Job Hunting? A career change may be in order

With unemployment figures skyrocketing and businesses biting the dust, the picture painted is of a long-term crisis and much hardship if not anxiety for many of us. The promise of at least a partial recovery with the incoming administration notwithstanding, there are even today bright patches in the darkened sky.

A closely watched media reveals that optimism, as reports emerge on careers and industries where jobs are largely available or even go begging. Securing them will likely require a change of career, maybe even some training, but there is no question that, yes indeed, there are growth industries today.

We've posted on our career page a helpful article published last week in the Wall Street Journal. And I recommend that you find WNYC's Brian Lehrer show of the 23rd, Dec., or the podcast (Where the Jobs Are).

One of Brian's guests, Dennis Demp, author of Health Care Job Explosion, reports informatively and optimistically on those specific industries that can't help but grow. Health care, insurance and working for the feds (especially in the areas of IT, public health, the census) are examples that he expands on. Demp also gives us the useful website: Federaljobs.net.

Check it out. Happy hunting! And may 2009 be brighter for us all.

PRLDEF petitions that the US fails to protect Latinos

17th December, 2008

Greetings!

Today, LatinoJustice PRLDEF filed a petition before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, charging the United States with failing to protect its Latino residents. The petition alleges human rights violations against the United States, through a procedure rarely used against this country.

Please read on for more information about our petition. If you are a member of a civil rights group or Latino organization, we ask that you consider joining us as co-petitioners or by submitting evidence to the IACHR in support of the petition. Read the rest of the story below then check our website at www.latinojustice.org.

Is Hilda Solis Obama's Most Solid Cabinet Pick?

Just when I was about to note that folks like Barack's Latino cabinet choices, Bill Richardson at Commerce, Ken Salazar at the Interior--Richardson's father was a WASP banker and Salazar's ranching family's been here for 150 years, tracing their lineage to 12th century Spain, not that there's anything wrong with that--were the reasons for the neologism, non-Hispanic whites, and ask where the "real" Latinos were, those sons and daughters of mojados, of Cubans off the Mariel, indios from the altiplano, or Afro-Ricans, along comes Hilda Solis, the real deal on her way to expand the rights of the natural-born and immigrants at the Department of Labor. (Solis has been a champion of the environment as well.)
Not only is Solis the daughter of immigrants--Mexican/Nicaraguan--but she's one of 8 kids and a product of solid working class values.
An Angelina, the LA Times proudly zones in on their homie.

Pew Hispanic Center Study on Latinos and the Recession

Now that it's official that the recession began in 2007--as if we workers and consumers didn't already know and feel it--the Pew Hispanic Center has been able to compile figures on Latino job loss over the past year. As yet, however, there are no complete figures breaking down the losses along white and blue collar lines, although the native-born Hispanic unemployment rate is 9.6%, considerably higher than the national average of 6.4%, while that of foreign-born Hispanics, who we must assume would be more blue collar, is only 6.1%. Interesting read.
Here's the summary.

Bad Move, Barack

The State post should be going to Richardson

Regrettably, as President-elect Obama’s cabinet is taking shape, not only does it not promise new vision, as top-heavy as it is with Clintonians and Beltway bandits, but I’m disheartened to see that in neither of the key posts of Secretary of State nor Attorney General was a Latino selected.
Especially disappointing is Obama’s passing over of Bill Richardson for the State post, I believe in order to repay the Clintons for their grudging but vocal support of his candidacy after Hillary had to bow out. Richardson has many more real creds out there in the world of trouble finding and shooting: releasing hostages and political prisoners, negotiating with Saddam Hussein, serving as U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., for example, earning him 3 Nobel Peace Prize nominations, while I’m reminded that Clinton has had little international experience herself, having gotten to know the world when she accompanied her husband on his rounds.
Friends at the U.N. speak highly of Richardson in all his diplomatic capacities and note his reputation as an amiable, team-playing guy, one they liked to have around. It’s a quality that will prove key as the U.S. tries to remake its reputation as a friend of the world and refind its integrity.
Bad move Barack.

Obama's Latino Vote Mandate

Here's a column from The Nation explaining WHY Obama owes Latinos a big voice in his insider-heavy incoming administration.

Corporate Glass Ceiling for Women and Minorities is yet to be Shattered

It's same old, same old, says SocialFunds.com as they report on findings by the Calvert Group, a social investment fund, that found little advancement of women and minorities in corporate executive positions. Equally problematical, a second report finds, is that the corporate world is lax--perhaps better said, uncooperative--in disclosing Equal Opportunity information regarding diversity in their workplaces. You'd think they had something to hide, eh?
A possible remedy? Shareholder resolutions forcing the brass to get with it. Here's a perfect pitch for "spreading the wealth," no?

