to this powerful economic force. The webinar will feature data from GfK MRI’s Survey of the American Consumer, overlaid with Geoscape’s proprietary Hispanicity acculturation segmentation and presented within the Geoscape Intelligence System (GIS).

The importance of Latina consumers is often overlooked. Latina consumers often serve as the gatekeepers for Hispanic household buying decisions. The webinar will take a unique look at the influence these consumers have on the American economy and the companies that focus on serving this rising market segment.

To register for this informative webinar click here.
Registration link address is: https://www302.livemeeting.com/lrs/geoscape/Registration.aspx?pageName=xhjtpgxck6v0g42v

About Geoscape
Geoscape serves its clients by providing business strategy, analytics, research, databases and automated intelligence systems. The online Geoscape Intelligence System (GIS), the DirecTarget® database enrichment system and a variety of geo-demographic, consumer, business and media databases enable actionable insights that lead our clients to gain significant business advantages. Geoscape is a privately held company owned by New MainStream Capital LLC and César M Melgoza, Founder & CEO, and is headquartered in Miami.

Contact: David Radoff 415‐760‐6336 / dradoff@geoscape.com

Latina teen fakes pregnancy to make a point

2011-04-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

Fake pregnancy shines light on Latina teen rates.

By Shannon Dininny, Associated Press

TOPPENISH, Wash. (AP) -- When Gaby Rodriguez took off her fake baby belly and revealed to her classmates that for months they had been part of an elaborate social experiment, she did more than force members of her community to examine how they treat pregnant teens - she got the attention of the nation.

The Yakima Herald-Republic detailed the experience of the 17-year-old Rodriguez in a story Wednesday that caught the attention of shows like "Good Morning America" and resonated with viewers of popular teen mom reality shows.

School officials said they and Rodriguez would have no more comment until she returns from a class trip next week. But her action thrust her into a growing conversation.

The profile of teen moms has changed in recent years. Kids on shows like MTV's "Teen Mom" and "16 and Pregnant" have taken spots alongside movie stars on magazine covers.

Three years ago, Bristol Palin was a pregnant 17-year-old introduced to the world during her mother's run for vice president. And today, she has earned hundreds of thousands of dollars as a spokeswoman who works to prevent teen pregnancy.

It seems teen mothers are the talk of the nation. But most experts say more conversation is still needed.

"There is a certain amount of acceptance or apathy around the issue, where we just accept it and it's just something that happens here," said Dr. Jennifer Unger, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Yakima Valley Farmworkers Clinic in Toppenish, Wash., where Rodriguez revealed her secret Wednesday to a stunned student body at an assembly at Toppenish High School.

Only a handful of people, including her mother, boyfriend and principal, were in on the secret. The rest of the community in this Western-themed city, in central Washington's agricultural Yakima Valley, had no clue.

They were kept in the dark as part of her senior project on stereotyping. The Herald-Republic reported that Rodriguez found that she was treated quite differently when people thought she was pregnant.

Consider a comment read from a notecard during the assembly by her best friend, Saida Cortes, a 17-year-old senior: "Her attitude is changing, and it might be because of the baby or she was always this annoying and I never realized it."

Rodriguez kept track of statements like this over the course of her 6 1/2 month ruse.

"I'm fighting against those stereotypes ... because the reality is I'm not pregnant," she said.

The population of Toppenish is about 75 percent Hispanic. And the student body at Toppenish High School is 85 percent Hispanic. Her experiment takes on particular significance given this setting.

Nationally, teen pregnancy rates have been steadily declining for years. However, Latinas have the highest teen pregnancy and birth rate among any major racial or ethnic minority.

Roughly 51 percent of Latina teens will get pregnant before age 20, compared with about 30 percent of teens overall, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

"It's a shocking statistic," said Jessica Sheets, the group's spokeswoman. "I'm impressed by how courageous she was and by how much empathy she has. It's pretty clear that she was able to reach a pretty large group of her peers in a very innovative way."

David Crist, a 75-year-old retired teacher in the Yakima Valley, also commented on Rodriguez's "guts."

Crist remembers when pregnant girls were shuffled to an alternative school so that other students wouldn't be exposed to them, much like special education students.

"I would hope it's not something to be glorified, because once you've got that baby, your life changes 110 percent," he said. "But sometimes these things happen. These girls need to be supported."

Crist also said he didn't think any of his now-grown children would have succeeded with such a project.

"My son's a professional actor," he said, "and I still don't think he could have pulled it off."

Unger deals with a lot of teenage pregnancies at the clinic and knows Rodriguez, but wasn't aware of the girl's project until she read about it in the newspaper. Efforts like that, though, help to break the "code of silence" around a passive issue, where girls don't take an active role in taking preventive measures, she said.

"This is one of the issues where I feel like we have to try a little harder," she said. "Her intent was to explore people's reactions if a top student, someone you wouldn't expect, were to get pregnant. She started a conversation." she said.

Laura Yepez, 17, agreed, saying she was proud of her friend Rodriguez, but stunned by the announcement.

"She just wanted to put her feet in the shoes of girls who've been pregnant and see how they're treated. I'm proud of her."

Latina Orchestra Conductor will showcase musical event

2011-04-14T04:42:00.000-07:00

Sonia Marie De Lèon de Vega, who has been exposing children to classical music in the Los Angeles area, will present a México Sinfónico Event to Showcase Music of Great Mexican Composers.

By Susie Albin-Najera The MEXICO Report
“The Good News About Mexico, Travel & Culture”

Sonia Marie De Lèon de Vega

LOS ANGELES, CA - Sonia Marie De Léon de Vega is the music director and conductor of the Los Angeles-based Santa Cecilia Orchestra (SCO), the only orchestra in the nation with a specific mission to expose classical music to Latino communities. Maestra De Léon de Vega is celebrated in education circles for creating the Discovering Music Program in 1998, a two-year program that is currently offered in 18 elementary schools throughout Los Angeles. The program has touched the lives of more than 40,000 students in 35 schools through the power of music education. Due to its success, Discovering Music has been expanded to include a string program that offers free violin lessons throughout the school year and a mentorship program in middle schools.

Sonia, of Mexican descent, was born in San Antonio, Texas and is the daughter of actress/producer Sonia De Léon and singer/guitarist Reynaldo Sanchez, who are San Antonio natives. At the age of four De Léon de Vega moved to Los Angeles, California, where she was raised and began her musical training becoming an accomplished pianist and organist. While always distinguishing herself academically her graduate studies led her to love and specialize in conducting studies with Dr. David Buck. She also trained at the Herbert Blomstedt International Institute for Instrumental Conductors and at various American Symphony Orchestra League workshops with Otto Werner Mueller, Maurice Abravanel, Pierre Boulez, Andre Previn, Zubin Metha and Ricardo Muti.

Recognized as a noted symphony and opera conductor, Sonia Marie De Léon de Vega has achieved distinction as the first woman in history to conduct a symphony orchestra at a Vatican Papal Mass. Sonia was also the first Hispanic classical artist ever featured internationally on the Univision network’s signature Orgullo Hispano, which highlights the most successful Hispanics in the world. Her musical talents have inspired a large following in Southern California through live orchestral presentations, as well as an international audience through televised performances in the United States, Latin America and Europe. She is also the Producer and Music Director for the annual Opera Under the Stars concert in Los Angeles, a venue credited with launching the careers of many young operatic vocalist

On May 22, 2011, Santa Cecilia Orchestra will play México Sinfónico! This 80-piece symphony orchestra event will showcase the music of great Mexican composers and with great pride, will present Daniel Catán, Mexico’s pre-eminent living composer. The symphony orchestra will also include 14 percussionists to perform Silvestre Revueltas’s La Noche de los Mayas. “The Night of The Mayas” hurls itself at an audience like a Mexican Rite of Spring. Extravagant sonorities, panoramic scene-painting, and driving rhythms abound in this magnificent work. Que Viva México!

México Sinfónico
May 22, 2011, Sunday 4pm
Occidental College • Thorne Hall 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles
Prices: $26, $20, $7 (youth)
Purchase Tickets

How Latinas are treated at upscale make-over counters

2011-04-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

As everyday Latinas, we have a responsibility to perpetuate proper etiquette, attire, and personal grooming.

By Zury Magana, Fashion Editor, The American Latina

Publisher's Note: This is a continuing series about how Latina's are treated at upscale fashion and makeup stores in the U.S.

Zury Magana

SACRAMENTO, CA - We have all heard the expression “don’t judge a book by its cover,” well unfortunately we do, making it very important for us to pay attention to our appearance. American culture has often depicted Latinas as houses keepers, nannies – the hired help. It was not until cable television, Spanish TV specifically, that people began to see Latinas in a more positive light. As everyday American Latinas, we have a responsibility to perpetuate these ideals to our current generation by demonstrating proper etiquette, attire, and personal grooming. In addition, to meet the individual and cultural needs of Latinas, American clothing designers and cosmetic manufacturers must be more responsive. This includes providing proper service.

Keeping that in mind, I visited a local Macys located in Sacramento, California to see how responsive they would be to a young Latina’s needs. While passing the Estelauder counter, the clerks greeted me attentively, with smiles and friendly eye contact. As I walked past the BOBBY BROWN counter, there four young female employees who ignored me, demonstrated they were too busy putting on their own makeup and failed to acknowledge any attempt at eye contact. When I reached the MAC counter, my initial destination, things were looking up.

Zury Before Make-over

The MAC counter had five chairs waiting for heavily booked appointments. Their makeup artist Jill said she would love to do my makeup, but would have to return at eleven thirty, 20 minutes to kill. She also mentioned that I would have to purchase ($75) worth of products in exchange for the make over.

Since I had to wait, I decided to head over to LANCOME counter where an older Latina friend of mine was experiencing a makeover of her own. The LANCOME representatives were very professional and attentive to my friend, who shared she was very pleased with their service.

Zury After Make-over

It was now time for my makeover. So once again I passed by BOBBY BROWNS makeup counter only to be ignored a second time; however, Jill at the MAC counter greeted me and quickly began to work her magic. The moment I sat, Jill started with a dark Smokey black eye shadow. She then prepped a pair of ($14) fake long beautiful eye lashes. After she had placed the fake lashes over mine and tinted them with dark black mascara, she applied a ($26) skin base visage on my face for the prime. Jill pointed out that the product was not to be used near the lip area. After applying the base, she layered it with a coat of ($29) SPF15 foundation then lightly contoured my eyes with a dark black eye liner. Finally to finish the make over, she traced my lips with a light brown lip liner, followed by a light and not to noticeable lipstick. My result? It was a signature look for every woman that was there.

Overall I was very pleased by the products and service at this M.A.C. counter in Sacramento and based on that, I would recommend getting a makeover at M.A.C. and use of their products to anyone.

Latina to head Latin Chamber of Broward County

2011-04-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

BankAtlantic's Patricia Barrientos-Maiz was appointed Chair Elect of the Latin Chamber of Commerce of Broward County.

Patricia Barrientos-Maiz

HOLLYWOOD, FL. - BankAtlantic, of Florida announced that Patricia Barrientos-Maiz, Market Manager of its South Pembroke branch, has been appointed Chair Elect of the Board of Directors of the Latin Chamber of Commerce of Broward County.

Mrs. Barrientos-Maiz who is responsible for sales, business development and local market management for BankAtlantic's South Pembroke branch has over 17 years of banking experience in the Pembroke Pines area.

The Latin Chamber of Commerce of Broward County founded over 24 years ago is located in the city of Hollywood, Florida. The chamber is 425 members strong and comprised of community leaders, small and large business, executives and professionals from a broad range of nationalities and operations. The chamber endeavors to increase business and economic opportunities for Hispanic and associated business communities; enhance private and public partnership alliances; develop targeted access and links to the Hispanic business and consumer markets and provide support for educational, social, political and economic development of the Hispanic business community

"We are very proud of Patricia's accomplishments and involvement in the Latin Chamber of Commerce. It is people like Patricia whose professional influence build and sustain cohesive relationships, which the entire business community can benefit from," said Jarett Levan, BankAtlantic's President. "We congratulate Patricia on her new appointment as Chair Elect of the Board of Directors and wish her and the Latin Chamber of Commerce continued success," he added.

Mrs. Barrientos-Maiz is also a current member of Mujeres Latinas Impulsando Mujeres Latinas and Dominican Republic Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of Hispanic Unity of Florida where she serves as Committee organizer of Hispanic Fest and their Annual Gala "Noche de Estrellas". Patricia is a graduate of Barry University where she earned a Bachelor degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Information Technology and a Certificate in Human Resources. She resides in the City of Pembroke Pines.

About the Latin Chamber of Commerce of Broward County: The Latin Chamber of Commerce of Broward was founded in 1987. We are located in the heart of Broward County, in Hollywood FL. Our Mission is to enhance economic growth and stability to our members and our community at large. We have 425 members comprised of community leaders, small and large business, executives and professionals from a broad range of nationalities and operations. We coordinate recurring events such as: Bimonthly Business Networking events (every other Wednesday) as well as Monthly Luncheons (last Friday of every month). In addition we host a Scholarship Luncheon, a Legislative Luncheon, a Business Expo and a Gala. These events help us develop the potential to recruit new members and to pass on marketing messages to others. For more information, please call (954) 961-6386, write 121 South 61st Terrace, Hollywood, Florida 33023, email info@latinchamberbroward.com, or visit www.latinchamberbroward.com.

Latina leader recognized with honorary Doctorate

2011-04-10T16:46:00.000-07:00

Janet Murguía heads the largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organizations in the nation.

Janet Murguia/NCLR

Carson, Ca. - On May 20, the California State University, Dominguez Hills, will present an honorary doctorate to Janet Murguía, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of La Raza. Named as one of the "100 Most Influential Hispanics" by Hispanic Business Magazine, Murguía heads the largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organizations in the nation.

A former legislative counsel to former Kansas Congressman Jim Slattery, Murguía became a key figure among Latino community leaders when she was named as head of NCLR on January 1, 2005. In addition, she has served as deputy assistant to former President Bill Clinton from 1994 to 2000, and as deputy campaign manager and director of constituency outreach for the Gore/Lieberman presidential campaign.

In 2001, Murguía joined the University of Kansas (KU) as Executive Vice Chancellor for University Relations, overseeing KU’s internal and external relations with the public, including governmental and public affairs. She coordinated the university's strategic planning and marketing efforts at the four KU campuses with those of the Alumni Association, the Athletics Corporation, and the Endowment Association.

