Blog

Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas, the bilingual/bicultural network for Latinos in the U.S., unveils a new comprehensive research study coined Death of the Hispanic Adult Demo as We Know It, as part of the brand's mission to continue providing insight on the rapidly growing Hispanic Millennial generation. Since 2007, Tr3s has been leading the market's knowledge bank on this segment, surveying nearly 10,000 Latinos 14-34 to date. The latest study reveals the implications of US-born Hispanics now dominating the 18-29 adult demographic, which are estimated to make up 65% of this demo by 2015, revolutionizing the Hispanic adult demo as we know it. Key findings were presented by Nancy Tellet, SVP of Research for Tr3s at the 2011 AHAA conference in Miami.

"This research helps us understand the massive changes taking place within the Hispanic adult segments, especially 18-34s, as US-born Hispanic Millennials begin to dominate the 18-29 segment," said Nancy Tellet, SVP of Research for Viacom International Media Networks. "We need to develop strategies that consider this demo, to better serve the Hispanic market and deliver results."

METHODOLOGY

The Death of the Hispanic Adult Demo as We Know It study reflects a comprehensive, hybrid approach to the methodology that includes traditional, non-traditional and social media techniques. Resources include national online surveys, texting and Facebook interaction, as well as local focus groups and in-home studies in Los Angeles, New York and Houston.

KEY FINDINGS

Hispanic Millennials respect parental authority, unlike many of their non-Hispanic Millennial counterparts. And they anticipate doing the same with their children (although maybe a little less strict).

Hispanic Millennials are living at home even longer: Large majorities of 2nd generation Hispanic Millennials live at home. A combination of the recession, the "American" delayed marriage and kids life-cycle mentality, and already having a tendency as young Hispanics to live at home longer is a recipe for a long extended stay at home... which includes collaborative sharing among many of the responsibilities and purchasing dynamics of the household. READ MORE

The government's decision to reinforce its rules for one birth control pill is causing controversy among the Latino community.

The Plan-B pill, otherwise known as the "morning after pill,” can lower the chance of a pregnancy by nearly 90-percent if taken 24-hours after unprotected sex. But some say keeping this pill prescription-based will only add to a growing problem.

“Fifty-two percent of Latinas in this country are going to experience a pregnancy before the age of 20,” said Vince Hall with Planned Parenthood

This is why Latinas should have better access to reproductive healthcare, Hall said.

“The decision to put barriers in the way of contraception is a bad one,” he added.

This week, the government decided to reinforce its rules on Plan-B also known as "the morning after pill.”

Only people 17 years old and up will be able to get the pill without a prescription. Anyone under 17 will still need one. READ MORE

NPR has recently started a new series called "2 Languages, Many Voices: Latinos In The U.S." Pop culture will be one of many elements the series examines, as it does in a timeline out today, From Ricky Ricardo To Dora: Latinos On Television. While that's a more comprehensive look at everyone from Freddie Prinze to Sofia Vergara, in this short essay, Luis Clemens reflects on why hearing Spanish spoken on television made an impression on him as a kid in Miami. Stay tuned for more from this series.

I remember being wowed the first time I heard Spanish spoken on English-language television. It was a 1970s re-run of an I Love Lucy episode. I do not remember what was said. Just that Ricky Ricardo said it en español. And I remember how it made me feel — wondrous, proud, confused.

I was confused because it was disorienting to hear Spanish used on English-language television. As a Cuban-American kid growing up in Miami, I watched English and Spanish-language television but the two languages didn't overlap on-screen. There was the local newscast and then there was el noticiero local; each in a separate tongue and each with a different worldview. READ MORE

Finally, an advisory commission that can compete on Dancing With the Stars.

President Obama has appointed Colombian-born pop sensation Shakira to his Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.

Known as an accomplished collaborator -- her artistic accomplices include Beyonce and Wyclef Jean -- she will now be set to work making sweet educational policy music with the likes of Montgomery County Councilwoman Nancy Navarro and Arizona local school district superintendent Kent Scribner.

In naming Shakira, the White House cited her record founding a group, the Barefoot Foundation, which operates schools in Latin America and South Africa, as well as her work with the World Bank on educational programs. READ MORE

In a room full of highly engaged and motivated entrepreneurs, Nely Galan, former Telemundo President and media powerhouse, proclaimed, "Latinas are starting more businesses at a faster rate than they are getting married!" This was one of the most resonating phrases of the Coca-Cola Adelante Tour which took place this past Saturday in Santa Monica, California.

The first stop in a national tour, Coca-Cola in conjunction with Galan and Count Me in for Women's Economic Independence, Saturday served as the catalyst for a movement targeting Latina women who are thinking of starting or are currently ready to grow their own business. Key speakers included Galan, the award-winning author Sandra Cisneros, and Nell Merlino founder of Count Me In and the originator of Take Our Daughters to Work Day.