New Feature at Hispanic American Village Jobs Center

For those who are looking for job opportunities, as well as student opportunities such as internships or fellowships, IMDiversity.com's site editors wanted to call attention to a new feature we've been experimenting with on the Village.

Building on successful experiments with our relatively new IMDiversity Featured Jobs and $100K-Plus jobs pages, we have added a new section of additional featured jobs unique to Hispanic American Village Jobs Center section. In addition to containing pre-programmed targeted jobs quicksearch links, custom searching, resume posting and salary calculator tools, the HAV Jobs Center now also contains its own featured jobs spotlighting current opportunities of note for Village users. While our job bank contains many thousands of jobs of all kinds posted by employers recruiting a diverse workforce, in some cases we identify opportunities (some hard to spot or time-sensitive) that may be particularly relevant to our users, or where your background, Spanish or Portuguese language skills, experience abroad and conducting business in international markets, etc. may give a jobseeker a leg up in the competition.

We experimented with the feature on and off for short periods over the past couple of months, and are encouraged by the response from both jobseekers and employers. We continue to welcome additional feedback and suggestions here, or through our main site contact section.

LatinoJustice PRLDEF is Protecting Your Right to Vote

Unprecedented voter assistance and protection project protects rights of all Latino voters
LatinoJustice PRLDEF is protecting the rights of Latino voters everywhere through an unprecedented voter assistance and protection project. LatinoJustice PRLDEF attorneys have been working on a number of different efforts that will assist Latino voters and protect their right to participate in the 2008 elections in the days leading up to, during and after Election Day.

Latino voters will play a crucial role in this year's election. At least 9.2 million Latino voters will go out to the polls on November 4, according to the National Association of Latino elected Officials (NALEO).

This 9.2 million would be a record, and a 21% increase from 2004, according to the NALEO report. But this 9.2 million is "merely a floor." Latino turnout could be even higher, because of interest in such issues as immigration.

We will be on the ground and at the polls
LatinoJustice PRLDEF is working to ensure that the important role Latino voters will play in this historic election is in no way diminished. Our efforts encompass voter protection, voter assistance, voter monitoring and voter registration.

Voter Protection
One of the ways we are doing this is by making sure polling places comply with the federal Voting Rights Act.

A multi-state cadre of lawyers and law firms working together with LatinoJustice PRLDEF attorneys will be on the ground in several cities on Election Day, to ensure that poll workers and facilities comply with the Voting Rights Act. They will also make sure that Latino voters are not intimidated and their votes are not suppressed.

The Voting Rights Act requires that certain states and localities accommodate "language minorities" who speak languages other than English. Provisions of the act that that apply directly to Latino voters include:

Under Section 4(e), election districts are required to make bilingual election materials and assistance available to any voter born in Puerto Rico who is not proficient in English and seeks assistance.

Under Section 208, any voter of any background who is disabled, elderly or unable to read English has the right to request assistance or to bring someone into the polling booth to help the voter cast his or her vote.

Under Section 203, election districts are required to make bilingual election materials and assistance available in certain jurisdictions with high minority populations that have been identified by the DOJ and the Census Bureau.

Currently, over 500 political jurisdictions in the U.S. are covered under Section 203.

Voter Assistance
Voters who have questions about their rights under the Voting Rights Act, or who want to complain about a lack of bilingual assistance can also seek direct help from LatinoJustice PRLDEF through the national Ve-y-Vota hotline.

The National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, and the National Campaign for Fair Elections, have partnered with LatinoJustice PRLDEF to organize a Spanish-language voter protection call center in NYC that will field calls from Spanish-speaking voters from across the Eastern United States.

On November 3 and November 4 (Election Day), Spanish-speaking voters can call 1-888-Ve-y-Vota, a bilingual, toll-free national voter information and protection hotline. The hotline can answer simple calls such as "where is my polling place?" as well as complex issues dealing with machine malfunctions, eligible voters who are turned away, and instances of voter intimidation and deception.

LatinoJustice PRLDEF attorneys overseeing the hotline will be documenting voting rights complaints and any obstacles to voting encountered by Latino voters.

"We will document any voting rights violations encountered by Latino voters and if necessary will take legal action against those states and localities that fail to comply with the Voting Rights Act and other laws," said José Pérez, Associate General Counsel of LatinoJustice PRLDEF.

Poll Monitoring
The recent passage of stringent voting requirements by several states will undoubtedly disproportionably disenfranchise many Latinos. Unjustified delays in processing voter registration applications has also added to this disenfranchisement.