Murguía is currently a Board member of the Independent Sector, a coalition of leading nonprofits, foundations, and corporations committed to connecting, informing, and advocating on behalf of the nonprofit and philanthropic community. She is also a member of the Merrill Lynch Diversity & Inclusion Council and is an executive committee member of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. In addition, Murguía sits on the Board of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility and the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda.

Janet Murguía grew up in Kansas City, Kansas, where she also attended Kansas University and attained degrees in Journalism, Spanish, and a J.D.

Murguia will receive CSU, Dominguez Hills honorary doctorate at the College of Business Administration and Public Policy at a ceremony planned for 6 p.m. at the Home Depot Center tennis stadium on campus.

Latina shares about life with HIV

2011-03-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

Like so many others, Maria never thought contracting HIV was possible.

By Lisa Laing, Stopping The Hate

Maria Mejia

MIAMI, FL - Maria Mejia is 37 years old, born in Colombia and has lived in Miami, Florida her entire life. She discovered she was HIV Positive when she was with the Job Corps Program where they tested individuals for HIV. She was infected with virus around the age 16 from her first boyfriend who at the time, unknowingly to her, was and I.V. drug user and also a gang member and so was she at the time, it was her family at that time. She had a wonderful mother growing up, but at the age of 3 was sexually molested by an uncle and having to deal with a mentally abusive father she ran away from home at the age of 13, which is when she met the boyfriend who would ultimately change her life forever.

Maria, like so many others in the time period back then, never thought contracting HIV was possible because so many people thought it was just a homosexual disease, as we all know today, AIDS is a worldwide epidemic that doesn't discriminate when it comes to sexual orientation. When Maria discovered she had contracted the HIV virus, she felt as though her life was over and went back home to die. As the years passed she realized that she was not dying and accepted the fact that this disease would be with her until the end. She became spiritual and began loving herself again, and decided she would make changes to her life so that she could continue forward with her life.

She says that in ways, HIV/AIDS actually saved her life. She became and activist and an advocate and realized that by sharing her story with others, she could save lives. Her 20 year journey has not been easy, because of the stigma attached to the disease itself, which is why she decided to come out of the HIV/AIDS closet and help others. She says that she doesn't want to feel like she's being treated like a criminal and constantly hide from it, she is a human being who just happens to have an illness.

She is a blogger at Thebody.com and a Girl Like Me from The Well Project. She helps others who have been infected and affected by this illness. She is also a peer educator for Miami Jackson University of Miami helping with educational classes, a volunteer for the Red Cross and was trained by the Health Department to be a pre and post counselor, and doing testing. Maria has been a model for HIV medications, and is currently in the Mac Campaign (My Aids Campaign). She has many dreams and wants to reach the whole world. She is a committed warrior in the campaign to help end the AIDS epidemic.

It only takes one person to change the world, and each time someone like Maria steps forward to tell their story, the world changes for the better.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Miami, Florida.

What is your relationship like with your family?

My relationship with my family is awesome! My mother has been my rock from the beginning but there are some people in my family in Colombia where I am from that think I have another illness, they are very ignorant to the subject.

Does your family know and if so how did they react when you first told them?

My mother was the first one I told back in 1991, back then there was even more stigma, she accepted me and by tried to protect me from being hurt. She told me this is something we will keep to ourselves, we will say you have another illness. After the years passed I started feeling out some of my family member and disclosed to a few, they reacted really well because I was a trained HIV educator and I made sure I educated them long before I disclosed it to them.

Today people see HIV/AIDS as a chronic disease because of the medications that are available, but I think that undermines the disease itself. What can you tell our readers about the HIV/AIDS virus so that they truly understand the effects it can have on the body?

This is exactly what i was talking about, people are minimizing it because they see us looking good on the outside. People don't see the side effects of the medications which is sometimes more horrible than the disease itself, like body changes. Some people lose fat and gain it in other places, their bodies can become disfigured, it's very sad. Or, they lose fat in their faces, its called a lipodistrophy or lipoathropy, most get neuropathy. It is horrible, its nerve damage, and you are in constant pain 24/7 in your feet and legs and hands, like stabbing needles and numbness. It is so bad they prescribe you morphine and heavy duty narcotics which can lead to even more problems like addictions, gastristis, diabetes, aging quicker,renal problems. The list goes on and on. I will continue to say this and please listen, "HIV/AIDS IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE, BUT IT IS A LIFE SENTENCE, you get no breaks and you will most likely take very toxic medication until you die."

What do you think the government can do or should be doing to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS?
I think it is very sad but this disease is being minimized. I believe they should fund for more education, this is the key for everything, to prevent new infections and also for those already living with HIV/AIDS to help take away the stigma, which is something we have to face every day living with the virus. Also, there needs to be more research to find a cure. more into research for a cure.

I am thankful for the medications out there but sometimes the side effects of the medications are stronger than the illness itself. Another thing that has me worried is how young people and adults minimize this illness. People seem to think if you get infected you take a pill and you are fine, this is incorrect and as i always say this is not a death sentence anymore, but it is a life sentence.

What can we teach young people who are becoming sexually active about HIV/AIDS?
That it is not a gay disease or a disease for prostitutes or IV drug users only, that anyone can get it. I got infected, I believe when I was 16 years old and this is no joke, it's a hard illness to deal with and if you have unprotected sex only once, that is all it takes. I want them to protect themselves and not go through what I have been through. If they cant practice abstinence then you must use a condom. Just because you look good on the outside that does not mean you can't have HIV/AIDS. I want them to look at me when they think about having unprotected sex, ANYONE COULD HAVE IT!

Why did you decide to openly share this with the world?
I'm trying to remove the stigma attached to HIV / AIDS. I'm trying to remove the shame that people have connected with the disease. I'm trying to save lives. We are not criminals. Many people have no compassion and can judge others very cruelly.

When did you find out you were HIV Positive
I found out when I was 18 years old, but I think I got infected at 16. I was in a program called Job Corps, which evaluated all who were there. I underwent HIV testing with no major concerns, because at that time people thought that AIDS was a homosexual disease.

How did you contract the disease?

I think I contracted it from my first boyfriend. We were very young, but a few years later I learned that he used intravenous drugs and he was a gang member.

What kind of myths were prevalent at the time?
One of the prevalent myths was that HIV was a death sentence and you were going to die within months. Another myth was that only prostitutes, homosexuals and drug addicts contracted the virus, or you could get it from a mosquito, or drinking from the same cup as someone who was infected. It was a time full of follies and perpetuating misinformation and stigma. People thought heterosexuals were "clean and free" of the disease and if you had heterosexual sex you were fine, but that was not the truth. I was only a teenager. I was 16 years old.

What was your initial reaction to the diagnosis?

Back then it was a death sentence. I was alone, away from my family. My first reaction was shock, because the doctor who gave me the diagnosis did not prepare me. When I saw his eyes, originally I thought he would say I had lung cancer or something similar, but he told me in a direct way that I had AIDS, it was really shocking. At that time I wanted to die.

When did you decide to fight against this disease and I said "No, I'm not going to die?"

At first, I refused to diagnosis and would not go to doctors to remind me I was HIV Positive, which happens sometimes after a diagnosis. Later, I decided to take control of the situation. I went to a doctor who recommended some strong medication even though it could damage my internal organs.

What did you do then?

I wanted to live longer and did not want to die of something else, such as renal failure that was common at that time because of drugs. It was then I realized that I could not sit and wait for death, and had to do something. I took control of my life and started living a healthy lifestyle.

Did you talk to someone about your diagnosis?
At first, only with my mother and my brother, then shared my secret with some friends, but unfortunately, one of them said "Oh, I cannot believe you just let me take your beer." It was very shocking.

Have changes occurred in your life since you knew you were HIV positive?
It's been a long process. I have had offers to model and announce HIV drugs. At first I did not want any of that embarrassment, but slowly revealed my condition to small support groups and volunteered to work with them. Two important things have happened. First, being tired of hiding like a criminal. Second, my partner's sister died of brain cancer two months ago and that was when I said "Why can people say I have this horrible disease and I can not say I have HIV? I am not a criminal."

Are you receiving any treatment?
Well, the first 10 years I was taking natural medicine; my mother has a health food store. Currently, I take antiretroviral, Coenzyme Q10 400 Mg., it's natural supplement and that helps with the toxicity of the medicines Mitochondria destroyed. Also, Vitamins C, B12 and healthy eating.

What activities do you do?

Thebody.com and write articles for the Well Project A Girl Like Me. I also speak at conferences. I volunteer at Jackson Memorial Hospital at the University of Miami as a Peer Educator. Through my Facebook page and email I have for the body.com I give advice to those newly diagnosed or those who have a long history with the virus and those who are suicidal. Among other activities, I give talks in Miami Dade County Public Schools. I've been active in this fight and soon I will join Positive Connections to lecture and I will be part of the plan committee.

What would your final message be for people?

If you have unprotected sex, it only takes once to get HIV/AIDS. It can happen to anyone, from the youngest to the oldest. We are strong people and survivors, please do not minimize the disease. Get tested, it is better to know than not know, so lives can be saved. "Having HIV / AIDS is not a death penalty, but it is a life sentence."

Latina, former legislator, appointed to state Cabinet position

2011-03-29T05:23:00.000-07:00

In appointing Anna Caballero, Gov. Jerry Brown begins to demonstrate pledge to Latino community.

By Carlos Alcala, Managing Editor, The American Latina

Anna Caballero

SACRAMENTO, CA - California Governor Jerry Brown has appointed State Assemblymember Anna Caballero as Secretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency. In doing so, Brown begins to demonstrate his pledge to California’s Latino population to make them a vital part of his administration.

As Secretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency, Caballero will oversee thousands of employees in vital departments and boards that protect consumers, license physicians, and manage public employee retirement systems.

Caballero, 56, of Salinas, had previously served in the California Assembly representing the 28th District, until her failed bid for election to the State Senate. An attorney, she launched her legal career in 1979 working as a staff attorney for California Rural Legal Assistance, representing farm workers in consumer matters. She was a partner in the law firm of Caballero, Govea, Matcham and McCarthy from 1982, which changed its name in 1995 to Caballero, Matcham and McCarthy. In 1991, she was elected to the Salinas City Council and served as City Mayor from 1998 to 2006. In addition, she was the Executive Director of “Partners for Peace” from 2000 to 2006.

“Anna Caballero has a tremendous opportunity to become the Latina leader in the United States,” says Jim Hernandez, CEO of the California Hispanic Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. “She simply has to exercise the courage to advocate civil rights fairness for Latinos…Brown has shown us his good faith, now she must show us that she can lead.”

Caballero will be taking the reins of an Agency which houses the powerful Public Employment Retirement System and the State Teachers Retirement System, each controlling many billions of dollars and both involved in heated debates about pension reform. In addition, she will oversee the state’s key hiring board, the State Personnel Board, and the state’s primary purchaser and contractor, the Department of General Services.

Caballero, a Democrat, is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego and attained her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her appoint will require Senate confirmation.

Latina defines volunteerism in her community

2011-03-09T06:02:00.000-08:00

As a child, Angela volunteered at the Zoo and also read to children at a local orphanage.

By Adrian Perez

Angela Rosas, Award Recipient

SACRAMENTO, CA - The 26th Annual Sacramento Women of Color and Diversity Awards were held on March 6, 2011 in Sacramento, California, recognizing individuals whose work has promoted the inclusion and advancement of women of color. Some of this year’s Award recipients included Joan Cartwright, Musician and Ex. Director for the Women in Jazz in South Florida; Sarah Enloe, Writer, Philippine Fiesta newspaper; Dr. Linda Goodrich, California State University, Sacramento; and newly elected California Attorney General Kamala Harris. Among these distinguished women was Angela Rosas, a Latina Community Activist who has quietly established herself as one of Sacramento’s movers and shakers.

Although “Latina Community Activist” conjures up images of woman confronting a PTA or raising concerns at city hall, that is not the case for Angela, whose quiet and shy demeanor fools many who meet her for the first time. Her dedication, determination and independence has and continues to make a difference in the lives of many children and women, especially those caught in an abusive environment.

Angela was born to teen parents who had to work extra hard to make ends meet, especially to raise a family. The challenges they encountered made Angela become a “latch-key” child. Rather than seeing this as a burden, a young Angela enjoyed caring for herself and younger sister, while expanding her mind by reading the encyclopedia.

Her positive outlook of life continued as she grew older and by the time she was 12, Angela began volunteering at the Sacramento Zoo, helping with the “Summer Camps.” By age 14, she spent time reading to the children at the Sacramento Children’s Home (an orphanage.)

Angela is also an avid Giants fan

“My parents would drop me off at my grandmother’s house and I would take the bus from there to the Zoo where I volunteered,” says Angela who grew up in the suburb of Elk Grove, California. “When it was slow, sometimes I would go to the Sacramento Children’s Home and read to the kids.”

While most 12 to 14 year old girls are discovering themselves, their friends and their surroundings, Angela had a more mature approach and a desire of wanting to give. It is evident that Angela was not a regular child, but one whose gift was to expand her mind and share her knowledge.

“My parents had me when they were teens, and we were very poor,” says Angela in describing her childhood. “From them, especially my mom, I learned the ability to make something out of nothing, I learned about pride, respect, and overcoming adversity.”

Upon graduating from high school, Angela attended California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) where she majored in Journalism. During her time as a student, and in addition to having two jobs, she also volunteered at WEAVE (Women Escaping A Violent Environment) where she helped promote the organization at various events.

WEAVE is a Sacramento based organization established in 1978 by three Latinas to help women who were in abusive relationships. In 1988, the services provided by WEAVE expanded to include services for survivors of a sexual assault. While volunteering, Angela learned to provide counseling and received training to become a speaker for the organization, reaching out to those who feel there is no hope.

“My mom did an amazing job with us girls,” adds Angela in explaining her drive to volunteer. “I feel that if she created this wonderful life from scratch, I have no excuse for not doing the same, and thanks to her, I don’t have to start from scratch.”

Upon graduating from CSU, Sacramento, Angela took a job as a journalist for a Visalia, California newspaper, where she immediately excelled. Wanting to return to Sacramento, she accepted a position as a grant writer for a non-profit program before accepting her current position with WholesaleInsurance.net. As the company’s social media and public relations expert, Angela maintains their Facebook, twitter and overall Internet visibility. Still, she makes time to continue her volunteerism.

“I am a certified Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault peer counselor,” she says about volunteering at WEAVE. “Plus, I spend time on their Speakers Bureau and enjoy representing them a various events.”

As if that wasn’t enough for the 27-year old, Angela recently established an organization with some of her friends called “Chicas Latinas de Sacramento,” whose focus is to promote volunteerism.

