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Shopping has always been a family experience for me, whether I was heading out with my grandparents or my mother, with my boyfriend, or with my kids.

As a child in central California, I loved going to the weekly flea-markets with my grandparents. In my family, it was called "la ramada," a word I believe we used because of the covered, open-sided stalls that lined the rows of the dirt field. These days were exciting: There were samples being given out by the farmers; there was music blaring from the vendors' booths.

When I moved to Mexico after college, I spent six out of seven days at work. On my days off, my boyfriend and I looked forward to going shopping together. The tianguis that sprouted weekly in our neighborhood was much like the "ramada" experience of my childhood. The weekend trip to the big-box store was not that different: We'd either go to La Ley, Gigante or maybe Wal-Mart. Rather than been seen as a chore, it was fun.

In the stores, there almost always were "edecanes," young women offering samples of anything from crackers and cookies to cheese and tequila. Often, there was a DJ loudly playing banda music, with more pretty girls on hand to pass out balloons or to spin a lottery wheel to give away branded prizes.

I was reminded of all this when I spotted this article on the growing movement to capture the hearts and wallets of Hispanic consumers: PYMNTS.com Mobile, Social And Loyalty Savvy: Keys To Encouraging Hispanic Spending

If you read Gustavo Arellano's column Ask a Mexican, you may remember seeing a reader ask why Mexicans get dressed up and head out as whole families to go to the swap meet. From personal experience, I'd say it's because we see it as family time. Often it's something we do on a Sunday, maybe after church or before we go to some other family event. It's an outing for us, not a chore. It's time that we take advantage of, an opportunity for entertainment (and a budget- and family-friendly outing at that!) and time to spend together.

I hope retailers will catch onto this as they look to reach out to the Latino community. I sure miss those samples of cheese and tequila.

It is with great sadness that the NAHP Board of Directors shares news of the loss of a dear colleague and friend, NAHP President Ezequiel "Zeke" Montes. Mr. Montes passed away Tuesday, January 29, 2013, from complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife and business partner of more than 40 years, Rosalinda; children, Patricia, Christine, Edward, and Esteban, and many grandchildren. The NAHP family offers our sincerest condolences and prayers for the family in this difficult time.

Montes was the CEO and President of Tele Guia Inc., the holding company for three successful Spanish language publications in the greater Chicago Area: Tele Guia de Chicago, El Imparcial Newspaper, and Guia Telefonica. Started in 1985, with a Spanish language TV Guide and entertainment magazine the business grew to nine magazines covering a five-county area. In 1999, he acquired his second publication, El Imparcial, a Cicero and Berwyn based Spanish language newspaper to ensure that the Hispanic community was and continues to be well-informed about their schools and government. In 2006, Montes launched Guia Telefonica, a Spanish language yellow page directory.

Mr. Montes made it a priority in his personal and professional life to help the Latino community, organizing the Latino Book and Family Festival to promote literacy and education to the approximately 25,000 annual attendees. He also served on the Board of Directors for organizations such as the Norwegian American Hospital, the Cicero Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, the National Hispanic Media Council, and the National Hispanic Leadership Council. He also previously chaired the Outreach Committee for the American Cancer Society of Illinois, served on a Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee for Morton College, and served as a District Chair for the Chippewa District of the Boy Scouts.

Mr. Montes also had a long and storied leadership role with the National Association of Hispanic Publications, serving as National Board President from 1986-1989, 1999-2003, and finally from 2011-Present, having been elected President by his peers in six different elections. Montes also served in various leadership roles for the organization in between his terms as President. He also served on the Board of Directors for the NAHP partner organization, the National Hispanic Press Foundation. Mr. Montes just helped NAHP celebrate 30 Years of Excellence in Hispanic Print, and in his words at the 2012 NAHP Annual Convention and Business Expo,: "We are a family of publishers that believe in the principles of journalism, business opportunity and giving back to the community." He will be missed greatly by his publishing family across the country.