LatinoJustice PRLDEF has called on the U.S. Attorney General to deploy federal monitors to several jurisdictions that have passed some of these new laws, and where Latino voter suppression and intimidation has been documented in the past.

Last week, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice announced it will send 800 federal observers and justice department staff to jurisdictions in 23 states on Election Day.

"I think we can fairly say our letter and advocacy contributed to DOJ's determination to send out monitors," said PRLDEF attorney Diana Sen.

Voter Registration
Latinos have registered in record numbers for this year's election, and the young leaders of LatinoJustice PRLDEF's civic engagement network witnessed this firsthand when they registered new citizens at New York City naturalization ceremonies.

Over a five-week period, from September 12, through October 10, young activists registered approximately 2,000 new immigrant voters at New York's Eastern District Courthouse in Brooklyn.

The project aimed to foster leadership in young people, as to well as promote an interest in voting rights. Many of the volunteers expressed an interest in continuing to work on the effort, by serving as poll monitors and working for our Ve-y-Vota hotline.

Honoring our legacy of protecting Latinos' rights at the polls
LatinoJustice PRLDEF has worked for decades to protect Latinos' right to vote. In 1973 LatinoJustice PRLDEF sued the city of New York to force the city to provide language assistance in the form of Spanish-language election materials, ballots and Spanish-speaking election officials at the polling stations. The precedent set in that court victory became the pillar of an amendment to the Voting Rights Act in 1975 which protected the voting rights of all Puerto Ricans who are United States citizens by birth.

"LatinoJustice PRLDEF has a long legacy of safeguarding Latinos' rights at the polls," said Cesar Perales, President and General Counsel. "There are now over 9 million registered Latino voters in this country, and we will continue to make sure that those voters have every tool they need to exercise their right to vote."


If you have any questions or concerns about your polling place, call our voter protection hotline: 1-888-Ve-y-Vota.

For more information on the latest from LatinoJustice PRLDEF, visit our website at www.latinojustice.org

NPR broadcasts revealing show on immigration in the South

“How do you sit next to someone and tell them your kid's playing really good when half the time you can't even pronounce the name and they don't understand anything you're saying?”

Soccer mom, Siler City resident and native North Carolinian Jenny Pleasants

There's lots more, and it's not that bad. Attitudes and issues are thoughtfully and fairly, I thought, explored.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95619192

New York City African-American and Latino composers invited to apply for Van Lier fellowships

http://www.meetthecomposer.org/programs/vanlier.htm

The Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund of the New York Community Trust provides support for talented, culturally diverse young people who are seriously dedicated to a career in the arts. Meet The Composer administers the Van Lier Fellowship on behalf of the Van Lier Fund of the New York Community Trust.

The purpose of the Fellowship is to provide financial support for young composers in the early stages of their careers, working in any style of music or sound art. Funds can be used for any purpose including the creation of new work, the purchasing of music/tech equipment, travel, or research and development.

The Fellowship is open to African-American and Latino composers thirty-two years of age or younger. The applicant must be a full-time resident of New York City (any borough) and show financial need. The applicant must not be enrolled in a degree-granting program at the time of application (i.e. no students). The one-year fellowship award is $8,500. Additional monetary support will be provided if the composer develops and participates in an educational outreach program with students and/or youth groups. This educational component is optional.

The next deadline for applications is December 8, 2008.

Download the guidelines and application here http://www.meetthecomposer.org/programs/vanlier.htm

This year's recipients are Gilbert Galindo and Majid Khaliq.

Gilbert Galindo is an emerging young Mexican-American composer that is increasingly being performed across the country. He has received commissions from the Chicago Fine Arts Society, Duo Petrarca, and the Lone Star Brass with additional premieres and performances from the Midland Odessa Symphony, Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, Bard Institute Composers Orchestra, and the ai ensemble of dal niente group. Read more at www.gilbertgalindo.com.

Majid Khaliq is a musician native to the New York area. His musical palette ranges from the roots of American-jazz music through the greats of the European-classical tradition. Mr. Khaliq has been described by legendary musician Wynton Marsalis as having "a unique blend of improvisation, groove and technical sophistication." Composition and arranging are serious interests of Mr. Khaliq. His compositional teachers are Mexican composer Samuel Zyman and great American violinist/composer Jonh Blake, Jr. Not just a performer and composer, Mr. Khaliq is a teacher of the highest caliber. He has written many essays on the art of violin playing and has recently finished the first volume of a method book detailing the topic.

Past recipients of MTC’s Van Lier Fellowship include César Alvarez, Cristian Amigo, Valerie Coleman, Mario Diaz de León, Dafnis Prieto, Sherrise Rogers, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Julio Santillan, Manuel Sosa, and Emilio Teubal.