Receiving her award (pic by Kati Garner)

“WEAVE has a tremendous need for Latina counselors and through Chicas we have been able to train 10 new Latina counselors,” she says. “But we still need more counselors that understand Latino culture and language.”

In addition, to WEAVE, Chicas is helping promote Latino art and culture, especially for the youth, and Angela hopes this will also lead to more Latinos volunteering too. So where does she get so much motivation to be a volunteer?

“I had a powerful role model, my mom,” Angela says. “I think that is where my drive comes from.”

But, life hasn’t been all rosy for Angela, and she has had to engage situations and people who could have deviated her focus and perhaps hamper her accomplishments. Yet, through determination and a positive outlook, she has overcome those experiences.

“There have been times when bad experiences could have defeated me,” she says. “But, I’ve always found strength in saying ‘success is the greatest revenge!’ – not that I truly want revenge, but saying it reminds me not to let others take away from my life’s pursuits.”

There is no question that Angela deserves recognition for her natural talent of volunteerism and being recognized by receiving The Women of Color Award may be the first of many to come. Undoubtedly, the Sacramento community is a better place to live because of people like Angela Rosas.

Farmers® Insurance and HOPE honor Latina entrepreneur

2011-02-24T08:50:00.000-08:00

Three recipients given Extraordinary Entrepreneurs Award

Farmers Insurance Awardees

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Farmers Insurance honored three exceptional, multicultural women entrepreneurs at The Citizen Hotel Ballroom in Sacramento, California. The honored were: Gia Ly, Kalika Yap, and Dr. Ana Nogales were selected in a statewide competition and were recognized at the evening reception co-hosted by HOPE (Hispanas Organized for Political Equality), and the California Latino Legislative Caucus.

Dr. Ana Nogales

One of the women honored is Dr. Ana Nogales, whose tireless work in addressing the issue of human trafficking has resulted in the creation of a website, humantraffickingend.com. In addition, Dr. Nogales wrote a performance play called "Don’t Call Me Baby!," which received critical acclaim and was written to provide therapeutic guidance through theater.

"It is structured in a way in which the veracity of human trafficking is not simply revealed, but also given means to a healing end," writes Dr. Nogales. "And while the audience, via the central character, is provided with psychological advice, they are also presented with information on who to contact should they encounter a similar situation. It is a very useful educational piece that can be used at colleges and training facilities, just as well as support groups and prevention programs."

Dr. Nogalles immigrated to the United States in 1979 from Argentina, attained her Doctorate degree in psychology and began her private practice in 1982. Establishing Nogales Psychological Counseling, she has become a well-known, respected and much sought after Latina in the U.S. Utilizing media presence and publishing several books, Dr. Nogales has positioned herself as a leader in the Latino community. To learn more about Dr. Nogales' accomplishments visit her websites: casadelafamilia.org, humantraffickingend.com, and ananogales.com.

Luisa Acosta-Franco

"We, at Farmers Insurance, are fully committed to the empowerment and development of professional, diverse women in the U.S.," said Luisa Acosta-Franco, Vice President of Multicultural Marketing at Farmers Insurance. "The award recipients embody this vision, and I am excited to personally hand them their awards."

The two-year old initiative, spearheaded by Farmers, aims to honor a diverse group of women who demonstrate extraordinary success in the areas of innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. The hosting committee included Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus; Luisa Acosta-Franco, VP of Multicultural Marketing at Farmers Insurance; and Helen Iris Torres, Executive Director and CEO of HOPE.

"Farmers has a proud history of supporting local entrepreneurship and has been able to help thousands of women and men across the nation become small business owners," said Mhayse Samalya, president of Farmers Business Insurance and executive vice president of Farmers Group, Inc. "Additionally, as one of the nation's leading insurers of small businesses, we are proud to be able to offer state-of-the-art tools that help entrepreneurs manage their risks so they can focus on assuring their long-term success."

Farmers has partnered with HOPE for over 10 years to support a variety of programs dedicated to the growth of Latina leaders statewide. The California Latino Legislative Caucus will also lend its support to the initiative in order to further the groups' aim of increasing the number of successful Latina business owners.

"HOPE is grateful to its partners in this initiative," said Torres. "Our organization serves the Latina community with leadership development and is proud that Farmers Insurance and the California Latino Legislative Caucus are helping support this mission as well."

Farmers continues to be a leading choice for Hispanics that wish to attain the "American Dream" of owning their own business through its many agency career opportunities. With its statewide network of exclusive agents, who are small business owners themselves, Farmers recognizes the commitment it takes to launch a successful business. For these reasons, Farmers continues to offer HOPE, the recipients of the 2011 Farmers Insurance Extraordinary Entrepreneurs Award and the Hispanic community at large its continued support.

In addition to providing entrepreneurship opportunities for interested individuals, Farmers is one of the largest insurers of small businesses and offers state-of-the-art tools that help entrepreneurs manage their risks so they can focus on assuring their long-term success.

The leading insurer of automobiles in California, Farmers Insurance utilizes a statewide network of exclusive agents who are small business owners themselves. The community-based Farmers agents are deeply involved in their local neighborhoods through a variety of activities, including adopt-a-school programs, service club memberships, and small business advocacy to name a few. Farmers is committed to seeking out and providing small business ownership opportunities to talented individuals and offers extensive training and incentive programs to aid in their agents' success.

About Farmers® Insurance

Farmers Insurance Group of Companies is the country's 3rd largest insurer of both personal lines passenger automobile and homeowners insurance, and also provides a wide range of other insurance and financial services products. Farmers Insurance is proud to serve more than 10 million households with more than 20 million individual policies across all 50 states through the efforts of over 50,000 exclusive and independent agents and nearly 24,000 employees.

Farmers is a trade name and may refer to Farmers Group, Inc. or the Farmers Exchanges, as the case may be. Farmers Group, Inc., a management and holding company, along with its subsidiaries, is wholly owned by the Zurich Financial Services Group. The Farmers Exchanges are three reciprocal insurers (Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange and Truck Insurance Exchange), including their subsidiaries and affiliates, owned by their policyholders, and managed by Farmers Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information about Farmers, visit its Web site at www.farmers.com or at www.Facebook.com/FarmersInsurance.

About HOPE

Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) is the premier Latina leadership, advocacy and education organization in California. They are dedicated to the continuous development of Latina leaders statewide through its different programs and conferences.

Daily hot tips for Latinas in "La Cosmopolatina"

2011-02-22T12:36:00.000-08:00

The Fabulous La Cosmo Latinas...

By Al Carlos Hernandez, Herald de Paris, February 22, 2011

Tanya and Liz, Co-Founders of LaCosmopolatina.com

HOLLYWOOD (Herald de Paris ) -- According to lacosmopolatina.com, “Being a Latina in the US is fabulous, but it comes with its own set of challenges. Sure we rock the best of both worlds, but it’s not always easy striking the right balance between traditional, church-going, family-oriented good girl life and sexy, independent working-woman. We love Jimmy Choos and we love maduros. We love our mamis even when they nag in Spanish about our gringo boyfriends; and we rely on la Virgencita as much as we do on our iPhones. Sometimes, though, it’s still hard battling stereotypes. For example, we are not all Mexican (there are like 20 other nationalities, people!) and we don’t all break out into dance the minute we hear the sound of congas and an electronic keyboard (thanks, Dave Chapelle, for that one). And it’s annoying being constantly referred to as “spicy” or “caliente”. There are many non-food related adjectives I’d rather be described as. Overall, though, it’s pretty fantastic being bicultural. www.LaCosmopolatina.com understands and celebrates that, challenges and all. That’s why you’ll always find everything you need to know this minute on LaCosmo to continue being your fabulous self.”

Herald de Paris Deputy Managing Editor Dr. Al Carlos Hernandez, through an introduction by Filmmaker David Mendez last year, finally had a chance to talk to Website co founders, Lizabeth Cordozo and Tanya Alverez:

AC: What is LaCosmopolatina all about? Purpose, goals, mission?

Liz: LaCosmopolatina offers daily tips for Latinas who think in American but love in Spanish. We tap into the wisdom of our mothers, tias and abuelas for generations-old info and marry it with the latest trends. We deliver tips written from a Latin perspective to Latinas across the nation, with the voice of your amiga who is sassy and opinionated, but you don’t mind because she’s funny. It was created to fill the existing void of content directed to US Hispanic females whose dominant language is English, but who embrace their heritage and wish to stay in touch with their roots. Our message is about enhancing a Latina’s life and inspiring her by covering important lifestyle topics and amazing Latinas in a way that relates to her own personal experiences. Latinas in the US aren’t consuming their media on Telemundo, Univision or El Diario/La Prensa. They’re reading the New York Times, Real Simple Magazine, Daily Candy and The Economist. They’re listening to the BBC, NPR, and CNBC. They’re watching Desperate Housewives, Modern Family or Grey’s Anatomy. I ask who is reaching them? Where is a lifestyle site on the Internet that is specifically for them? There aren’t that many. We’re the answer.

AC: Tell us a little about yourselves, Lizbeth and Tanya?

Liz: Made in Colombia. Born in the USA. One Size Fits All. La Columbiana has a PhD in teaching extranjeros how to perfectly roll their “rrrr”s. A true jetsetter, Lizbeth has roamed the world, from Chicago, Orlando, Colombia, Miami, New York, Italy and finally ending back in New York. With an arepa in one hand and the Colombian flag in the other, she will talk up a storm with anyone who is willing to listen. And who can stop her? By the end of the conversation, you too will be saying, “Viva Colombia!” If she’s not in the kitchen cooking up a sancocho that will make you forget all about watching your carb-intake, you can find her in the center of the dance floor proving that Latinos are born knowing how to shake what our mama’s gave us!

Tanya Alvarez: A gringa who wears bright colors, loves empanadas, and has Shakira hips that definitely don’t lie. Finally! Every gringo’s dream of finding just the right amount of sabor has come true! Colombian at heart, but gringa to the core. Don’t let her dark hair and dark eyes fool you, try speaking to her in Spanish and be ready to hear, “Huh? I mean, que?” You would think that growing up as a first generation Colombian in Miami has taught her how to lose the “glish” in Spanglish, but with no luck. La Gringa uses her expert skills to move between both worlds with ease. Be ready to keep up with this fast paced, marathon-running gringa-Latina who brings home the bacon and can fry it up with sazon too!

AC: What was it in your childhood that inspired you to become a media person? Did you have an epiphany? When did you know you could do it and chose it as a career?

Tanya: I have always wanted to be an inventor since I was five years old. I was fascinated with creating things. One of my first entrepreneurial experiences was as a six year old at a typical Colombian party that my mom was throwing for family and friends. I parked myself at the entrance of my home armed with a cash box, big brown eyes, two pigtails and a business-minded determination. I charged people $5 upon entering. How could people say no? They didn’t. They paid. My mom later found out through friends what I was doing and doubled over with laughter. She loves telling that story over and over again. Through these types of experiences I realized I wanted to be an entrepreneur and more specifically in a digital capacity where one can positively impact others instantaneously.

Liz: Since I was a child I had a wild imagination. One of the things my mom instilled in my sister and I was the love of books and words. We were sort of book geeks. My sister and I would scour the kid’s summer book lists, pack lunch for the day, and speed over to the public library on our bikes to stock up. We’d stay all day and get lost in imaginary worlds that later we would recreate in a forest or field close to where we lived. I was also fascinated with dragons, fairies and elves. I would draw these beautiful characters in my sketchpad and would create character profiles and fantastical story lines. I continued to develop these skills not knowing that I could one day make it a profession. I also learned about sales and relationships through osmosis by a man I considered the “Greatest Salesman in the World” when I was younger: my stepfather.

AC: What where your college experiences like, both good and bad? Did you have a socio cultural awareness?

Tanya: Wellesley College is an all-female school and a culturally homogeneous institution. I went through quite a culture shock coming from Miami, which has a very eclectic and colorful Latin culture. For example, I was used to being much more affectionate in social situations. Kissing on the cheek was commonly practiced upon first meeting someone. I learned pretty quickly, after a couple of uncomfortable encounters, that a handshake is more customary among Northeastern society. Many times, I found myself longing for Latin-based sounds, bright colors, rice and beans, and the warmth of the Miami sun. I soon realized that Latin people express themselves in a much livelier way through colors, hand gestures, physical affection, words and food. I was a part of that world. Massachusetts was the first place I lived where the people did not go back and forth with languages; it took some getting used to. Upon experiencing this new paradigm, I decided to embrace my Latin culture. Before I had avoided it altogether when I desired to be more American and less Latin.

Liz: University was pretty homogeneous. I already was exposed to my Colombian culture via my parents’ ways and trips every summer to Colombia to be with my huge family. Also, we ate Colombian food on special occasions, we’d listen to cumbias and bambucos, and we spoke Spanish at home. My father insisted on this. What really jolted me into an appreciation of my heritage was living in Colombia for one year after college. Those were my Che Guevara days and while living there, I decided I wanted to be a reporter and a photographer/activist. I wanted to showcase the dichotomy between the social inequality and atrocities with the beauty and resilience of Colombian people and culture. I would travel to remote villages in 98 Fahrenheit degree weather or high in the cold mountains to photograph the beauty of the people, the rundown but beautiful Spanish colonial homes, the artesanias, their daily lives and simple ways. These people really knew how to live despite the ongoing 40-year civil war.

Even though I wanted to stay in Colombia, circumstances did not allow this and, upon returning to the states with a dogged determination, I decided I wanted to serve the US Hispanic and Latin American markets. Somehow I wanted to make an impact on my beautiful Colombia and its people.

AC: Were there any obstacles for Latinas at the time trying to get into advertising and media?

Tanya: I did not personally experience any obstacles but I am certain that many others have, and will continue to, in the future. I realized two things: the more connected you were (or the people your parents knew were) the more this helped you out. I did not have that. Since I did not have that kind of network at my disposal, I had to be creative and find other ways to get interviews and internships. It all comes down to how badly you want to succeed. I encountered obstacles and challenges early on in life and faced them head on.

Liz: I always knew I wanted to work in advertising or the media. I was going to make it happen no matter the circumstances. After interviewing somewhere, I’d skim the kiosk and locate media and advertising companies. I’d then walk in and present them my resume and ask to see the HR Manager, the Director of Account Services or the News Director. Sometimes it worked! And if it didn’t, I’d return, follow up with a call, or ask somebody who knew them to connect me with them until they’d see me. I admit, it was tough getting in, but once I realized the power of networking with the right people and just believing in myself, the more the opportunities came my way. If you’re sincere and you show genuine interest and a passion to succeed, people will have the desire to help you. You just have to ask for it.