There has been an outpouring of condolences and fond memories for Mr. Montes, particularly from NAHP members.

Clara Padilla Andrews, Immediate Past President of NAHP, said, "I am very sad to hear about the death of our NAHP President, Zeke Montes. I will miss his smile, energy and his commitment to the Hispanic media industry, may he rest in Peace. My heartfelt condolences to his wife Rose, his children Christine, Edward, and Esteban and grandchildren."

NAHP Board Secretary, Norma Condreay said, "Admiraba mucho a Zeke, por su forma de ser, alegre, caballero, y con mucho tino para recibir y sobrepasar las adversidades. Mr. Montes, fue un luchador constante de que se brinde oportunidades a nuestros jóvenes para que nuestra industria continúe y sea cada vez más fuerte. Uno de los comentarios que me hizo Zeke, fue: "Norma, este año es mi ultimo año como presidente de la NAHP y mis deseos es dejar la Asociación con un gran futuro", "es tiempo de que los mas jóvenes continúen con esta labor, pero siempre seguiré apoyando a la Asociación". Admiraba mucho a mi amigos, Zeke y Rose, porque hacían una linda pareja y siempre en los eventos que logramos compartir mi esposo y Yo los admirábamos, porque aun teniendo tantos años de casados, ambos pero sobre todo Zeke demostraba lo mucho que se querían. Recordare siempre a mi amigo Zeke como un gran líder, una persona muy alegre, caballero y luchador por el éxito de nuestra industria.
Hemos perdido un gran Líder!, un gran amigo!"

And NAHP Founder Kirk Whisler said, "While others have devoted meaningful time to the NAHP and the development of Hispanic Print - Zeke devoted his life. Over the years Zeke and I traveled together to over 50 cities around the USA and Mexico to talk about the many benefits and qualities of Hispanic Print. Zeke always provided the emotions and honesty that came from his years as a publisher. He wanted the tide to raise ALL the boats, was never happy if only a few were going to succeed. Zeke was truly a WE person, not a ME person."

When information on services or how to send condolences to the family of Zeke Montes becomes available, the NAHP office will share it. Please contact the NAHP Office at ed@nahp.org to receive the information.

They’ve got the power: Hispanic women are a new power factor not only for the Latino community but also for the U.S. economy, according a new report released today by Nielsen.

The report shows the increasing influence of Latinas in the U.S. because of their will to improve their educational pursuits and career development.

Latinas are outpacing Latino males and continue to be overwhelmingly the decision-makers in household spending. But not only that: Hispanic women have surpassed the proportion of non-Hispanic white families with children, and through their youth and increased incomes, they have gained significant consumer power, leading them to be actively courted by marketers.

The most prominent points
Latinas’ embrace of culture and language is salient, in that over the past decade, bilingual language has held steady.

Latinas in the U.S. are expanding their purchasing power. They are rapidly catching up with or exceeding Hispanic males and non-Hispanic females in big ticket purchasing, and say they are the primary decision makers in their households, making them pivotal to the Hispanic market’s $1.2 trillion in annual buying... READ MORE

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, today announced the results of a recent small business survey, which found that Hispanic small business owners are more likely to pursue entrepreneurship at a younger age than business owners in the general market (average age of 35 years old vs. 39 years old), with half of Hispanic small business owners citing previous business management experience before coming into their current ownership role.

The survey examined various factors in entrepreneurship, including confidence in ability to manage the business, areas where business owners would like to receive advice and their financial preparedness for retirement. The survey, administered to small business owners nationwide, found the majority (81 percent) of Hispanic owners handle their company's own finances/bookkeeping, with 68 percent feeling very/extremely confident in doing so. READ MORE AT MARKET WATCH

Latino small business owners are increasing in number. But the Latino business community still lacks access to that -oh-so-important resource: capital.