• CB08-FF.15
• Sept. 8, 2008 (Updated)
• PDF Version

Hispanic Heritage Month 2008:
Sept. 15 – Oct. 15

In September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week, which was observed during the week that included Sept. 15 and Sept. 16. The observance was expanded in 1988 to a monthlong celebration (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15). America celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.

Population

45.5 million
The estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2007, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constituted 15 percent of the nation’s total population. In addition, there are approximately 3.9 million residents of Puerto Rico.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html> and
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011109.html>

About 1
. . . of every two people added to the nation’s population between July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, was Hispanic. There were 1.4 million Hispanics added to the population during the period.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html>

3.3%
Percentage increase in the Hispanic population between July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, making Hispanics the fastest-growing minority group.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html>

132.8 million
The projected Hispanic population of the United States on July 1, 2050. According to this projection, Hispanics will constitute 30 percent of the nation’s population by that date.
Source: Population projections <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012496.html>

22.4 million
The nation’s Hispanic population during the 1990 Census — less than half the current total.
Source: The Hispanic Population: 2000 <http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-3.pdf>

2nd
Ranking of the size of the U.S. Hispanic population worldwide, as of 2007. Only Mexico (108.7 million) had a larger Hispanic population than did the United States (45.5 million). (Spain had a population of 40.4 million.)
Source: International Data Base <http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/idbrank.pl>
<http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbsum.html> and population estimates
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html>

64%
The percentage of Hispanic-origin people in the United States who are of Mexican background. Another 9 percent are of Puerto Rican background, with 3.4 percent Cuban, 3.1 percent Salvadoran and 2.8 percent Dominican. The remainder are of some other Central American, South American or other Hispanic or Latino origin.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey <http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm>

About 50 percent of the nation’s Dominicans live in New York City and about half of the nation’s Cubans in Miami-Dade County, Fla.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey <http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm>

27.6 years
Median age of the Hispanic population in 2007. This compares with 36.6 years for the population as a whole.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html>

107
Number of Hispanic males in 2007 per every 100 Hispanic females. This was in sharp contrast to the overall population, which had 97 males per every 100 females.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html>

States and Counties

48%
The percentage of the Hispanic-origin population that lives in California or Texas. California is home to 13.2 million Hispanics, and Texas is home to 8.6 million.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html>

16
The number of states with at least a half-million Hispanic residents. They are Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html>

44%
The percentage of New Mexico’s population that is Hispanic, the highest of any state. Hispanics also make up more than a quarter of the population in California and Texas, at 36 percent each, Arizona (30 percent) and Nevada (25 percent).
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html>

4.7 million
The Hispanic population of Los Angeles County, Calif., in 2007 — the largest of any county in the nation. Maricopa County, Ariz. (home of Phoenix) had the biggest numerical increase in the Hispanic population (60,700) since July 2006.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012463.html>

97%
Proportion of the population of Starr County, Texas, that was Hispanic as of 2007, which led the nation. In fact, each of the top 10 counties in this category was in Texas.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012463.html>

308,000
The increase in Texas’ Hispanic population between July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, which led all states. California (268,000) and Florida (131,000) also recorded large increases.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html>

20
Number of states in which Hispanics are the largest minority group. These states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html>

Businesses

Source for statements in this section: Hispanic-owned Firms: 2002 <http://www.census.gov/csd/sbo/hispanic2002.htm>

1.6 million
The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002.

Triple
The rate of growth of Hispanic-owned businesses between 1997 and 2002 (31 percent) compared with the national average (10 percent) for all businesses.

$222 billion
Revenue generated by Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002, up 19 percent from 1997.

44.6%
. . . of all Hispanic-owned firms were owned by Mexicans, Mexican-Americans and Chicanos.

29,168
Number of Hispanic-owned firms with receipts of $1 million or more.

• Nearly 43 percent of Hispanic-owned firms operated in construction; administrative and support, and waste management and remediation services; and other services, such as personal services, and repair and maintenance. Retail and wholesale trade accounted for nearly 36 percent of Hispanic-owned business revenue.
• Counties with the highest number of Hispanic-owned firms were Los Angeles County (188,422); Miami-Dade County (163,187); and Harris County, Texas (61,934).