AC: Tell us about your first break in the corporate world? Who believed in you? Who didn’t?

Tanya: Upon graduating college, the Internet bubble had just burst. Therefore, while many of my classmates chose Management Consulting or Investment Banking, I refused to go down that path regardless if it paid much more. I took my chances and went the start-up route and was paid peanuts and worked crazy hours. My family did not have money to support me so I had to live on the small wage I was making in New York. It all paid off because it gave me the foundation and understanding to start my own venture at 25 years old. I was fortunate to have a family who always believed in me and encouraged me to take risks. When I thought I couldn’t take anymore or I doubted myself, they encouraged me to push forward. There were a number of people who told me I should take a job at a Fortune 500 Company and that what I was doing was too risky. I’m glad I never listened to them.

Liz: I had many first breaks. I am deeply indebted to the many people I have crossed paths with throughout my career. There are too many to mention, but the ones that stand out are: Tom at KEZA FM Radio in Arkansas who gave me a break, at 21 years old, to produce the morning news for three months alongside the radio personality, The Rotund One, while he recovered from brain surgery (sounds unbelievable but it’s true. Tom trained me in a day), a News Director at Miavision who hired me as a Spanish/English TV reporter with little on-camera experience, Bruno Martinez who believed in my Spanish Ad copywriting skills, Linda Gonzalez of The Viva Partnership, and Lisa Vasquez, a Corbis Images director at the time, whom I met while working in Miami and was convinced that I’d be perfect for sales.

Eventually, I took the leap into sales. You know that statistic that says a professional will change their careers up to seven times in their professional lifetime? Well, I hit that number while in my 20’s. I had no fear. I was just extremely curious of what I was capable of. I wanted to test-run my talents and hidden skills to truly understand my passion. And I had angels along the way who believed in me.

AC: Do you think there is a glass ceiling that limits American Latinas from major corporate success in the Ad world?

Tanya: No. I think that glass ceiling idea is a farce; one just needs to be persistent and hang in longer. Of course there could be more programs to aid in the assistance of reaching success, but the timing is perfect for Latinas to get into media now. Most media companies are trying to figure out how to tap into the Hispanic market that is growing exponentially. To know the language is one thing but to understand the culture is an asset most companies need now.

AC: What are some of the positive campaigns and experiences you have had working in the advertising industry?

Tanya: I started in online advertising in the early 2000’s. I got to see the quick changes including new marketing strategies like pops, banners, email and social media. It was exciting since you could see results in real-time and there weren’t any rules; it was like the Wild Wild West. The only limit was how creative your mind was. If you dreamt it, you could most likely execute it in this industry. The best part is you can change the message to improve the ROI (“Return on Investment”) quickly. As the years went by, technology improved and the way to target consumers became more sophisticated. Therefore, I would say all of my experiences have been positive ones. You’re constantly learning and really have to understand each company business model to effectively market them.

AC: What were some of the experiences that made you decide to strike out on your own?

Liz: I was tired of working for “the man.” I was fired from my corporate job, aka my daily hell, in the spring of 2007. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. I went to Italy for six months to do the whole “Eat, Pray, Love” thing before it was commercialized and sold in a book on the New York Times Bestsellers list. I wanted to decompress and re-evaluate what I wanted to do next. I had many ideas but I needed to stick to one and then execute. My time in Italy served its purpose. I returned refreshed and ready to serve the US Hispanic market and launch a website for Latinas. And then along came Tanya Alvarez, my doppelganger and business partner, only more Americanized and two inches taller than me.

AC: How did the advent of postmodern New Media change the way you perceived the future and your view towards future opportunity?

Tanya: We are no longer sitting back and just swallowing what is being spoon-fed to us; we are in the driver’s seat now. We are telling advertisers how we want to be depicted and how to grab our attention. Social media has made a big difference in this instance, giving people a platform to speak up and command attention from brands – brands who now have to be careful how to craft their marketing message. It’s all about changing people’s perceptions and reaching out to people who would have not necessarily had access to the information or able to give input.

Liz: I realized years ago that we were just seeing the tip of the iceberg with the power of Internet. I still feel the possibilities are infinite and many more ideas are ripe for the picking.

AC: How has extensive international travel colored your perspective regarding the global community and your idea for a website for Latinas?

Liz: I think my travels have shown me we’re all more alike than we think. LaCosmopolatina’s tips are geared towards the modern, acculturated Latina that references her culture, but that doesn’t mean that somebody from Italy or Switzerland couldn’t read and enjoy them as well. They might not understand the cultural references, but they should get the humor. Humor is universal.

AC: What is LaCosmopolatina all about? Purpose, goals, mission?

Liz: LaCosmopolatina offers daily tips for Latinas who think in American but love in Spanish. We tap into the wisdom of our mothers, tias and abuelas for generations-old info and marry it with the latest trends. We deliver tips written from a Latin perspective to Latinas across the nation, with the voice of your amiga who is sassy and opinionated, but you don’t mind because she’s funny. It was created to fill the existing void of content directed to US Hispanic females whose dominant language is English, but who embrace their heritage and wish to stay in touch with their roots. Our message is about enhancing a Latina’s life and inspiring her by covering important lifestyle topics and amazing Latinas in a way that relates to her own personal experiences.

Latinas in the US aren’t consuming their media on Telemundo, Univision or El Diario/La Prensa. They’re reading the New York Times, Real Simple magazine, Daily Candy and The Economist. They’re listening to the BBC, NPR, and CNBC. They’re watching Desperate Housewives, Modern Family or Grey’s Anatomy. I ask who is reaching them? Where is a lifestyle site on the Internet that is specifically for them? There aren’t that many. We’re the answer.

AC: Who do you perceive the competition to be? How are you different and more competitive?

Tanya: We don’t have direct competition because there isn’t anyone targeting Latinas like we are. Most content for Latinas out there is about celebrities and gossip. Our message is about enhancing a Latina’s life and inspiring her. Also, our site is not some crazy Spanglish mix; we understand how to speak to our Latinas no matter how much, or how little, Spanish they might know.

AC: How do you define “powerful” when you speak of Latinas?

Tanya: “We don’t die we multiply.” Ha, that is power! We have influences and value word of mouth like no other! Have you ever seen a Latina tell a chisme?

Liz: Powerful is a Latina with confidence. Powerful is having a passion for something. Powerful is about inspiring. Powerful doesn’t mean you have to be a bitch and step all over others to get what you want. It’s about truly believing in what you are doing and having the gift to influence others to jump on board in helping you move your vision forward.

AC: How can your demographic benefit from visiting your website?

Tanya: We enhance our reader’s lives by giving them tips that will make everything from getting perfect skin to organizing their finances easier. We scour the web and travel all over to get the low down. And then we present the freshest and most interesting information our readers just have to know. All with a Latin twist, of course, that a Latina can appreciate.

AC: What kinds of advertisers are you trying to attract and how do you plan to interface your website with other media platforms to generate interest and revenue?

Tanya: We are attempting to attract advertisers who understand the Hispanic culture and understand the power of this market. Ones that don’t assume we dress risqué and that portray us as only sexual creatures. In other words, those who know there is more to a Latina than the stereotype that has been portrayed in the media for decades. We work with all media platforms to spread our message: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube. You name it, we are on it!

Liz: Advertisers who would like to reach the ever-elusive English-dominant Latina market. It’s a 300 billion dollar market. It’s time they put their dollars where their mouth is.

AC: What’s the best thing that can happen for your website?

Tanya: For now we would like to positively influence Latina culture and grow a successful online community of users. When that goal has been achieved we would most likely look to sell to a larger media conglomerate.

Liz: That we grow it to unfathomable proportions, cross international borders, translate it into Spanish and continue to entertain and touch the hearts of Latinas around the globe. Is that too much to ask? I don’t think so.

AC: What are your personal career goals?

Tanya: To continue to build a company that I and my family are proud of, and to mentor younger females to stay true to their passion and conquer the insurmountable challenges ahead of them.

Liz: Ditto. She took the words right out of my mouth! Ha-ha!!

AC: How should history remember LaCosmopolatina?

Tanya: As the first site who understood the uniqueness of being an American Latina: the pitfalls and joys of being bi-cultural and bi-lingual in the 21st century, all while struggling to strike the perfect balance between the two worlds. We want to be pioneers for the women who always felt they were never fully the All-American Girl Next Door or La Chica Latina, but fell somewhere in between.

To learn more about "La Cosmopolatina" go to their website at: http://www.lacosmopolatina.com/

Meet Daisy Sanchez, the new Mariachi music diva

2011-02-20T14:09:00.000-08:00

Daisy Sanchez takes Regional Mexican Mariachi into new era.

By Adrian Perez, Publisher, Vida de Oro

Daisy Sanchez

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Mariachi music is hundreds of years old and can be traced back to the traditional theatrical productions in Spain. Typically consisting of six to eight violins, two trumpets and a guitar, the sound has evolved, reflecting the many regions of Mexico today. The most admirable component of mariachis is the vocalist, whose operatic style of singing relies on no amplification and is able to move enthusiasts emotionally.

The most famous mariachi vocalist have been male and from Mexico, like world renown crooner Vicente Fernandez, the late master of romantic rancheras Pedro Infante, and even pop-star Luis Miguel. But, women have also added their influence including Ana Gabriel, Chayito Valdez and American born pop-stars like Linda Ronstadt and Vicki Carr.

Now, from an agricultural and petroleum town called Bakersfield, California, which produced the late country singing ultra star, Buck Owens, comes a new mariachi singer, Daisy Sanchez. A 24-year old Latina mariachi singing sensation who grew up being influenced by soul singer Whitney Houston and has just completed recording a new album, produced by those who have helped Vicente Fernandez.

Vida de Oro recently had the opportunity to interview Daisy Sanchez as she prepares to release her new album.

VIDA: Tell us, how did you get into singing mariachi?

Daisy with her idol, Vicente Fernandez

My mother must have been singing a lot of Rancheras when I was in the womb because ever since I can recall singing has been a passion of mine. Growing up I would ask her to teach me songs and I would spend hours singing along to my favorite artists including Vicente Fernandez, Selena, and Whitney Houston among others. When I was 8 I got the courage to sing with 2 of my 6 sisters at weddings, quinceaneras, church choir and anywhere we were given the opportunity to sing. By the time I was 11 I started recording demos as a solo artist.

VIDA: When did you get your first break singing mariachi?

It was May 31st, 2008 when Vicente Fernandez was in concert at the Rabobank Arena in my hometown of Bakersfield, Ca. I sent a letter to Don Chente asking him for the opportunity to sing with him and a copy of my first Ranchero album. I flung a couple of notes to the stage just in case he didn’t receive my letter. To my surprise, he did receive it and called me on stage to join him during the concert. Eventually leading me to record my latest album “Flor De Hoguera” in his studio located in his ranch in Ja. Mx., then participating as the opening act for various concerts from this last year’s U.S. tour.

VIDA: That’s unique and interesting. Can you tell our readers a little about yourself? Do you have support at home? Are you single? How do you see yourself?

Daisy Sanchez

I was born in Bakersfield, Ca. November 27th, 1984. I have been blessed with parents who have supported me, and my decision to pursue a career in the music industry. I have wholeheartedly dedicated myself to fulfilling my dreams and aspirations putting forth much time and effort. Due to the opportunities I have received there has been a time constraint to follow through with my education. I have attended Bakersfield College and hope to one day, continue my studies in Music. My status? I am married to my career. I am now seeing the fruits of my labor, which still require a lot of work and dedication. I believe timing is everything, and when the time is right I hope to have a family of my own and dedicate myself to them as I have in other aspects of my life.

VIDA: How hard was it to reach this point in your music career?

There was a time period, your classic scenario of small town girl moves to the big city of L.A. knocking on doors and searching for opportunities. I can remember the frustration of trying so hard and seeing how some things didn’t come through. My faith, family and friends some of whom were dealing with the same frustrations helped me stay positive and encouraged me to keep trying. I am now grateful because this experience taught me life lessons of never giving up and believing in my dreams. I also cherish and value my achievements even more, had I not had obstacles along the way.

VIDA: So you took a tough road at first, do you think you’ve reached your goal?

I have fulfilled many goals and unexpected things like singing with a legend, and someone I grew up admiring. I still let my dreams run wild, so yes there are more stages I have yet to perform on, more albums to be produced, and places to take my music to.

VIDA: Yes, we can see that. So, what type of music or songs, motivate you the most?

I am overall proud of my genre of Regional Mexican Mariachi music, which represents my culture, the native country of my parents. I feel proud when I sing songs like “Viva Mexico” and “Cancion Mixteca” and look at the joy and sometimes sadness in the eyes of those who have left their country behind, some of which presently can’t go back. It inspires me that through music you can bring back a sense of home with songs that speak of Mexico and its traditions. I’ve made a promise to my Dad that when he is around and there is a mariachi present I have to sing “Mi Ranchito” because it reminds him of the ranch he grew up in, Zacatecas, Mexico.

VIDA: Which songs usually get the best reaction?

The songs I have previously mentioned that speak of Mexico bring so much pride and are always a crowd favorite. I must say I have a great following with women when I sing songs of men who have been unfaithful, uncaring, and do not value a good woman. Many women sing along with me to songs like “El Farsante” “Inocente Pobre Amiga” and “Te Parto el Alma” just to name a few. Women, and I include myself, feel attracted to these types of songs because they are empowering, a great outlet when you’ve gone through a similar situation, and remind us not to deal with injustices and unloving relationships. That’s not to say there aren’t any great men out there! As contradicting as this may sound romantic songs like “Sabor a Mi” always grab much attention with the lovebirds in the audience. That is the great thing about Mariachi music it allows you to be versatile and express different emotions whether its melancholy, joy, resentment, or tenderness. Long notes always attract the audience and boy do you need vocal power to interpret a Ranchera!

VIDA: Many of our readers are going to want to know more about you and your career, how can they keep track of you?

Your readers can visit my web page at www.DaisySanchezmusic.com, which has links to all my social networks. My music including my latest album “Flor de Hoguera” is now available through iTunes, Amazon, and www.morenamusic.com.

Daisy Sanchez performing at the Gibson Theater - CLICK HERE.

Latina recognized as Businesswoman of the Year

2011-01-31T12:55:00.000-08:00

The Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce names SpanishOne Translations’ CEO Business Woman of the Year

Monica Nainsztein Rodriguez

SACRAMENTO, CA — The Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (SacHCC) has named Monica Nainsztein Rodríguez, founder and CEO of SpanishOne Translations, Inc., as 2011 Business Woman of the Year, an award that recognizes the innovative solutions and community impact of one local entrepreneur.