With stories highlighting not just the success but the struggles and sometimes failures, these women connected with and encouraged the Latina audience to persevere. Or as Sandra Cisneros put it, to transform the darkness into light. They all drove home the point that motivation and dedication are just the beginning. Preparation in the forms of business skills, a support network and financing can be the difference to propel a Latina owned business to become a multimillion dollar business. Merlino especially focused on being more proactive: creating a network, sharing the business plan, and going after customers.

The Latina audience covered the gamut in ages, nationalities and industries but the one thing that connected all of them was the palpable desire to succeed and the eagerness in receiving advice from women already in leadership positions. At the end of the day, after finding commonalties and establishing a sense of shared purpose a community had been formed. This community is now charged with the mission to spread the message Coca-Cola, Nely Galan and Nell Merlino have worked hard to establish: help each other become the entrepreneurs that will change the face of business. As a witness to this amazing event, I believe its only a matter of time before that occurs. READ MORE

The proportion of U.S. Hispanics with college degrees in 2009 was 19.2 percent, far lower than the 41.1 percent figure for the population as a whole, which indicates an alarming lack of progress.

The situation is shown in detail by The College Completion Agenda Progress Report 2011: Latino Edition, released Friday in Miami by the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center.

The report shows that a very limited proportion of Latinos go to college and even fewer earn degrees.

All that in spite of the fact that young Hispanics make up the largest minority group in K-12 schools and is the fastest-growing student segment, according to the College Board, which represents more than 5,000 universities in the United States.

"It's a very worrying situation, very serious, but it can be fixed" because the reason for it all is the lack of information among Hispanic families, Dr. Eduardo J. Padron, president of Miami-Dade College where the report was presented, told Efe.

"College completion is a national imperative," he said. "It is the key to improving our nation's economy. Each additional person with a college credential has a significant multiplier effect on the economy."

Latino families "have to make getting a college education for their children a priority, not buying a new car or making a trip to Africa," he said.

But the way things stand, he said, only a small number of Hispanic high school graduates go to college, and a large number of those "often drop out for a lack of funds and their need to get a job." READ MORE

The number of babies born to Hispanics dropped below 1 million in 2010, a nearly 11 percent drop since 2007 that reflects the tough times.

Fewer people of all backgrounds are having babies because of economic concerns, but the sharpest drop is among Hispanics, a booming population that contributes almost a quarter of all U.S. births and half of its population growth.

"Hispanic fertility is dropping like a stone," says Kenneth Johnson, demographer for the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute.

Hispanic birth rates tumbled 17.6 percent in three years — from 97.4 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 to 80.3 last year, according to preliminary 2010 data released this month by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Non-Hispanic whites still deliver most U.S. births. Their birth rates fell too, but at a much slower pace — down 3.7 percent to 58.7 per 1,000 women in 2010.

Hispanic births in Wisconsin dropped from 6,911 to 6,545 between 2007 and 2010 — a difference of 366 — but because of the overall drop in the state's birthrate, the percentage of Hispanic births to all births remained about the same at 9.56 percent. READ MORE

When the personal computer revolution began decades ago, Latinos and blacks were much less likely to use one of the marvelous new machines. Then, when the Internet began to change life as we know it, these groups had less access to the Web and slower online connections — placing them on the wrong side of the "digital divide."
Today, as mobile technology puts computers in our pockets, Latinos and blacks are more likely than the general population to access the Web by cellular phones, and they use their phones more often to do more things.

But now some see a new "digital divide" emerging — with Latinos and blacks being challenged by more, not less, access to technology. It's tough to fill out a job application on a cellphone, for example. Researchers have noticed signs of segregation online that perpetuate divisions in the physical world. And blacks and Latinos may be using their increased Web access more for entertainment than empowerment.

Fifty-one percent of Hispanics and 46% of blacks use their phones to access the Internet, compared with 33% of whites, according to a July 2010 Pew poll. Forty-seven percent of Latinos and 41% of blacks use their phones for e-mail, compared with 30% of whites. The figures for using social media like Facebook via phone were 36% for Latinos, 33% for blacks and 19% for whites.

A greater percentage of whites than blacks and Latinos still have broadband access at home, but laptop ownership is now about even for all these groups, after black laptop ownership jumped from 34% in 2009 to 51% in 2010, according to Pew. READ MORE

Hispanic children are now the largest group of kids in poverty, marking the first time in U.S. history that poor white children are outnumbered by another race or ethnicity, the Pew Hispanic Center said in a report released on Wednesday.

There were 6.1 million Hispanic children living in poverty in 2010. More than two-thirds of them were born to immigrant parents, although the vast majority of the kids were born in the U.S.

Last year, 37.7 percent of children in poverty were Latino, 30.5 percent were white, and 26.6 percent were black, according to the study. Hispanics make up less than a quarter of children in the United States.

Rapid population growth, high birth rates, and deteriorating economic conditions among Latinos are responsible for the disproportionate percentage of Hispanic kids in poverty, the report said.

The Great Recession of 2007-2009 had a huge impact on the country’s Hispanic population. The unemployment rate among Latinos is 11.1 percent, higher than the national unemployment rate of 9.1 percent. Hispanics’ household wealth fell more sharply than that of black or white households between 2005 and 2009.