Families and Children

9.9 million
The number of Hispanic family households in the United States in 2006. Of these households, 62 percent included children younger than 18.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>

67%
The percentage of Hispanic family households consisting of a married couple.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>

44%
The percentage of Hispanic family households consisting of a married couple with children younger than 18.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>

66%
Percentage of Hispanic children living with two married parents.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>

24%
Percentage of total population younger than 5 that was Hispanic as of July 1, 2007.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html>

Spanish Language

34 million
The number of U.S. residents 5 and older who speak Spanish at home. Spanish speakers constitute 12 percent of U.S. residents.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey <http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm>

29%
Percentage of Texas residents 5 and older who speak Spanish at home, which leads all states. (The percentage for Texas is not significantly different from that of New Mexico, however.) This compares with the national average of 12 percent.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey <http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm>

78%
Percentage of Hispanics 5 and older who speak Spanish at home.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey <http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm>

Income, Poverty and Health Insurance

$38,679
The median income of Hispanic households in 2007, statistically unchanged from the previous year after adjusting for inflation.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007
<<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/012528.html>

21.5%
The poverty rate among Hispanics in 2007, up from 20.6 percent in 2006.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/012528.html>

32.1%
The percentage of Hispanics who lacked health insurance in 2007, down from 34.1 percent in 2006.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/012528.html>

Education

60%
The percentage of Hispanics 25 and older who had at least a high school education in 2007.
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/011196.html>

13%
The percentage of the Hispanic population 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2007.
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007
<<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/011196.html>

3.3 million
The number of Hispanics 18 and older who had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2007, up from 1.7 million a decade earlier.
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/011196.html>

811,000
Number of Hispanics 25 and older with advanced degrees in 2007 (e.g., master’s, professional, doctorate).
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/011196.html>

11%
Percentage of all college students in October 2006 who were Hispanic. Among elementary and high school students combined, the corresponding proportion was 19 percent.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2006
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/011921.html>

Educational attainment levels are higher among certain Hispanic groups than among others. For example, among Cubans 25 and older, 75 percent were at least high school graduates, and 26 percent had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey <http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm>

Jobs

68%
Percentage of Hispanics 16 and older who are in the civilian labor force.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey <http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm>

17%
The percentage of Hispanics 16 or older who work in management, professional and related occupations. Roughly the same percentage work in construction, extraction, maintenance and repair occupations (although this percentage is significantly lower than for those in management, professional and related occupations). Approximately 24 percent of Hispanics 16 or older work in service occupations; 22 percent in sales and office occupations; 2 percent in farming, fishing and forestry occupations; and 18 percent in production, transportation and material moving occupations.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey <http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm>

82,500
Number of Hispanic chief executives. In addition, 46,200 physicians and surgeons; 53,600 postsecondary teachers; 43,000 lawyers; and 5,700 news analysts, reporters and correspondents are Hispanic.
Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 596 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

Voting

7.6 million
The number of Hispanic citizens who reported voting in the 2004 presidential election. The percentage of Hispanic citizens voting — about 47 percent — did not change statistically from four years earlier.
Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2004
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/004986.html>

5.6 million
The number of Hispanic citizens who reported voting in the 2006 congressional elections. The percentage of Hispanic citizens voting — about 32 percent — did not change statistically from four years earlier.
Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2006
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/012234.html>

Serving our Country

1.1 million`
The number of Hispanic veterans of the U.S. armed forces.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey <http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm>

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’s Facts for Features series:

• African-American History Month (February)
• Super Bowl XLII (Feb. 3)
• Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14)
• Women’s History Month (March)
• Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/
• St. Patrick’s Day (March 17)
• Asian/Pacific American Heritage
• Month (May)
• Older Americans Month (May)
• Cinco de Mayo (May 5)
• Mother’s Day (May 11)
• Hurricane Season Begins (June 1)
• Father’s Day (June 15)
• The Fourth of July (July 4)
• Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities
• Act (July 26)
• 
  

• Back to School (August)
• Labor Day (Sept. 1)
• Grandparents Day (Sept. 7)
• Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)
• Unmarried and Single Americans
• Week (Sept. 21-27)
• Halloween (Oct. 31)
• American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage
• Month (November)
• Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
• Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 27)
• The Holiday Season (December)

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: <pio@census.gov>.

[Excel] or the letters [xls] indicate a document is in the Microsoft® Excel® Spreadsheet Format (XLS). To view the file, you will need the Microsoft® Excel® Viewer available for free from Microsoft®. This symbol indicates a link to a non-government web site. Our linking to these sites does not constitute an endorsement of any products, services or the information found on them. Once you link to another site you are subject to the policies of the new site.

NCLR Launches We Can Stop the Hate Website

Washington, DC—A revamped website launched by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) documents how hate groups in the U.S. have been reenergized by the immigration debate and how the growing intolerance fanned by these groups is leading to a record increase in hate crimes against Latinos. The acclaimed website, www.WeCanStopTheHate.org spotlights hate in the immigration debate with analyses of the leading groups, spokespeople, and media allies of the anti-immigrant movement.