“This award reflects not only Monica’s unwavering commitment to build a thriving company, but also that one person’s vision and voice can make a valuable contribution to our community,” said Steve Gándola, President/CEO of the SacHCC.

Monica received the award at the 39th Annual Business Awards and Recognition Gala held Jan. 28 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sacramento.

Monica defied the odds and made a recession ridden 2010 the company’s best year to date. It was the year to go big or go home and she went big by expanding services into over 100 languages, creating a product line, and expanding her workforce.

“We’re in an age where business can be as much about partnerships as competition, and our success in 2010 reflects that,” said Monica. “When you focus on being of service and the good you can do, business success follows naturally.”

With a natural-born coalition builder at the helm, SpanishOne secured partnerships with influential organizations like the California Chamber of Commerce and the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce as additional avenues to connect with their client base.

An active community leader, Monica graduated from the HOPE Leadership Institute in 2010. She is also recognized for leadership within the Hispanic community through efforts like the YogaLatina Initiative, where she offers low-income Latinas access to health, education, and empowerment through weekly yoga sessions at The Yoga Seed Collective and Wellspring Women’s Center.

About SpanishOne Translations

SpanishOne offers translations into over 100 languages, and specializes in providing its clients with innovative communication and outreach strategies to target the Hispanic market. With a global network of 3,000 professionals, SpanishOne facilitates creative translations and campaigns for government agencies, fortune 500 companies, NGOs, and the education, industrial, retail and public sectors. SpanishOne is a certified Woman and Minority Business Enterprise.

First Latina on utility oversight commission

2011-01-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

Santa Clara University Law Professor Catherine Sandoval Named Commissioner of CPUC

Catherine Sandoval

SANTA CLARA, CA - Santa Clara University (SCU) Law Professor Catherine J. K. Sandoval has been named by Gov. Jerry Brown to be one of two new commissioners on the five-member California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

Sandoval, a Democrat, joined SCU in 2004. She is a tenured associate professor and teaches telecommunications law, antitrust law, and contracts. She has been an active participant in Santa Clara University School of Law’s academic programs in high-tech, international, and social-justice law.

Sandoval is the first Latina to be named to serve as a CPUC Commissioner in its more than 100-year history. The San Francisco-based CPUC oversees rates and other rules for privately owned electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, rail, and passenger transportation companies. CPUC commissioners are appointed by California’s governor and must be confirmed by the state Senate for their six-year, staggered terms.

“We are extremely proud to learn of Professor Sandoval’s appointment to the California Public Utilities Commission,” said Donald Polden, dean of Santa Clara University School of Law. “She has a wealth of experience, industry knowledge, and legal expertise to offer the state of California in this important role, and we know that she will do an outstanding job. We expect that our students will benefit from her service on the CPUC.”

Prior to joining the SCU Law faculty, Sandoval served as the undersecretary for California’s Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency where she worked on infrastructure and energy issues. Previously, she was the vice president and general counsel for Z-Spanish Media Corporation, a Sacramento-based communications company, which provided broadcast and Internet services in several languages.

From 1994 to1999, she was a senior official at the Federal Communications Commission, where she directed the Office of Communications Business Opportunities

Sandoval graduated with a B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University and received her law degree from Stanford Law School. She received a Master of Letters in Politics (Political Science) from Oxford University, which she attended through a Rhodes Scholarship—the first Latina to receive the prestigious award. She hails from East Los Angeles and was the first person in her family to receive a bachelor’s degree.

After law school she clerked for Judge Dorothy W. Nelson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, then was an associate at the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson in Los Angeles.

Sandoval will be on a sabbatical next academic year, and may resume a modified teaching schedule thereafter.

About the CPUC

The CPUC regulates privately owned electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, railroad, rail transit, and passenger transportation companies. The CPUC serves the public interest by protecting consumers and ensuring the provision of safe, reliable utility service and infrastructure at reasonable rates, with a commitment to environmental enhancement and a healthy California economy. More information about the CPUC is available at: www.cpuc.ca.gov.

About Santa Clara University School of Law
Santa Clara University School of Law, founded in 1911 on the site of California’s oldest operating higher-education institution, is dedicated to educating lawyers who lead with a commitment to excellence, ethics, and social justice. One of the nation’s most diverse law schools, Santa Clara Law offers its 975 students an academically rigorous program, including graduate degrees in international law and intellectual property law; combined J.D./MBA degree; and certificates in intellectual property law, international law, and public interest and social justice law. Santa Clara Law is located in the world-class business center of Silicon Valley, and is distinguished nationally for our top-ranked program in intellectual property. For more information, see law.scu.edu.

Latina is bestselling author of six novels

2010-12-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

Author Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, A Woman for all seasons

By Dr. Al Carlos Hernandez, Deputy Managing Editor, Herald de Paris

Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, with more than one million books currently in print. Time Magazine named Ms. Valdes-Rodriguez one of the twenty-five, "Most Influential Hispanics," in the United States. Hispanic Business magazine has twice named Ms. Valdes-Rodriguez one of the nation's top one hundred most powerful Hispanics. Latina Magazine named her, "Woman of the Year," and Entertainment Weekly hailed Alisa as a, "Breakout Literary Star."

Alisa's novel THE DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB is currently in development as a TV series with Ann and George Lopez. Alisa's novel HATERS is currently in development with Teen Nick as a TV series with Nick Cannon as executive producer. Alisa is an actor and has recorded her own critically acclaimed audio books; she is also a regularly featured guest on two national talk-radio shows.

Before becoming a novelist, Ms. Valdes-Rodriguez was a staff writer for the Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times. She was nominated three times for the Pulitzer Prize, and holds several first place awards for her feature writing. Alisa is also a former on-air reporter for WHDH-TV in Boston, where she narrated an Emmy-winning documentary. With a bachelor of science degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she majored in tenor saxophone performance. Alisa also holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University in New York.

Always eager to try something new, Alisa recently scored her first standup comedy gig at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood (March 2010), and hopes to do more comedy and acting.

Alisa's father was born and raised in Havana, Cuba; her mother is a 6th generation native New Mexican. Alisa lives in New Mexico with her son and has two new novels due in 2010, including THE KINDRED, a young adult crossover supernatural romantic thriller.

Alisa Lynn Valdes was born in New Mexico. Her father, Nelson Valdés, is a retired sociology professor at the University of New Mexico, who emigrated from Cuba in the early 1960's. Her mother, Maxine Conant, is a seventh-generation New Mexican and a poet.

While a student at Berklee, Valdes began writing freelance music reviews for the Boston Globe. After graduating from Berklee in 1992, she took an unpaid internship at the Village Voice before going back to school to earn a master's degree from Colombia University's Graduate School of Journalism in 1994. In 1994, she was hired as a staff writer for the Living/Arts section of the Boston Globe newspaper. In 1999 she was hired as a staff writer for the Calendar section of the Los Angeles Times, where she was the first American reporter to cover the Latin music industry as a full-time beat. Valdes-Rodriguez was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in feature writing and won the SUNMAG contest for best newspaper essayist in 1998. Her articles have appeared in dozens of newspapers and she has written cover stories for Glamour Magazine and Redbook.

Alisa's first novel, The Dirty Girls Social Club, was purchased by St. Martin's Press a little more than a year after she left the Los Angeles Times - after five publishing houses bid for the manuscript. In a profile of the writer entitled, "The Latina Terry McMillan?" Chicago Times reporter Patrick T. Reardon wrote, "What made [the book] especially hot was the belief among publishers that Valdes-Rodriguez could be the long-sought 'Latina Terry McMillan' - a writer whose work would jump-start Hispanic book buying in the U.S. and create a new profitable publishing niche..." The Dirty Girls Social Club garnered media attention and went on to become a New York Times bestseller and a Booksense 76 top pick.

Valdes-Rodriguez has since written five novels: Playing With Boys (2004); Make Him Look Good (2006), a young adult novel; Haters (2006); Dirty Girls on Top, a sequel to The Dirty Girls Social Club(2008); and The Husband Habit (2009).

In 2005, Time dubbed Valdes-Rodriguez, "The Godmother of Chica Lit," and named her one of the twenty-five most influential Hispanics in the United States.

Herald De Paris Deputy Managing Editor Dr. Al Carlos Hernandez, was quite taken with the opportunity to speak to one of the most important writers of this generation. For Alicia, writing novels will no doubt be the platform from which she may very well become the next transcendent, bi-cultural Oprah.

AC: Your Father was a professor, your mother a poet; can you recall a specific point in time when you decided to become a writer? How did/do they inspire you?

AVR: I honestly think writers, like composers, are born rather than made. Shakira once told me (in an interview I did with her for the LA Times) that she was born "condemned" to music. I loved that! It is exactly how I feel about writing. I do not write; I am a writer. There's a difference. Writing is not my hobby or my job. It is who I am as a person. It is how I think, what I live for, and the thing in life - other than being a mother - that brings me the most joy. My parents are both writers. I think there must be a gene for it. My parents have inspired me in so many ways. We were pretty poor when I was growing up and, to entertain me, my mother would invent word games. Say, maybe we were heading out into a blazing hot day. She'd say, "Get ready to fry like a chicken," and I - about five or six - would have to respond with an analogy of my own: "Get ready to boil like an egg." That was what we did for fun in our household. My dad had every disadvantage an immigrant might have when he came to the United States from Cuba at the age of 15; he was an orphan, he spoke no English, he had no money. What he had, however, was brains and conviction, and an incredible work ethic and ability to focus on a goal. By his late 20's my father had not only learned English, he'd mastered it and was a PhD professor in sociology and history, the very departments he'd cleaned at night as a janitor to put himself through college.

AC: What was the first thing you wrote that made you realized you were really good at what you do?

AVR: People began to tell me I was a good writer in about the fifth grade. I figured that because it came naturally for me it must be so for everyone. It wasn't until after college that I really began to believe I had talent. Until then I felt being a writer would be cheating somehow because it would be much too easy and fun a way to make a living. Work had to be hard, or so I thought. That's why I majored in music and set out to be a saxophonist. I was talented at music, but only moderately so. It was work.

AC: Why did you study the sax? What types of music inspired you to play a wind instrument? Who is your favorite sax player and do you still play? Does knowing how to play a musical instrument help you to write more lyrically and melodically?

AVR: I began to play the saxophone in the 4th grade. I ended up going to Berklee College of Music in Boston where I got a bachelor's in music. My favorite saxophonist is a Norwegian by the name of Jan Garbarek who, like Bela Bartok, draws on folk melodies to create these haunting pieces. I still play a lot. I'm ten times the writer than I am a musician but I love music anyway. for people who are curious I've got three songs up on MySpace. I play a bit and do some spoken word. For me, writing and music are one in the same. Language is aural for me. My writing is intensely musical. I always have music blasting when I write to help with the psychology of what I'm doing. For instance, I recently wrote a scene where some very scary male demons abduct two high school girls from a dance. To get in the mood of the malevolent male characters, I played "Burn it to the Ground" (by Nickel back) over and over. I cannot imagine books without music or music without words. This is why the eerie silence of libraries has always offended me. Books are celebrations of sound.

AC: As you came up through the professional ranks, did being an attractive woman help you or hurt your career trajectory? Has being a Latina helped or hurt your career?

AVR: Well, well, well! Thank you. I am pleased you describe me in such flattering terms. My mother is an actual beauty queen and former model so the beauty question is a loaded one for me. I think beauty can help women but I also think that extreme beauty, as in the case of my mother (I am nowhere near as beautiful as she) can isolate women and make life difficult for them. Beauty is the Holy Grail in America, and yet it can also be a terrible handicap. In my case, I suppose, because I watched my mother so closely as a female child, I learned early not to put much stock in my looks. Nonetheless, I still exercise and get Botox. I suppose I am a bundle of contradictions - but what smart woman in the entertainment industry isn't? I don't honestly think being a Latina has ever hurt my career - but that is because I have never let it. There have been instances of discrimination and in each and every case I handled them the way my father taught me: Cuban style. Through confrontation. Through intelligence. Through fighting the good fight. That said, I am pretty sure I would have sold more books by now if certain types of people in this country did not automatically assume exotic foreignness upon seeing a Spanish surname. Example: I once gave a reading at a bookstore in Arizona and the manager asked me, in a bit of a panic, whether I spoke English well enough to address the crowd in that language. English is my native tongue. It's what I write in. Sometimes all you can do is laugh.

AC: Would you have been more successful at an earlier age if you were not ethnic?

AVR: Not really, I was the youngest staff writer ever hired at the Boston Globe and was nominated for a Pulitzer by the age of 24. I've been kicking ass for a long time. (Kidding!) You know, I don't like to sit around thinking about myself as some kind of victim. I never took an affirmative action job because I have always believed I was as good - if not better - than the people around me. At writing, anyway. I pretty much suck at just about everything else.

AC: Why are there so few known Latina novelists?

AVR: I have no idea how to answer this question. I honestly try not to concern myself with the ethnicity of other authors all that much. Ernest Hemingway once said in an interview, when asked about the Russian writers of his time, that there was no such thing as an national (or "Russian" or "American") writer, because writers, by their very nature, belonged only to the nation of writers. I agree with that. Writers who focus only on their own ethnicity bore me to death and are not, in my opinion, writing at the highest level of their humanity, or in the service of humanity; they are writing in the service of their own personal needs for ethnic validation by the dominant class. Writers who focus on timeless stories of universal appeal and importance - and this can be done within an ethnic context, of course - hold my attention and earn my respect. I don't care what background a writer comes from. My friend, the editor Marcela Landres, once told me she saw a crisis in middle-class American Latina writing majors coming out of schools like Brown University thinking they had to write novels about experiences that were utterly foreign to them, like being immigrant maids from Mexico, because they didn't think publishing would believe them otherwise. That kind of work is disingenuous and caters to stereotypes. It is insincere and morally irresponsible. To be meaningful, you have to write with your genuine voice. A lot of Latina authors try to write like Sandra Cisneros because some literature professor assumed that's what all our lives are like. Lame! Dispense with narrow expectations of your abilities and insights. Sing the song that only you can sing, whatever that is. The rest will follow.

AC: Why did you come to LA to write for the Times? Did you have any theatrical plans? You did some on-air work in Boston so why didn't you pursue it?

AVR: I was born in Albuquerque, went to college in Boston and New York, and worked in Boston before relocating to LA to take a job as a pop music writer for the LA Times. I moved because the opportunity to be the nation's first mainstream newspaper reporter covering the Spanish-language music industry as a beat was incredibly exciting for me - on various levels. I never had my sights set on being on screen or stage until I began to do book signings and public speaking and realized I had a gift for comedy and acting. I did on-air work in Boston after a manager at one of the stations there noticed me in an interview I was doing for a feature on the networking group 100 Black Women, and suggested I would be good on TV. I loved doing TV but it was impossible to work at the newspaper and the TV stations both, at that time, simply because of time constraints. Being a writer, I chose to stick with writing.