While there are a record number of Latino children in poverty, black children have the nation’s highest poverty rate, the report noted. Nearly 40 percent of black children lived in poverty in 2010, compared with 35 percent of Latino children and 12.4 percent of white children. Latino children, however, have seen the steepest increase in poverty rates since 2007. READ MORE

The number of babies born to Hispanics dropped below 1 million in 2010, a nearly 11% drop since 2007 that reflects the tough times.

Fewer people of all backgrounds are having babies because of economic concerns but the sharpest drop is among Hispanics, a booming population that contributes almost a quarter of all U.S. births and half of its population growth.

"Hispanic fertility is dropping like a stone," says Kenneth Johnson, demographer for the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute.

STORY: Hispanic growth outpaced estimates
Hispanic birthrates tumbled 17.6% in three years — from 97.4 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 to 80.3 last year, according to preliminary 2010 data released this month by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Non-Hispanic whites still deliver most U.S. births. Their birthrates fell too, but at a much slower pace — down 3.7% to 58.7 per 1,000 women in 2010.

The dramatic decline in births to Hispanics, who still have the highest fertility rates, raises the specter of a long-term drop in the nation's overall fertility — now higher than that of most other developed nations. It also crystallizes the impact of the economic downturn on Hispanics.

"It's hard to ignore that Hispanics have been one of the hardest-hit groups," says Gretchen Livingston, senior researcher at the Pew Research Center and author of a recent report on declining birthrates in a down economy. READ MORE

 Contact: Grace Valadez

March 21, 2011

(773) 878-7044

Chicago, IL – The Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA) recognized St. Augustine College’s contributions to the educational development of Chicago residents by presenting the college with the Community Leadership Award at its 32nd Annual Awards Banquet. At this event, one of the largest and most prestigious in Chicago, Mayor Richard M. Daley received the Lifetime Achievement Award and other HACIA members received awards for their accomplishments.

St. Augustine was particularly recognized for providing a variety of educational, vocational and construction trade training programs that are critical to skill development and to the progress of Chicago area residents. St. Augustine’s Institute for Workforce Development has partnered with HACIA, the City of Chicago, and other local and state agencies to expand its program offerings, while becoming the leading dual workforce development training provider in the Illinois.

The award was presented by the newly appointed HACIA Executive Director, Jorge Perez, and HACIA’s President of the Board, Federico J. D’Escoto. “It truly is an honor to receive this award from such a prestigious and important organization. This serves as motivation for us to continue expanding the breadth and quality of our educational services to the communities we serve,” stated Andrew C. Sund, President, St. Augustine College. “We appreciate this recognition, as well as the partnership we have developed with HACIA to produce a well trained workforce that creates more and better job opportunities for local residents, including Hispanic workers and business owners,” added Norman Ruano, Vice president of St. Augustine’s Institute of Workforce development.

A new Northwestern University study says minority youth ages eight to 18 spend more than half their day consuming media content – a rate that's 4.5 hours greater than their white counterparts.

The Children, Media and Race: Media Use Among White, Black, Hispanic and Asian American Children report released Wednesday says that minority youths are more likely to spend up to 2 hours more per day watching TV, one hour more per day listening to music, 90 minutes more per day using a computer, and up to 40 minutes more per day playing video games than do their white counterparts.

Reading for pleasure in pre-teens and teens was equal across races, averaging at 30 to 40 minutes a day. But for children six and under, it was more likely that children of white parents were reading or read to every day.

Multitasking among youth has been adopted as equal rates; around four in ten white, black and Hispanic 7th to 12th graders said that they use another medium “most of the time” they’re watching television.

Surprisingly, parental structures did not predict total media exposure. The study found that most parents do not set limits on the amount of time children can spend interacting with media for pleasure.

Within the use of these media, however, white parents were more likely to set rules for what their children could consume, including television programs watched, internet sites used, and their visibility on social networking sites like Facebook.

Co-author Ellen Wartella, head of Northwestern University’s Center on Media and Human Development, says the study is not meant to blame parents but should serve as a wake-up call. She says increased parental involvement could mitigate potential problems, including child obesity. READ MORE

Find study here.

Yolanda Miranda, mother of Mexican singer Thalia, became part of a disturbing trend among Latino women when she died unexpectedly of a heart attack last week.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Latinas in the United States, but because many women do not display what are considered typical symptoms like chest pain, which is more common in men, they often go undiagnosed until it is too late.

Miranda had complained of a debilitating headache the night before her death, which occurred in the early morning on May 27, but the 76-year-old was apparently unaware that such a symptom can be connected to an impending heart attack. Her death came just two weeks before the expected birth of her famous daughter’s second child and a day before the wedding day of another daughter, Ernestina Sodi.

“Women’s symptoms can be much more subtle and challenging to diagnose,” said David A. Meyerson, cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University and a spokesman for the American Heart Association and its campaign Go Red Por Tu Corazón, which is designed to create heart disease awareness among Hispanic women. READ MORE