“Given that dozens of anti-immigrant talk show hosts and organizations have descended on Capitol Hill this week, it is especially important that information on what these entities are really all about is readily available to those interested in combating intolerance,” noted Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “Regardless of how one feels about immigration policy, we can all agree that a hate-filled debate is not acceptable.”

The website, originally launched in January of this year, has been redesigned to make it easier for visitors and users to find information, obtain the latest updates, and learn how to get involved. Its features include an extensive library of videos on the links between anti-immigrant and extremist organizations throughout the country; fact sheets on, among other topics, the code words of hate used in the debate and the most prominent media spokespeople from these anti-immigrant and extremist groups; and frequently updated posts, called “The Latest,” on incidents of hate in the media, from policymakers and others.

The new website can be found at www.WeCanStopTheHate.org

Post-Labor Day Post

NCLR (National Council of La Raza) has published an informative report on today's Latino workforce, noting that, while Latinos make up the fastest growing numbers amongst workers here, they are the most affected by the slumped economy. Also noted are the alarming number of deaths and serious injuries incurred by Latinos on the job.
The full report is downloadable from NCLR's site: Labor Day: A Snapshot of the Latino Workforce

Aids among Latinos on the rise

From The Washington Post a grim article noting the spike in HIV/Aids figures among Latinos, with a focus on how the disease uniquely and more adversely impacts undocumented homosexual immigrants. Despite questions I have about the data, if you're an activist, an Aids activist, or a gay Latino, this is an important piece to read.

Well, there you have it

Press Release July 24, 2008 For Immediate Release Contact: Mary Seaborn info@pewhispanic.org 202-419-3606 or Brandon Maitlen bmaitlen@pewresearch.org 202-419-4372 Hispanics Support Obama over McCain for President by Nearly Three-to-One, Pew Hispanic Center Survey Finds Hispanic registered voters support Democrat Barack Obama for president over Republican John McCain by 66% to 23%, according to a nationwide survey of 2,015 Latinos conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, from June 9 through July 13, 2008. The presumptive Democratic nominee's strong showing in this survey represents a sharp reversal in his fortunes from the primaries, when Obama lost the Latino vote to Hillary Clinton by a nearly two-to-one ratio, giving rise to speculation in some quarters that Hispanics were disinclined to vote for a black candidate. In this new survey, three times as many respondents said being black would help Obama (32%) with Latino voters than said it would hurt him (11%); the majority (53%) said his race would make no difference to Latino voters. In addition to their strong support for Obama, Latino voters have moved sharply into the Democratic camp in the past two years, reversing a pro-GOP tide that had been evident among Latinos earlier in the decade. Some 65% of Latino registered voters now say they identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party, compared with just 26% who identify with or lean toward the GOP. This 39 percentage point Democratic Party identification edge is larger than it has been at any time this decade; as recently as 2006, the partisan gap was just 21 percentage points. The report also examines Hispanic registered voter engagement, party identification, ratings of national conditions, and top campaign issues. The report, 2008 National Survey of Latinos: Hispanic Voter Attitudes, is available at the Pew Hispanic Center's website, www.pewhispanic.org. The Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, is a non-partisan, non-advocacy research organization based in Washington, D.C. and is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts. # # #

This email was sent to amorusobelmont@yahoo.com by info@pewhispanic.org. Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Email Marketing by Pew Hispanic Center | 1615 L Street, NW, Suite 700 | Washington | DC | 20036

The NSHMBA lists key questions Latinos want to know about potential employers

The authors of The Complete Job Search Guide for Latinos have written a valuable column in the current newsletter of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs. It reviews the questions that are both salient and "correct" that a Latino may ask about his/her employer to ascertain whether worker and workplace are on the same page with "core values, beliefs and career goals." The authors remind us how penetrating the culture of the employer and his/her organization can facilitate finding that perfect career.