AC: When you left the Times you wrote a 3,440 word resignation - what did you say to cause such uproar, all the while knowing that burning a bridge like the Times would keep you out of the print game forever?

AVR: I don't discuss this anymore, both because it happened a decade ago and feels like ancient history, and also because that letter was never meant to be seen by anyone other than the supervisors I emailed it to. Having it made public was a violation every bit as painful and real as rape. Continued questions about it feel likewise. It is irrelevant to my life now, and besides, I won anyway. I always do.

AC: In 2005, Time magazine called you, Valdes-Rodriguez, "The Godmother of Chica lit." How do you feel about that and how do you define that genre?

AVR: I think the people at Time magazine - who gave me this little nickname in the context of naming me one of the twenty-five "Most Influential Hispanics" in America - must smoke crack in the break room. (Kidding!) I don't know. I don't like being called a "godmother" because it makes me sound like I'm old and paunchy, with slicked-back hair and a pinky ring. As for genres - I don't define them. That's the job of marketing departments. I write books and clever people with MBAs and journalism degrees give them clever little categories.

AC: You have over one million books in print, are they written for Latinas? Who is your audience and how has the media climate changes since the advent of new media, especially social networking?

AVR: I write in the hopes that human beings will read what I've written. I would never be so arrogant as to think I know what any single human being would want from a work of fiction, much less an entire ethnic group of tens of millions of people. My audience is probably seventy-five percent Latina, however, because even though I write for everyone, not everyone likes the looks of a Spanish name on the cover of a book, apparently. As for social media, I think it has yet to be seen what sort of impact this will have on book sales. It's an exciting, terrifying time to be in print media of any sort. The good news, though, is that humanity has always shown itself to be in need of good storytellers, regardless of the available media or technology. That will never change. Happily, I'm quite flexible about media.

AC: You've recently started doing standup comedy. What inspired you to do that? What kinds of material do you do and what has the response been? Where would you like that artistic platform to take you?

AVR: I was inspired to do standup comedy by the many people who have heard me speak at universities or other events and said, "You know what? You should do standup." Public speaking, or comedy, are forms of communication and sound - my two favorite things. I like Jerry Seinfeld's definition of comedy as socialized rage. I think that's partly right. There's a lot for Latinos to be enraged about in America right now. We need someone standing up to the xenophobes and bullies with the best possible weapon other than the pen - humor. I also just like to make people laugh. It's a power trip, frankly. Most comedians won't admit it, but we are class-A narcissists. Larry David admits this. By the way, Larry David is my ideal man. I heard he was dating Sherry Stringer. I have often been told I look like her - and I don't have "string" in my name. Bonus! Larry? Call me. Oh, another person I madly admire is Hal Sparks. He's a comedian, musician, compassionate human being and all-around smart and good-looking egomaniac. I sort of see myself as Hal Sparks, if he were played by Jennifer Lopez.

AC: Your book The Dirty Girls is currently in TV development with Ann and George Lopez' Production Company. How is it working with Ann and Lynette? What would be the perfect outcome of this union?

AVR: Ann, George, and Lynnette are all truly amazing human beings. They completely "get" my material and me and my worldview. I pinch myself at least once a day when I remember that my first novel is in their very capable hands. All I can think is that, once again, there was divine intervention in making this happen. It is a blessing. The perfect outcome is going to be that THE DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB becomes the fun, sexy, kick-ass TV series it was meant to be because we have the best possible team assembled for the job working hard to make it happen. I can't wait!

AC: You are also working with Teen Nick with Nick Cannon as executive producer. Would you consider transitioning from novelist to screenwriter? Do you have any acting aspirations?

AVR: Nick Cannon is on board to executive produce a TV series for Teen Nick based on my first young adult novel, HATERS, and, again, I have to pinch myself. Nick is incredible! I've never come across any single person with as much energy and intelligence as this man. On his Twitter bio Nick says only "Mr. CEO," and that's pretty much all that needs to be said. I would love to write shows and movies. I'm at work on a feature film right now. It's a whole new world for me, but one I enjoy immensely. Maybe I suck at it. I really don't know yet. I want to act. Yes. It's on the radar. I am one of the few authors who can make more than one dismal facial expression so I figure I'd better take advantage of that.

AC: Your newest effort, Kindred, has been considered better than Twilight by industry heavy weights. Want is your ultimate aspiration for this property?

AVR: It is hard for me to talk about THE KINDRED BOOK ONE: THE TEMPTATION OF DEMETRIO VIGIL yet because I've only just finished the first of four books in the series. I will say that I believe - and those who've read it agree - that it is my strongest, most plot-driven and commercial work to date. It is in the young adult crossover romance genre. I loved writing this book, and feel that it embodies all that I've learned as a writer and human being in the past ten years since leaving journalism to become an author. I am incredibly proud of this book and desperately in love with my characters, particularly Demetrio Vigil, the male lead. THE KINDRED was born to be a feature film. As I wrote the book, I envisioned it as a film starring Jake T. Austin as Demetrio. Jake is only fifteen now, but is already one of my favorite actors and thinkers. That kid is a force of nature. By the time the book comes out, and a film deal is done, he'll be just right to play the eighteen-year-old Demetrio. I'd love for THE KINDRED to be a mega bestseller as a book, and as a film I would like to see it be the first role to put Jake on the map as a grownup actor and romantic lad - er, lead.

AC: How do you decide which story to write and the genre to work in? When you write, do you have an audience in mind, a demographic or psychographic profile in your head, thinking they may like this but not that?

AVR: I approach writing books as a business. I know the genre, the audience, I seek to capture. I am methodical. If one hopes to make a living from writing this is the only way to do it. There are themes and formulae that work and they work for a reason. Within those confines, I believe a true artist can be boundlessly creative. As being a mother has taught me, it is often within the strictest of boundaries that children (and works of art) thrive best. Too much freedom or a selfish need to commit therapy upon the public via your own writing ruins a story. I cannot read ponderous, self-absorbed writers. I'm a self-absorbed person, but not a self-absorbed writer. There's a difference.

AC: Your characters are often exotic, off beat, and sometimes quirky. Where do they come from?

AVR: I have no idea. Not Wal-Mart.

AC: If you have five things on a bucket list, what would you like to conquer in the years to come?

AVR: Wow. Great question! I very much want THE KINDRED to become a franchise. This is important to me, as you might have guessed by now. I want to write and perform a one-woman comedy show or play in LA and NYC. I want to fall in love again, eventually. I want to see my son grow up happy and healthy. I want to become the Latina Oprah - in English! - Because we need a Latina Oprah in English, the language spoken by the majority of US Latinos.

AC: What do you consider to be your biggest success so far? What is your biggest regret?

AVR: My biggest success in life is that I am raising an amazing little boy, all by myself. Professionally, my biggest success is that I have never given up, and never will. My biggest regret? Living reactively. I have often reacted to people and situations that, in retrospect, should have simply been ignored or deleted. Live and learn, eh?

AC: How would you like history to remember you?

AVR: I'd like history to remember me as a Great American Author, period. I'm quite certain, however, that my obituary in the NY Times - presuming that paper outlives me, which is doubtful at this point - will read Hot and Spicy Exotic Latina Chica-Chica-Boom-Lit Author Died Explosively and Quite Hispanic from Deep Throating the Whole Passionate Enchilada, and What Can You Expect from Those People Anyway - aka Where's My Border Wall Dagnabit? In the end, it is probably best not to worry too much about how history will remember me. I can't control it. I'll be dead. Hopefully I'll be cavorting among the billions and billions of stars with Carl Sagan and enjoying a big cigar with Mark Twain.

To learn more about Alisa, find out where to purchase her books, or to communicate with her directly please visit:

http://www.alisavaldesrodriguez.com/

Latina businesswoman receives national recognition

2010-11-22T14:46:00.000-08:00

Vanir President and CEO Receives Coveted New America Alliance Business Achievement Award in Washington, D.C.

Dorene Dominguez

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA– Sacramento businesswoman Dorene Dominguez was presented with the New America Alliance (NAA) Business Achievement Award in Washington, D.C. last week. Dominguez is the CEO of the Vanir Group of Companies and President of the Vanir Foundation, which was established in Memory of H. Frank Dominguez, her father. Vanir is headquartered in Sacramento, CA. and has 22 offices throughout the United States and in the United Arab Emirates.

The award was presented at the 10th Annual Latino Economic Summit at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, DC.

Dominguez is no stranger to leadership on the national scene and most recently was named the Chairman of the Institute for Latino Studies Advisory Council at the University of Notre Dame.

“The New America Alliance is proud to honor Dorene Dominguez and the Vanir family with the NAA Business Achievement Award as they continue to fulfill the legacy of the family’s and company’s patriarch and NAA founding board member, the late H. Frank Dominguez,” said Maria del Pilar Avila, CEO of the New America Alliance. “Dorene and Vanir exemplify what the Alliance is about and this award is recognition of their long history of leadership and advocacy for our community.”

The Annual Latino Economic Summit is NAA’s flagship event convening CEOs, entrepreneurs, top business leaders, high-ranking government officials and innovators to discuss American Latino participation in building the economic vitality of our nation. NAA membership is comprised of the most influential Latino business leaders in America.

“In Fortune 100 companies and beyond, it is no secret that cultivation of the Hispanic market can often mean the difference between profit and loss,” said Dominguez following the awards ceremony. “Companies are quickly working to add a Hispanic perspective at the board table as we see major demographic shifts in the United States and around the world,” Dominguez stressed.

Dominguez joined this year’s conference luminaries such as Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), The Honorable Rosie Rios, United States Treasurer and U.S. Cabinet Secretaries Hilda Solis, Labor, and Ken Salazar, Interior.

“It is critical for Hispanic owned businesses to fully engage in educating the workforce of tomorrow,” continued Dominguez. The Vanir Foundation works with schools in underserved communities to bolster their students’ academic performance. “We believe the work of our Foundation, and others, will result in a better educated and competitive workforce, which is the key to the vitality of our economy,” concluded Dominguez.

The Vanir Group of Companies is a diversified business headquartered in Sacramento, CA that is engaged in program, project and construction management, real estate development, property management and solar power project development. Vanir offer a full array of services and solutions for its public and private sector clients.

Latinas being left out of treatment programs

2010-11-17T11:34:00.000-08:00

Discrepancies found in CalWorks services to Latinas in Los Angeles

Analysis shows more Latinos incarcerated for drug use offenses than those enrolled in detoxification programs and suggests overt discriminatory practices in the distribution of funds initially aimed at helping Latinos.

By Adrian Perez, Publisher

LOS ANGELES, CA - In its November issue, The Latino Journal, a publication focused on public policy and government from a Latino perspective, is reporting disparities in CalWorks services to Latinas in Los Angeles County. The disparities are listed in a in a paper submitted Friday to the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors by James Hernandez, the Chief Executive officer of the California Hispanic Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, (CHCADA). Specifically, the paper alleges discrimination in funding that excludes Latinos in East Los Angeles from attaining needed alcohol and drug treatment.

The study charges that Latino Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) treatment providers are discriminatorily underfunded in Los Angeles County to the detriment of the County’s Latino population.

The principal program to provide AOD services in Los Angeles County is CalWorks, whose recipients are disproportionately Latinas and African-American women. Fifty seven percent of CalWorks recipients have no income. Yet in 2009-2010, $4,504,653 of CalWorks funding went to more affluent Tarzana, located in the San Fernando Valley. This is nearly 50 percent of the $9,885,062 total CalWorks’ funding. Another $767,780 went to the Asian-American Drug Abuse Program, Inc, and only $55,193 went to CHCADA located in the vast East Los Angeles barrio.

The County Board of Supervisors has previously recognized the disparities in funding between Service Planning Areas (SPAs). In June 2009, The Los Angeles Times reported gross disparities in funding between the various SPAs in Los Angeles County. The Times reported $45 million in funding to Tarzana that was made at the expense of Latinos and Latinas in East Los Angeles and was accomplished almost entirely without competitive bidding.

The analysis show these disparities have not occurred by chance, but were the result of SAPC policies and plans that have had a discriminatory disparate impact on East Los Angeles.

Since 2006, overall Los Angeles CalWorks funding has remained fairly constant, however the same cannot be said of CalWorks funds for East Los Angeles. In 2006, East Los Angeles was dramatically underfunded, receiving only $118,341 of funds to CHCADA. By 2010 the funding for CHCADA was radically cut by 53.7% to only $55, 220. This is out of the $9,885,062 CalWorks received in funding.

It can be inferred that this largely occurs because the County discriminates in referrals to Latino providers located in East Los Angeles and instead refers these residents to non-Latino agencies located up to two hours away. The County has permitted these majority providers to locate their offices in DSS locations thus insuring that the majority providers will receive the referrals so that East Los Angeles residents will be compelled to travel to their locations.

Contemporaneously, the County has funded the development of AOD services in majority areas to the point that there are no detoxification facilities located in East Los Angeles. Moreover, the city of Tarzana, which will receive $4,506,868 in 2010-2011, is the only beneficiary of this discrimination against East Los Angeles. Southern California Alcohol and Drug Programs Inc located in the city of Downey will receive $775,944 in 2010 and Behavioral Health Services will only receive $591,810 for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

Los Angeles County is divided into eight Service Planning Areas, commonly known as SPAs. In 2010-2011, after the Board of Supervisors ordered Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC) to reduce disparities in funding between the SPAS, the SAPC actually increased Tarzana's funding to $4,506,865. Deplorably, SAPC has now undertaken CalWorks RFP # SAPC- 2010 -01 that is designed to fund medical detoxification services for providers located in SPA 2 in the San Fernando Valley. The travel time by bus for Latinos seeking CalWorks services from East LA to the San Fernando Valley site is 2 hours and six minutes. The use of public transportation is essential since 94.4 percent of all Cal Works recipients in Los Angeles County have no vehicle. Instead of traveling, many don’t use the service, which may serve to explain the under representation of Latinos in the CalWorks program.

According to the Counties database, an individual randomly chosen is 27.6 percent more likely to unintentionally die from alcohol and/or drugs in SPA 7 than in SPA 2 since SPA 6 and SPA 7 contain the largest concentrations of minorities at 97.5 percent and 83.1 percent respectively. By comparison SPAS 1 and 2 are among the three lowest SPAs in minority population.