Latinos are one of the fastest-growing segments of small business owners in the United States. Estimates suggest by the end of the decade there could be as many as 12 million small businesses owned by Latinos.

A recent report from Biz2Credit, a website connecting small businesses with lenders, suggests assistance is needed to give Latino and other small business owners greater access to the capital they need.

The “Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index” from March 2013 shows loan approval rates increased for the fourth consecutive month at small banks. Those rates reached an all-time index high of 50.8%. Rohit Arora, co-founder of Biz2Credit.com, says the numbers suggest the recovery is starting to bring relief to some small business owners. READ MORE

Latinos own smartphones, go online from a mobile device and use social networking sites at similar—and sometimes higher—rates than do other groups of Americans according to a new analysis of three surveys by the Pew Research Center.

The analysis also finds that when it comes to using the Internet, the digital divide between Latinos and whites is smaller than what it had been just a few years ago. READ MORE

Hispanic-Americans are leading the way in growing coffee consumption in the United States, while the number of adults under 40 who enjoy the popular drink on a daily basis has dropped, according to an industry study released on Friday.

Of the Hispanic-Americans who participated in the National Coffee Association's National Coffee Drinking Trends 2013 market study, 76 percent said they had drunk coffee the previous day. That is up by 13 percentage points from last year.

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This compares with 47 percent of African-Americans and 64 percent of Caucasian-Americans who said they had consumed coffee the day before.

This was the second year that the study included ethnicity.

The survey showed that overall coffee consumption jumped by 5 percentage points this year, with 83 percent of the U.S. adult population now drinking coffee within the past year. Daily consumption was flat at 63 percent. READ MORE

Good news, the digital divide is closing for Hispanics. The Pew Hispanic Center recently published an encouraging report that indicates that the digital divide is shrinking due in large part to rapid Hispanic mobile adoption and strong usage of social networking sites. For marketers, the report should be another clear indication that it is time to get serious about investing in the U.S. Hispanic digital market.

Hispanic internet, smartphone and social media usage

From the highest level, the report finds that usage of the Internet among U.S. Hispanics jumped 14 percentage points between 2009 and 2012. Today, a full 78% of U.S. Hispanics use the Internet compared to 87% of non-Hispanic whites. When it comes to smartphone and social media usage, Hispanics are actually ahead of non-Hispanic whites. Today, 49% of Hispanic adults own a smartphone vs. 46% of non-Hispanics whites. What’s more, Hispanics are more active on their mobile devices with 76% of them accessing the Internet via mobile vs. 60% of non-Hispanic whites. In terms of social media usage, 68% of Hispanics use social networking sites vs. 66% of non-Hispanic whites. READ MORE

Sol Trujillo, the only American to lead a major telecommunications company on three continents, is not one to rest on his laurels as a top corporate executive. He uses his uncommon access to decision-makers in Corporate America, electronic and print media, the entertainment industry, and to policy-makers in the public sector to help them understand and appreciate what Hispanics bring to the table and ensure that our community gets the respect it rightfully deserves.

Mr. Trujillo was the 2013 recipient of the USHLI National Hispanic Hero Award on Saturday, February 16. Upon receiving the distinction by the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute at their 31st National Conference in Chicago, Trujillo delivered an impactful speech highlighting the importance of U.S. Hispanics and their purchasing power to consumer brands. LISTEN TO FULL SPEECH BELOW

There is no one more hashtag happy or "Like" giddy than the average Hispanic online.
Hispanics are the most active group on social media networking sites, according to a new Pew Report, reinforcing the importance of this young demographic to the future of mobile advertisers, web-sites, and apps.

According to the survey, 80 percent of Hispanic adults in the U.S. use social media, that's more than whites (70 percent) and African Americans (75 percent).