See: Job Search Questions Latinos Can Ask About Potential Employers

Immigrant Latino Workers Hit Hard by Economic Slowdown, Pew Hispanic Center Report Finds

The Pew Hispanic Center today released Latino Labor Report, 2008: Construction Reverses Job Growth for Latinos. Using data through the first quarter of 2008, the report finds the economic downturn having a disproportionate impact on Hispanic workers. From an historic low in late 2006, the unemployment rate for Latinos rose sharply in 2007 and currently stands well above the rate for non-Latinos. Immigrant Hispanics, especially Mexican immigrants and recent arrivals, have been hurt the most by the slump in the construction industry. Weekly earnings for most groups of Hispanic workers, particularly construction workers, also slipped backward in the past year. There are no signs Latino immigrants are leaving the U.S. labor market but they now play a smaller role in the growth of the Hispanic workforce than in recent years. The report is available at the Pew Hispanic Center's website, www.pewhispanic.org. The Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, is a non-partisan, non-advocacy research organization based in Washington, D.C. and funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Pew Hispanic Center Releases a Fact Sheet on the Puerto Rican Electorate

The Pew Hispanic Center today released a fact sheet on the demographics of eligible voters in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The fact sheet contains information on elections in Puerto Rico and data on the size and social and economic characteristics of the Puerto Rican eligible voter population. This fact sheet is based on the Center's tabulations of the Census Bureau's 2006 Puerto Rico Community Survey. All Hispanics in the 2008 Election fact sheets are available on the Center's website at www.pewhispanic.org. The Pew Hispanic Center, an initiative of the Pew Research Center, is a non-partisan, non-advocacy research organization based in Washington, D.C. and is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Check out the "Super Amigos"

Into lucha libre? Repulsed by it? Into fantasy and humor and progressive social commentary? If any of the above, you should check out the Mexican series, "Super Amigos," 5 chilango homies in Super Hero get-ups wrestling the wrongs of their enrubbled city: poverty, environmental degradation, homophobia, animal cruelty, predatory landlords.
Mixing animation with on-site--what a sight!--footage of Mexico City, and lots of satire and pathos, it's brilliant!
You can check out "Super Amigos" on LinkTV, another super outlet for on-the-mark independent news, culture, commentary, and lots of music and a special Latino channel, Latin Pulse. En español. Lately, they've done cogent episodes on the elections from a Latino perspective, Fidel's swan song, immigration, more.

Some salsa with your Cinco de Mayo

For those of you who celebrate Cinco de Mayo--yes, we all know it's a manufactured holiday, invented to sell salsa and Taco Bell to the gringos--here are some facts and figures about Aztlán in a (not so?) strange land that may be fun to pull of the hat at that Cinco de Mayo barbecue I'm sure you'll be invited to.

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• March 5, 2008

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the legendary Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, in which a Mexican force of 4,500 men faced 6,000 well-trained French soldiers. The battle lasted four hours and ended in a victory for the Mexican army under Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza. Along with Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16, Cinco de Mayo has become a time to celebrate Mexican heritage and culture.

28.3 million

Number of U.S. residents of Mexican origin in 2006. These residents constituted 9 percent of the nation’s total population and 64 percent of the Hispanic population.

17.86 million
Number of people of Mexican origin who lived either in California (10.84 million) or Texas (7.02 million). People of Mexican origin made up more than one-quarter of the residents of these two states. (The unrounded total for California and Texas combined is 17,866,191.)

25.7
Median age of people in the United States of Mexican descent. This compares with 36.4 years for the population as a whole.

630,000
Number of Mexican-Americans who are U.S. military veterans.

1.2 million
Number of people of Mexican descent 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher. This includes about 350,000 who have a graduate degree.

37%
Among households where a householder was of Mexican origin, the percentage of married-couple families with own children younger than 18. For all households, the corresponding percentage was 22 percent.

4.1
Average size for families with a householder of Mexican origin. This compares to 3.2 people in all families.

14%
Percentage of employed civilians 16 and older of Mexican heritage who worked in managerial, professional or related occupations. In addition, 23 percent worked in service occupations; 20 percent in sales and office occupations; 19 percent in construction, extraction, maintenance and repair occupations; and 20 percent in production, transportation and material moving occupations.

$37,661
Median household income in 2006 for households with a householder of Mexican origin.

23%
Poverty rate in 2006 for people of Mexican heritage.

69%
Percentage of civilians 16 and older of Mexican origin in the labor force. The percentage was 65 percent for the population as a whole. There were 13 million people of Mexican heritage in the labor force, comprising 9 percent of the total.

51%
Percentage of householders of Mexican origin who owned the home in which they lived.

Source for the preceding statements: 2006 American Community Survey <http://factfinder.census.gov>

Trade With Mexico

$347.3 billion
The value of goods traded between the United States and Mexico in 2007. Mexico was our nation’s third-leading trading partner, after Canada and China.
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>

Businesses

701,078
Number of firms owned by people of Mexican origin in 2002. They comprised almost 45 percent of all Hispanic-owned firms. Among these Mexican-owned firms, 275,896 were in California and 235,735 in Texas. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, Calif., combined statistical area had 174,292.

$96.7 billion
Sales and receipts for firms owned by people of Mexican origin in 2002.