Latinos in Los Angeles County are less likely to complete AOD treatment and are more likely to leave treatment after less than one month than their counterparts. Latinos are also underrepresented in AOD treatment programs. As a result, the number of Latinos in treatment programs are overshadowed by those arrested for drug-related felonies in Los Angeles County. In fact, although Latinos makeup only 47 percent of Los Angeles County’s population, they comprise 56.9 percent of all felony DUI arrests. The need for Latino AOD treatment could not be more dramatic.

COUNTY EFFORTS FOR RESOLUTION IGNORED

AOD treatment funding for CalWorks recipients and welfare to work participants totals $9,885,062. On June 16, 2009 the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors instructed the SAPC to not allow contracts for more than one year until DPH, working with the county Executive Officer, would provide a status report to the Board of Supervisors on its efforts to create a fair and competitive request for proposals (RFPs) process for all alcohol and drug treatment programs. The SAPC assured the Board of Supervisors that no material changes to the bid solicitation process would occur before SAPC implemented efforts to create a fair and competitive process for RFPs. But apparently, the request was ignored.

In his paper James Hernandez states, “SAPC focused on reducing the number of providers, rather that the needs of Los Angeles County residents most in need-underserved Latinas. SAPC failed to address problems with discrimination in referrals among providers before issuing another Request for Proposals that will surely make matters worse.”

The Board of Supervisors did not respond to calls asking for an explanation of the disparities in funding to serve Latinas.

Latina heads media organization

2010-11-09T11:57:00.000-08:00

Kathryn F. Galan Heads Preeminent Latino Media Organization,
An Interview with Kathryn F. Galan, Executive Director, NALIP
By Dr. Al Carlos Hernandez, www.LatinoLA.com
Edited by Susan Aceves

Publisher's Note: This article first appeared in LatinoLA.

Kathryn F. Galan

LOS ANGELES, CA - Kathryn Galan grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Amherst College in 1980 as an English major. She moved to Los Angeles to do her masters studies in film and television history, aesthetics and critical theory at UCLA. She is a past board member of the AFI Third Decade Council, the International Documentary Association and she now serves on the Board of Directors of Women Make Movies.

Kathryn is the executive director of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, a national not-for-profit arts service organization dedicated to the support and development of Latino/a film, television, documentary, and new media makers. The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) is a national membership organization that addresses the professional needs of Latino/Latina independent producers. NALIP is the first such effort aimed at Latino production in thirty years and it is the first to last more than one year providing ongoing support for the Latino independent film and video makers. NALIP stands as the premiere Latino media organization, and, for twelve years, has been addressing the most under-represented and the largest ethnic minority in the country. NALIP's mission is to promote the advancement, development and funding of Latino/Latina film and media arts in all genres. It is the only national organization committed to supporting both grassroots and community-based producers/media makers along with publicly funded and industry-based producers.

Ms. Galan has been NALIP’s Executive Director for nine years and has overseen nine national conferences and created NALIP’s signature programs: the Latino Producers Academy; Latino Writers Lab; Latino Media Market; Latino Media Resource Guide; and, “Doing your Doc: Diverse Visions, Regional Voices." She is responsible for the staffing, day-to-day management, millions in corporate and foundation fundraising, publicity strategies and branding, plus regional programs and chapter development. In her nine years with NALIP, she has established this organization as the preeminent national Latino media organization by taking it from an NCLR "special project" with a steering committee to an autonomous and substantial advocacy and professional development organization. She has overseen the growth of its membership 5-fold, plus created and programmed six respected Signature programs

Ms. Galan continues to develop motion picture and television projects. For two years Kathryn was partnered with Meg Ryan (Prufrock Pictures at Twentieth Century Fox) to develop and produce feature films that examined contemporary themes and issues. Their project THE WOMEN was adapted by Diane English ("Murphy Brown"), who directed it for New Line.

Between 1989 and 1993, Ms. Galan was Vice President of Production for Walt Disney Studio's motion picture division Hollywood Pictures, a unit that produced such high-concept, moderately budgeted fare as Frank Marshall’s ARACHNOPHOBIA! (Gross $53 million) and THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE (88 million).

Contributing LatinoLA Editor, Dr. Al Carlos Hernandez, a former (read "failed") screenwriter, had this interesting conversation Ms. Galan:

AC: Growing up in Ann Arbor, what caused you to leave the Mid West and pursue a life in the film Industry in LA? What was your original dream and how far are you from achieving it - or have you achieved it already?

KG:I went to college in Massachusetts (Amherst; junior year at University College London). My love was storytelling, narratives – I was an English major. I had a deep connection to Spain and my family there; I visited often and loved the ‘story’ of my father’s escape from the Spanish Civil War. When I discovered film, I pursued it, first, academically – I moved to Los Angeles to do my Master’s studies in film theory, history, and aesthetics. I had a love of independent and international cinema. This led me to the career that I have had, and one that often supports or discovers the under-voiced.

AC: How has your ethnicity been a help and/or a hindrance in bringing projects to film?

KG: My personal cultural or ethnic background has had no impact on my bringing projects to production.

AC: What was your first success in LA? When did you know that you could make it in the entertainment industry?

KG: I had some great mentors and supporters in graduate school at UCLA, but really entered the entertainment industry with a summer job at Atlantic entertainment Group in 1981. I began as an assistant to the president at a very exciting and dynamic time for the art and independent film distribution business. It was a small office that provided everything a first job should: hard work, access to processes and procedures, smart serious businessmen and women, and challenges to figure out the industry landscape. As that job grew in responsibility and scope, so did I, allowing me to acquire and support the production of some fantastic films and artists. It was a huge thrill to acquire my first film, Roger Donaldson’s Smash Palace; to work on Atlantic’s first in-house production, Valley Girl which was a landmark in independent film; and to follow that up with some of our hits like Teen Wolf with Michael J. Fox.

AC: Who have been your mentors? How have they helped you? What are the biggest obstacles for women producers to overcome in LA? Is there a gender gap?

KG: Women had a more difficult time in the 1980’s than they do now, which is an excellent development. The senior women producers and executives like Sherry Lansing, Dawn Steele, and Anthea Sylbert were all leaders and inspiration for the women who now serve as producers, studio heads and top agents. The challenge for women producers is that the major studios and funders support select producers with development and production support; these are usually past presidents and people with long relationships with the administration. Women under-index in terms of their overall deals, and their funding from major investors. Producing is a great job for a woman also running a family, but women producers may be perceived as ‘out of the game’ when they have children.

AC: How did you end up on the business side of things. How does one become a producer? What has been your biggest financial success and what should have been a success but failed?

KG: I have worked for 30 years in support of great stories, films, media makers and ideas. If that’s the ‘business side’ of things, then it just followed on my working as an acquisitions executive, then a head of production for Atlantic, a VP at Hollywood Pictures, Meg Ryan’s producing partner and producing, on my own. I have a solid understanding of the business – the finance, marketing, distribution, contracting, the needs and concerns of funders – as well as the creative side – what makes a great story, who are strong creative talents, how directors need to be supported. So, being a producer or production executive has always been the ideal marriage of those two sets of strengths. I also have a broad knowledge of film history, and I think that the more you screen and see and read, the better you are at identifying great stories and films.

AC: Why did you leave the commercial side of the business to work with a non-profit?

KG: It happened both gradually and over night, and I don’t see myself still as having left the ‘commercial side’ of the business. I was working independently as a producer and new media consultant when a good friend of me asked that I consider helping NALIP for 3 months to produce a national conference, their third. As a good producer and executive, as well as a Latina myself, I was excited by the prospect of helping create this event with her, and agreed to add other duties in the interim including take NALIP from a special project of NCRL to an incorporated 501-c-3 with its own board, bylaws, and programs. After the conference, which was a wonderful success in December 2001, I was asked to continue with the organization as it created a strategic plan with funds, benefits and programs for filmmakers. I found the entire process challenging and fascinating, and ultimately very creative and rewarding.

AC: Tell us about NALIP. What was the original mission statement when you got there? How have things changed during your nine year tenure? Your biggest success/disappointment?

KG: NALIP began as a special project of NCRL. It was always a professional development and advocacy organization to represent and support the needs of the independent Latino/a content creator, whether they were just starting out or very advanced, whether they worked in grass-roots media or in the mainstream entertainment industry, whether they made narrative, documentaries, or new media projects. That is the same. We have grown in strength, stature and sophistication. We have created and institutionalized nationally-recognized signature programs. And we have expanded to include support to the spectrum of artists creating media content: writers, producer, directors, performers and creative crew; we include new media and multi-platform content creators; and although we are a predominantly Latino organization, we have certain multi-cultural initiatives, particularly for Native American and indigenous artists.

Our members and our programs are some of our biggest successes, as is our ability to grow and endure for 12 years as a non-profit arts service organization with a budget over $1 million in a very challenging environment. We are disappointed that, despite our training and advocacy efforts and despite the significant expansion of our percentage in the U.S. population, Latinos still remain wildly under-represented in all sectors of professional media, in front of and behind the camera as well as in executive and decision-making roles with little if any per capita increases in the past two decades.

AC: How has the downturn in the economy affected independent film makers? Are all Latino independent producers non profit?

KG: Independent narrative filmmakers are affected by the economic downturn because films $100,000 - $5,000,000 are funded by equity investments. There is less discretionary income, and fewer funds and investors available to take a shot on a film or a producer’s slate of film projects despite certain state and federal tax benefits to try. For the documentary filmmaker, many of their projects are funded by grants alongside donors (rather than investors).

Foundations have less principal and interest to commit to media projects. Government has less money to support public television and arts councils. So, all the way around, there is less money for media makers. Are Latino indie producers non-profit? No more so than any indie producers: all narrative producers are in the game to make money, as well as to give a return to their investors so that they can make another film; indie documentary makers also need to make a living, as professionals, while they want to license their projects to broadcast, educational and international markets in order to earn back personal investments and develop new projects.

AC: What is the ratio between for -rofit projects and non-profit productions for Latinos?

KG: As I said, there are certain documentary makers who either establish non-profit corporations for the production of an individual film, or partner with a Fiscal Sponsor in order to accept tax-deductible donations for the creation of their project, since most personal and social change documentaries in the United States are projects that do not expect to earn much more than their costs of production, if that.

AC: Are the traditional funding sources drying up? Where is the "new" money coming from?

KG: Media funding sources are cyclical. Individual donors and funds were available in the 80’s, for a time in the 90’s, during the tech boom and again during the real estate bubble. They will come back. So will international pre-sales, to a degree, as international buyers need additional product for their established and emerging distribution platforms. There are also new sources arising like crowd funding, where individuals donate small amounts to projects in development in exchange for a tiny share, and a sense of participating in an emerging media project.

AC: What kinds of films are people making today? Has the subject matter changed over the years? Where do you see independent films going in the future?

KG: I do not think there is any particular pattern to indie narratives, which is exciting. There are adult relationship dramas but also low-budget teen films and comedies; there are genre pictures and some very specialized projects for ‘long tale’ specific audiences or interest groups. The technology has permitted a great deal of freedom to jump in and tell your story. The key remains: it is best served by being a good story, unique and universal, with strong technique and performances, plus some sort of marketing angle so that you can attract the world to your project and they can find it above the media din.

AC: How has new media changed the way independent films are made, promoted, and distributed?

KG: It has transformed every aspect: new media includes the digital technologies that make it possible to shoot a film on a “prosumer” camera and edit on your laptop, then press your own DVD’s and sell them out of your trunk; it has begun to open up the stranglehold that traditional distribution has had on a filmmaker’s revenue stream, although distribution is still dominated by major companies, DVD and online (Netflix, etc.) distributors; and it has permitted audience building and promotion even as you are making your film, so you can tap your eventual audience to be anything from a funder to a cheerleader organizing requests to bring it to their town.

AC: Where are the new generation filmmakers coming from? What kind of support systems do you have in place to help them along the way?

KG: There are many degree programs now for filmmakers; we see a lot of new documentary and narrative makers – writers and directors – coming from these institutions. The trouble is, these are not very diverse programs, so this path to production and access tends to reinforce the lack of ethnic minority representation seen in mainstream media. We see filmmakers showing up in many more festivals around the country, building awareness of themselves and their films outside of Sundance and the LA Film Festival, which is also a great development.

AC: Do you prepare visionaries to go commercial like Robert Rodriguez? Is there a bias to keep projects non-profit?

KG: Robert Rodriguez, like George Lucas or Jim Cameron or Peter Bogdanovich or Spike Lee, are forces of nature who all begin on independent projects, and then seek to expand their canvass. Artists are like our kids, in the very best sense: they are who are they going to be; our job as their producers or their partners or their mentors is to realize their unique voice and vision, provide them support to the tools and opportunities available, and then, let them fly!

AC: What are some of the NALIP projects going on right now?

KG: NALIP has 7 national signature programs to support and develop filmmakers. We have a major focus on supporting and ensuring the production of these programs for the next couple of years. We have just begun a new Strategic Planning process with our board and stakeholders to see, what do, we do well, and where is there need for us to do and be more. The next six months will be very important for NALIP, as we look back at 12 years and plan for our next as a vital, viable, and visionary organization for our artists and the field.

AC: In a perfect world, what would be the best case scenario for the NALIP for 2011?

KG: Best case: we find the sponsors and donors to double our budget, so that we can ensure our programs, begin to re-grant to artists to fund their projects, stabilize our finances and slightly expand our staff so that NALIP is even better than we have already been.

AC: What do you see is in store for the Latino filmmakers of the future?

KG: Latinos have great stories, lots of talent, and nowhere to go but up! I see more Latinos in every sector of the art and craft of content creation, including as executives, managers, creative crew and leaders in the art and commerce of film, television and documentaries.

AC: What are some of the things on your bucket list which you haven't yet attained?

KG: I would love to produce some more films, and write more short stories and novels.

AC: When it's all said and done, how would you like history to remember you?

KG: As someone who was part of a fantastic family, first and foremost, from my grandfathers and grandmothers in Spain and Ireland through to my wonderful son. As someone who told and nurtured great stories, bringing forth the voices and visions of our culture’s very best.

For more information about NALIP, visit their website at: http://www.nalip.org/nalip/NALIP-About.html

Latina legislator fought for better environment

2010-10-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

LONG BEACH, CA - Known as a fighter and survivor, Senator Jenny Oropeza, D-28th District, has passed away on October 20, 2010. The Montebello, California born Latina leader had been instrumental in representing Latina interests as an Assembly Member to the more recent State Senator.