The survey shows an increase from 72 percent of Hispanics in 2012 to 80 percent now, an increase of 8 percent. READ MORE

New America Media Q & A with Rose Castillo Guilbault, celebrated author of the memoir, “Farmworker’s Daughter: Growing Up Mexican in America,” has just released a new work with co-author Louis E.V. Nevaer, entitled “The Latinas Guide to Success in the Workplace.” Guilbault spoke to New America Media about the new book, and her own experience growing up as an immigrant in the U.S.

New America Media: Why focus on Latinas in the workplace?

Rose Castillo Guilbault: I’ve been in the business world for a long time, and I always felt that I had no one to talk to or seek advice from. So I kind of conceived it as a book of mentoring. If Latinas come and talk to me with various work-related, career-related questions, these would be the [types of] things that I would tell them.

NAM: What was your own experience in the workplace?

RCG: I went to college -- which was a big step to begin with -- and majored in journalism. Broadcasting was a field where they were welcoming women and minorities, because of affirmative action in the 1970’s.

There just wasn’t anybody at that time that could mentor me. The few of us that were in broadcasting… were all at the same level. We weren’t getting the kind of advice that we probably needed. So often I found myself as the only woman, the only Latina in meetings and boardrooms. It was lonely.

And then when I moved from broadcasting into the corporate world, it was a whole other thing. I was always looking for other women that could help you figure things out. [But] there wasn’t a lot of help along the way -- you have to make your own way. READ MORE

Credit unions from the West Coast to the South and the Midwest are waking up to the fact that reaching out to potential Hispanic members is an important part insuring a growth for the industry.

According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, there are roughly 52.0 million Hispanics living in the United States, representing approximately 16.7% of the total population, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. The U.S. Hispanic population is estimated to reach 132.8 million by 2050. READ MORE

Two Hispanics are among the top three billionaires named in Forbes' annual list of the richest people.
The number of billionaires in the world, according to Forbes, has reached an all-time high with 1,426 names, up 210 from 2012, with a combined net worth of $5.4 trillion, over last year's $4.6 trillion.

The publication's annual list of the wealthiest people on the planet was lead for the fourth year in a row by Mexico's telecomm tycoon Carlos Slim Helu, who boasted a net worth of $73 billion in 2012 --- $1 billion less than his all-time record. His portfolio saw a boost from surging stock prices with Grupo Financiero Inbursa, his financial arm, and at his industrial and retail giant, Grupo Carso.

Slim Helu also added soccer to the mix, buying into Mexico's Leon and Pachuca soccer teams and Spain's Real Oviedo club.

The list of billionaires list continues with Microsoft founder Bill Gates, with $67 billion, followed by Amancio Ortega Gaona , executive and founding chairman of the Inditex fashion group, better known for its chain of Zara clothing and accessories. His net worth is reported by Forbes as $57, up from $19.5 billion a year ago. READ MORE

As a child, I don’t remember having a conversation with either of my parents about finances. The handful of lessons came from watching my parents. I was seven when they bought our first home for $80,000. It was a very modest two-bedroom on a small acreage. I know my father wanted something he could pay off in a few years. He wasn’t a fan of owing money for a long period of time. I also remember him putting a huge down payment on a Custom Craft van for our annual road trips and paying it off quickly. I got the message loud and clear; mortgages are not good. I don’t know if his motivations were financial independence or lack of trust in any institution that had his money. READ MORE

Have you ever watched a small child enter a new social situation?

Perhaps it’s a playgroup or a local park. Depending on the child, she will likely take a while to play on the perimeter and observe the others, before picking someone to play beside.

Eventually, the child will interact with the strangers, finding some point of common interest -- the same yellow shovel, a cute flower on both their dresses. She doesn’t mind if they’re boys or girls, black or white. She doesn’t ask about religion or politics. She just finds something in common and makes a new friend.

It’s remarkable, really. And according to research on the science of networking, it’s something that adults should be emulating.