Source for statements in this section: Hispanic-Owned Firms: 2002 <http://www.census.gov/prod/ec02/sb0200cshisp.pdf>

Mexican Food

$100.4 million
Product shipment value of tamales and other Mexican food specialties (not frozen or canned) produced in the United States in 2002.
Source: 2002 Economic Census <http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/guide/INDRPT31.HTM>

337
Number of U.S. tortilla manufacturing establishments in 2005. The establishments that produce this unleavened flat bread employed nearly 14,000 people. Tortillas, the principal food of the Aztecs, are known as the “bread of Mexico.” About one in three of these establishments was in Texas.
Source: County Business Patterns: 2005 <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/county_business_patterns/010192.html>

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: <pio@census.gov>.

Hip, hip, Latinas!

Hispanic Business magazine lauds successful Latinas making an impact on America's workplace by naming 20 to their Winner's Circle of Elite Women. They include an astronaut (Ellen Ochoa, already on our Wall of Fame), a California State Senator (Gloria Romero), IT entrepreneur (Nina Vaca), and a university president (Dr. Elsa Murano, Texas A and M).
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?idx=94479

(Brief, but not) Close Encounters with Junot Diaz

Some years ago, let’s say 4, I was in Jamaica for the Calabash Literary Festival, a yearly throw-down of writers, most of them Caribbean-rooted. The affair takes place at a now-trendy, but once funky complejo of sunny-colored bungalows overlooking the sea on the island’s south coast. Jake’s is where my many Jamaican adventures began nearly 15 years ago, and will always have deep associations for me.

I was pleasantly surprised to find Junot Diaz’ name on the roster of presenters, who’ve numbered, over the years, major leaguers like Sonia Sanchez and Derek Wolcott. I’d been clocking his rising star through his edgy, sometimes irritating, but always engaging short stories published in the New Yorker with enough regularity to pay the rent. They referenced dominicanos trying to get it on, get over, get smart and get out. While I wasn’t always captivated by his surrogates’ predicaments—but maybe that was his ploy: to get me to struggle with my sympathies—his characters were always fully-formed and deeply penetrated; the dialog was snap your fingers true and oftentimes hysterical.

I can’t remember what Junot read (nor did I know that he was then, as he would be for 10 long years, in agony over a hiccoughing first novel that needed to expire several times before being birthed). But, I remember he wore a fly Panama hat that made him look, at the same time, muy caribeño and positively Princess Line, and that he made us all crack up.

Back in New York less than a week later, near my home, I spied Diaz on the street, unmistakable this time in his wire frames and face and pate powdered in fuzz.

I approached, uncharacteristically bold, probably in unconscious acceptance of a generally inviting vibe. “Hey, I know you. I saw you read at the Calabash Festival last week.” We talked easily, not so much about our craft as about Jamaica. I was impressed at how, after just that one brief other-focused visit –by then, I’d probably notched in 20—he’d been able to digest and articulate so clearly Jamaica for all its dysfunctionality and misplaced humanity, assimilating what would seem the most inconsequential clues into an unassailable identikat.

I put Junot Diaz into my teeny evening purse of perfect intellectuals—those who use their gut instincts and superior power of observation and poetry to navigate the world and then apply left brain formatting to legitimize their findings in order to communicate and, hopefully, make a defining contribution to society.

When the story of Oscar Wao’s brief encounter with life came out, I rushed to buy the book, but put off reading it. I was afraid I’d be disappointed and, with it, the Junot Diaz bubble would burst.

But the searching interviews of the author, officially conferring his brainiac status, while confirming his earnest humility, moved me to get to it. The undertaking was epic.

Diaz’ apportioned history of the DR is doctoral yet reads like a Classic Comic, his Oscar Wao (from Wilde, you see, but the homies can’t put the ‘l’ and the ‘d’ together) is redemptively not cloyingly pathetic, and the narrator, Yunior, the homie hustler is the perfect foil, and alter ego, to outsized Oscar. In the end, because they both ring so true, I think our professor of English at M.I.T. has crafted the two characters from the dead-set middle that is himself.

And here’s Diaz, with his home-honed humility bigging up the big heads (as they say in Jamaica) at M.I.T. for allowing their brilliance to nurture “Oscar Wao’s” womb.* But, au contraire, Junot. It’s your brain, that perfect ping pong left brain, right brain, 2-stepped merengue that’s feeding them mouthfuls indeed!

* "I'm just so proud and overjoyed and happy to have finished this book at MIT, surrounded by so many brilliant colleagues and students." MIT News (online—9th April, 2008)

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See, too, Carolina Gonzalez on Why Wao's Pulitzer Matters on the HAV home page.