Launching her political career as student body president at California State University Long Beach, Oropeza sought and was elected to the Long Beach School District Board 1988. In 1994, she successfully ran for the Long Beach City Council while also serving on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board. She was elected to the California State Assembly in 2000 where she chaired the powerful Budget Committee and almost became the first female Democratic Speaker.

In 2006, Oropeza ran for State Senate facing very tough opposition, including the mayor of Los Angeles, who had endorsed her opponent. After winning by a narrow margin, she was named “Comeback Player of the Year” by Sacramento’s Capitol Weekly. But nothing had prepared her for the toughest fight she would face, liver cancer.

After months of treatment, rehabilitation and painful recovery, Oropeza defeated the disease. The illness made her more sensitive to environmental issues that cause cancer, thus introducing legislation that curbed such exposures including an anti-smoking law signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a known smoker of cigars.

On Wednesday afternoon Oropeza, who had been suffering from a blood clot in her abdomen, had complained of shortness of breath and was taken to a Long Beach hospital where she died at 9:50 p.m.

Funeral services for Sen. Jenny Oropeza, have been scheduled for Monday, Oct. 25, 2010, beginning at 1 p.m. at Church of Our Fathers, Forest Lawn, 4471 Lincoln Ave., Cypress, 90630. This service will be open to the public.

A Latino's interview of Social Diva, Peg Samuel

2010-10-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: The Social Diva, Peg Samuel

By Al Carlos Hernandez, Herald de Paris, October 17, 2010

HOLLYWOOD – A native New Yorker, Peg Samuel likes to say that she was pretty much born with the ‘fabulous’ gene embedded in her DNA. However, no one ever said that ‘fabulous’ was mutually exclusive with ‘diva’ Peg spent many years fine tuning her diva skills for which she is so well known. So well known in fact, she wrote the book on it.

Peg’s journey began in 1995 as an internet pioneer working in digital advertising at well known sites such as Weather.com, Disney’s Info seek/Go.com, Value Click Media and Travel Ad Network. Peg was becoming affectionately known around town as ‘The Diva’ and the go-to girl for connecting, promoting and socializing. Friends say that her social butterfly personality made her situationally aware of the hip happenings on the social scene.

Peg wanted to combine her internet savvy with her love of lifestyle and her people skills. Armed with her personal mantra of “More Everything,” Peg launched Social Diva.com in 2000, a lifestyle and entertainment website and blog which answers the age-old dilemma: Where can a girl go to have some fun? MORE.

Latina trailblazing Tejano music

2010-10-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

Promesa Mortal keeps it in the family
Joey Guerra, 29-95.com, October 5, 2010

Publisher's Note: This article first appeared on www.29-95.com.

HOUSTON - Tina Vega first picked up a bajo sexto (12-string guitar) at 9 years old. She probably didn’t realize it at the time, but it made her a bit of a trailblazer.

“It just caught my attention,” she says. “I love challenges. Even my dads friends were like, ‘Your hands are too little.’”

Now in her early 20s, Vega fronts Promesa Mortal, a norteño outfit featuring her two brothers and a female cousin on drums. Vega handles lead vocals and strums her bajo sexto.

And she’s still a rarity in a male-dominated field.

“It’s hard to be taken seriously as a female,” Vega says. “I’ve had a few promoters not give us jobs because I was playing the bajo. They wanted me to sing only and hire a male musician.

“I use it as motivation to keep moving forward. At my shows I always say, ‘Tambien las mujeres pueden.’ Women can do anything a man can do, especially in the music industry.”

Vega says she’s had unwavering support from her parents and sees the late Selena, who seamlessly combined Tejano and pop, as an inspiration. Linda Esobar, a well-respected conjunto singer, is also a mentor.

Promesa Mortal’s own sound is a hybrid of norteño and rock, influenced by everyone from Paramore, AC/DC and Spanish rock band Mana to more traditional acts Los Tigres del Norte and accordion legend Tony de la Rosa. The group released its debut CD, featuring tracks in Spanish and in English, earlier this year.

“Most conjunto bands, Tejano bands stay in their zone. They don’t want to venture out,” Vega says. “They’re scared to because they don’t know how the public will react.

“We want to show rock and pop fans that you can play anything with bajo sexto y acordeon.”

The Vega clan might look familiar to local fans of conjunto music. Promesa Mortal was formerly known as Tina y Los Gallitos, who appeared four times at the Festival Chicano and performed throughout Houston. Vega fronted that incarnation from 10-20 years old.

“We were young, and it was something new, an adventure,” she says. “We traveled a lot. We recorded three albums. We won about four awards.

“Playing with family has its pros and cons. I’m the bandleader, and my older brother doesn’t really like that I’m in charge. We butt heads over a few things. But we all kind of have things were in charge of and our specialties. It balances out.”

The Rose of Spanish Harlem

2010-09-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

The Rose of Spanish Harlem, Actress & Executive LYDIA NICOLE
By Al Carlos Hernandez, Herald de Paris, September 26, 2010

HOLLYWOOD – Tenacity, courage, audacity and motivation are trademarks of Lydia Nicole. These qualities have served her from a Harlem childhood to the present. She lives a very diverse life: mother, actress, writer, comedian, motivational speaker, and executive. At the age of 13 she was given a job at New York’s number one radio station and creator of urban contemporary, WBLS-FM in New York City. There she apprenticed under radio legends Frankie Crocker and Hal Jackson. She was promoted to music director by the age of 18. In Los Angeles her experience landed her a job working at Neil Bogart’s legendary Casablanca Records whose roster included Donna Summer, the Village People, Parliament, Kiss, Cameo, and Cher.

Lydia traded her executive hat for a career in acting. Over the years she has been featured in various notable television shows and feature films: The Jeffersons, Hill Street Blues, Indecent Proposal starring Robert Redford, Hollywood Shuffle starring Robert Townsend and Stand and Deliver with Edward James Olmos. More.

Latina Actor reflects on The George Lopez Show

2010-09-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: Belita not “Benny” Moreno
One of the most recognizable women in the history of Network TV
By Al Carlos Hernandez, Herald de Paris

Belita Moreno

HOLLYWOOD - Actress/acting coach Belita Moreno is one of the most recognizable comedic actress on television and probably the most recognizable Latinas in the history of network TV. She can be seen on televisions around the world and is best known for her television roles as George Lopez’s mother on “The George Lopez Show” now in syndication. She also starred and had a long network run as Lydia Markham on “Perfect Strangers.”

Belita was born in Plano, Texas after her parents came to the U.S. from Mexico. They raised her in Dallas where she majored in theatre at Southern Methodist University. She continued her acting studies at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, California where she appeared on stage in the play Once Upon A Mattress.

Soon after Moreno arrived in Los Angeles to pursue her acting career, she met director Robert Altman and landed roles in three of his films: 3 Women, A Wedding, and A Perfect Couple. She has also appeared in many other films including Mommy Dearest, Swing Shift, Oh God! You Devil, Nobody’s Fool, Men Don’t Leave, Clear and Present Danger, and Grosse Pointe Blank. More....

Latinas appointed to lead US Hispanic Chamber

2010-09-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Announces Next Generation of Leadership

The Latino Journal

Nina Vaca

WASHINGTON -- Nina Vaca, a nationally recognized business leader and Founder, Chairman and CEO of Dallas-based Pinnacle Technical Resources, has been named Chair of the Board of Directors of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC). The USHCC also appointed Jeanette Prenger, Founder and President of ECCO Select Corporation, as Vice Chair. It is the first time in the history of the USHCC that two women hold these top leadership positions.

The USHCC is announcing this change just weeks before its 31st Annual National Convention & Business Expo, slated for September 22-25 in Dallas, Texas. Vaca and Prenger will assume their new leadership roles at the upcoming convention.

"This new leadership team marks an evolutionary era for USHCC, setting a tone of innovative, strategic and proven talent," said Javier Palomarez, President and CEO of the USHCC. "We are confident that Nina and Jeannette will make a significant impact in strengthening our value to our primary constituents, including Hispanic Business Enterprises (HBEs), local chambers of commerce and corporate partners who support the growth of Hispanic business."

For the past 3 years, Vaca has served as Region III Chair and Member of the Board of the USHCC and served as Chair of the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2005.

"I am honored to serve as Chair of the USHCC," said Vaca. "Our organization has great momentum as we approach our National Convention and Business Expo and I look forward to a robust exchange of ideas and sharing our vision for the future." Vaca added: "What is critical to the USHCC going forward is a continued focus on our 200 member chambers of commerce in communities across the country, while expanding the organization's strategic partnerships with major corporations, government agencies and business organizations to increase opportunities for Hispanic Business Enterprises."

Vaca is the founder, Chair and CEO of Pinnacle Technical Resources, an award-winning provider of information technology services. Pinnacle's offerings include IT staffing and professional services, managed staffing services, vendor management solutions, and payrolling/independent contractor compliance. Under Vaca's leadership, Pinnacle has been ranked among the ten fastest growing staffing firms nationwide in each of the past six years, and now includes approximately 3,000 consultants across all 50 states. Pinnacle is also the 4th largest diversity-owned IT staffing firm nationally and the largest outside the NY/NJ area.

A former Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and two-time winner of the USHCC's Business Woman of the Year Award, Vaca has also been featured in Fortune, Elle, Kiplinger's, Fast Company, Latino Leaders, and various other publications. She is a graduate of Texas State University with a B.A. in Speech Communications and Business Administration where she was honored as the youngest Distinguished Alumna in university history. Vaca has also completed executive programs at the Harvard, Kellogg, and Tuck Schools of Business, holds an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Northwood University, and was recently named one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in America for the third consecutive year.

Jeanette Prenger

Jeanette Prenger is Owner and President of ECCO Select, a Kansas City-based high performance, award-winning corporation that specializes in Information Technology consulting, project management, supplemental staffing, and workforce solutions. She provides a unique blend of work experience and accomplishments, which have resulted in the company's continued growth.

"As Vice Chair of the USHCC, I look forward to supporting our key stakeholders, as we continue to redefine the landscape for Hispanic Business Enterprises, made up of millions of diverse business organizations and individuals around the country," said Prenger. "It is a time to unite in our vision, goals and actions, as we deliver value to these important constituents that will truly make a difference."

Since its inception in 1995, ECCO has posted steadily climbing revenues and employs over 100 individuals in Fortune 500 companies across the United States. ECCO is recognized as one of the top 500 Hispanic-owned companies in the United States by Hispanic Business Magazine and is consistently listed as a top 25 Kansas City Business by the KC Business Magazine.

Ms. Prenger is a graduate of Park University with a BS in Management and Computer Information Systems and has completed executive programs at the Kellogg School of business. She has been featured in BusinessWeek, and has been named CEO of the Year in 2009 by the Latinos in Information and Science Technology Association (LISTA), as well as one of the Top 20 Most Influential Latinas in the United States in 2006 by Hispanic Trends. She has won multiple awards from the Small Business Administration, (SBA) and is a commissioner for the Missouri Workforce Investment Board.

Latina's legacy will be honored with US Stamp

2010-08-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

Latina's legacy will be honored with US Stamp

By Adrian Perez

Julia de Burgos

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - It’s not too often Latino poets are honored by naming museums, cultural centers, schools, and streets after their name. This is not the case for Puerto Rican born Julia de Burgos, whose poetry, continues to inspire poets, feminists, poetry aficionados, and even politicians. To further honor Julia’s powerful literary art, the United States Postal Service will be releasing a stamp in her honor next month, recognizing National Hispanic Month. But, who is Julia de Burgos?

Julia was born on February 17, 1914 and grew up to be perhaps the greatest poet from Puerto Rico and is considered one of the greatest poets from Latino American, along side of Gabriela Mistral. As the youngest of 13 children, Julia’s family was very poor, with six of her siblings dying of malnutrition. Through her determination to succeed, she attained a scholarship at age 13 to attend the University of Puerto Rico.

Julia graduated from the University at age 19 with a degree in teaching and immediately began to work as an elementary teacher as well as a writer for a children’s public radio program. It was 1933, when she also met Ruben Rodriguez Beauchamp, a man she married that same year. She was soon fired from the radio program when it was learned that Julia was consorting with a militant group called the “Daughters of Freedom,” a Nationalist group. This is also when Julia began to write poetry, with her most noted work “Rio Grande de Loiza.”

Julia left teaching to focus on her marriage and writing, of which some of her work was published in journals and newspapers. While her writing grew, her marriage began to suffer as she spent more time with the activist group. She and Ruben divorced in 1937.

That same year, Julia published her first book “Poemas Exactos de Mi Misma.” A year later, she published her second book “Poema en Veinte Surcos.” To promote her books, Julia traveled around the Island, conducting book readings and drawing the attention of critics. Three years later, she moved to New York City.

In New York, Julia got by working as a journalist. It was here where she met Dr. Juan Isidro Jimeses Grullon, whom they say she fell madly in love with, although they never married. Dr. Jimses Grullon took Julia to Cuba where she studied at the University of Havana. Their relationship fell sour and two years later, in 1942, Julia returned to New York by herself, without much money.

Working as a receptionist then as a secretary, Julia did not write any longer, instead turning to alcohol to relieve her heartache until a year later, in 1943, when she met and married Armando Marin, a musician. It is not clear what caused their marriage to dissolve, but this second divorce in 1947 pushed Julia into a deeper depression and serious alcoholism.

Not having been heard from since June 28, 1953, Julia’s family and friends initiated a search and found she had been buried in New York’s potter’s field. In backtracking what happened to her, it was found that on July 26, 1953, Julia had collapsed on a sidewalk in Spanish Harlem and taken to the hospital where she later died of pneumonia. She was only 39.

Some believe Julia had predicted her death in the only English poem she wrote in August of 1953, “Farewell In Welfare Island” which read: “It has to be from here,/right this instance,/my cry into the world./My cry that is no more mine,/but hers and his forever,/the comrades of my silence,/the phantoms of my grave.”

Upon discovering Julia’s tragic death, the people of Puerto Rico created a commission to bring her remains back to the Island in September of 1953, where she was given a hero’s burial. Since then, the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico has named schools and avenues after the famous poet. A shelter for physically abused women bares her name and the Julia de Burgos Museum of Arts and Sciences was also established. In 1987, Julia de Burgos was granted a doctorate in Human Letters and Arts.

The U.S. has also honored Julia’s legacy with the Julia de Burgos Latino Center at Yale University, the Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center in Harlem, and numerous other centers and schools bare her name. Now, the United States Postal Services will be honoring Julia with a stamp baring her image, which will be unveiled in September 2010, in time for Hispanic Heritage Month.

There is no question today that this Latina continues to reach the old, the young, the feminist, and the inspired. Some of her famous works can be found here.