The sad truth is that people instinctively gravitate toward people like themselves. This is the easiest way to form associations -- we know that people like us will share the same norms. And if they broadly share our opinions about the world, we won’t have to deal with too much conflict. Sounds great, right? READ MORE

The unemployment rate for the nation’s largest minority group rose to 9.7 percent in January from 9.6 percent in December, according to a labor report released Friday.

The Latino numbers mirrored those of the general population, which saw a rise in unemployment from 7.8 percent to 7.9 percent in December. The rate is calculated from a survey of households, and more people in that survey said they were unemployed.

But the U.S. job market showed recovery in the last month, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics report indicating that employers added 157,000 jobs in January, and hiring was much stronger at the end of last year than the government had previously estimated. READ MORE

No matter what kind of business you have, from the smallest solopreneur to the biggest organization, you will need help from other people at some point (most likely, at lots of points!).

Without a solid network in place, finding the right service providers, staff and clients can be near impossible. This is a major challenge that most entrepreneurs and small businesses face.

Here are a few ways to help build up a successful business network:

Be Consistent

It takes time and consistency to build up a robust network, so don’t expect to have a full pool of fans and friends after making three Facebook posts or attending a single networking event. READ MORE AT NEWSMAX

Celebrity advocates are common on Capitol Hill, but actress Eva Longoria was more than just a pretty face at a Senate hearing on "Strengthening the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for Minority Women."

The "Desperate Housewives" star not only is an entrepreneur herself -- Longoria owns two restaurants and manages her own production company -- she's also launched a foundation to help other Latinas start and grow their own businesses.

Witness: Eva Longoria, owner of Beso and SHe restaurants, manager of UnBeliEVAable Entertainment, and founder of the Eva Longoria Foundation.

Hearing: Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee on expanding business opportunities for minority women. READ MORE

A historic decline in the number of U.S. whites and the fast growth of Latinos are blurring traditional black-white color lines, testing the limits of civil rights laws and reshaping political alliances as "whiteness" begins to lose its numerical dominance.

Long in coming, the demographic shift was most vividly illustrated in last November's re-election of President Barack Obama, the first black president, despite a historically low percentage of white supporters.

It's now a potent backdrop to the immigration issue being debated in Congress that could offer a path to citizenship for 11 million mostly Hispanic illegal immigrants. Also, the Supreme Court is deciding cases this term on affirmative action and voting rights that could redefine race and equality in the U.S.

The latest census data and polling from The Associated Press highlight the historic change in a nation in which non-Hispanic whites will lose their majority in the next generation, somewhere around the year 2043.

Despite being a nation of immigrants, America's tip to a white minority has never occurred in its 237-year history and will be a first among the world's major post-industrial societies. Brazil, a developing nation, has crossed the threshold to "majority-minority" status; a few cities in France and England are near, if not past that point. READ MORE

As our country celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s not difficult to find areas where this nation continues to benefit from the significant contributions of the Hispanic immigrants who’ve come to our shores.

Just last week, Americans witnessed Venezuelan-born Miguel Cabrera capture baseball’s Triple Crown, becoming only the 15th Major League Baseball player to ever do so. A few days later, President Obama dedicated the Cesar E. Chavez National Memorial, honoring the Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist with a monument that joined the likes of the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon.

These are just two shining examples that illustrate the extent to which Hispanic immigrants have enriched everything from our national pastime to our national history. But too often we overlook the critical role they’ve played in advancing an area that’s particularly vital to our country’s well-being: our economy.

Away from the spotlight of major league sports and presidential dedication ceremonies, the Hispanic immigrant business community has been quietly but substantially aiding U.S. economic growth and job creation.

Over the past 15 years, American entrepreneurship has declined by 10 percent, according to a recent study from the Partnership for a New American Economy. But immigrants have become more than 50 percent more likely to start a business over this period, with Hispanic immigrants leading the way. Every month, immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala and Cuba alone launch more than 63,000 new U.S. businesses. Immigrants from Mexico now own more than 500,000 businesses here in America, generating nearly $17 billion in income annually. READ MORE