WHY ARE THERE SO FEW LATINO LIBERTARIANS?

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

photo source: Romney-Rubio 2012

The Republican Party is in serious trouble with Latinos. If Mitt Romney gets any less popular with Hispanics, he’ll disappear from their consciousness altogether. The reasons for Latinos’ antipathy toward the GOP include the endless insults that Republicans have lobbed at Hispanics, along with the fact that Latinos are not as socially conservative as people think.
Still, one would think more Hispanics would embrace that offshoot of conservative thought known as

photo source: Pew Research Center

This philosophy, which holds that the individual is the basic unit of society and must be subject to as little governmental influence as possible, should really resonate with people who have roots in lands where the government crushes all free thought. It should also appeal to people who often have to pull themselves up from their bootstraps (to use a favorite conservative cliché) and start over in a new country.

photo source: REUTERS/Mark Makela

But that hasn’t happened. Currently, libertarians “are largely white, well-educated, and affluent.” One could even say that “libertarians are mostly rich young white guys who, compared to most other Americans, live comfortable and financially secure lives.”

Of course, there are Latino libertarians out there. But in general, talking Hispanics into espousing the Ron Paul agenda is only slightly easier than getting the pope to show up at the Stonewall Inn for a drink.

photo source: AP

Libertarianism is still overwhelmingly the privilege of white men, who have a cultural advantage over other groups, regardless of what economic class they were born into. As such, they may believe they have achieved success solely through their own initiative. They may be blind to all the help they received, especially if their consciences are clear and they never discriminate against other ethnicities. They are certain they can do anything they set their minds to, because quite frankly, they often have done so (with society’s help, of course).
However, this mindset blinds them to the fact that certain things — and this is un-American to say — are beyond their individual control. These can range from sudden health issues to global economic upheavals. They can also include the fact that the game is rigged to benefit the rich and that people’s freewill decisions can be manipulated more easily than you think.

Perhaps Latinos, with our cultural baggage of Catholic fatalism and dictatorial governments, are more likely to know that a single person does not have unlimited power. Or maybe our emphasis on family provokes us to think beyond our individual needs. Or perhaps we realize that, despite a work ethic second to none, ceaseless labor and ambition are not always sufficient to get a person ahead in life.

Or maybe it comes down to the possibility that it’s very easy to demand a libertarian system when one has gotten a good start in life and reaps the benefits of being on top of the socioeconomic pyramid. It’s less common to advocate for that when you’re still trying to claw your way upward. In any case, I’m sure that if she had it to do all over again, Ayn Rand would have included at least one plucky Chicano objectivist named Hernandez in Atlas Shrugged.
Talk about a missed opportunity.

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Read More: Huffington Post

WHO ARE THE TOP EIGHT LATINO CELEBRITIES OF 2012?

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

The list with The World’s Most Powerful Latino Celebrities:

1. Jennifer Lopez, Actress, Musician

2. Lionel Messi, Athlete

3. Cameron Diaz, Actress

4. Gisele Bundchen, Supermodel

5. Alex Rodriguez, Athlete

6. Sofia Vergara, Actress

7. Eva Longoria, Actress

8. Adriana Lima, Supermodel 

The story of population growth in the United States is a story about  Latinos reshaping our landscape. Over the past decade, they have  accounted for 56% of America’s growth, now reaching 16% of the  population, or more than 50 million citizens, even surpassing  African-Americans to become the country’s biggest minority group.  Latinos are certainly making their voices and preferences heard.
Such a phenomenon can also be seen in the showbiz world, as we’re  finally starting to see a positive shift in the portrayal of Latinos in  Hollywood. Cultural stereotypes are giving way to cultural authenticity.  As a result, New Generation Latinos, also known as NGLs, are making  waves and changing the conversation. They’re influencing traditional  media and making Latinos the biggest and fastest growing users of online  and interactive technology, mobile devices, and social media.
“Together, Latino celebrities have over 600 million followers on Facebook  and Twitter,” says Juan Proaño, the President and Co-Founder of Plus  Three, a social media and technology company for political and  non-profit organizations. “That is an extraordinary fan base that is  larger than the population of the United States, Spain, and Brazil  combined. With the celebrities adding at least ten thousand new  followers each day, the power of Latinos in social media is vast and  expanding.”
Latinos are now arguably the most important consumer group to  marketers and media companies. Their current buying power of $1  trillion is expected to hit $1.5 trillion in the next five years, according to a new Nielsen report. Mainstream  media is tapping in. ABC News and Univision News have recently  announced plans to launch a 24-hour channel targeting the Latino  audience. The as-yet unnamed, all-English channel will be the first of  its kind, ABC News President Ben Sherwood said in a letter to his staff.
And how about all the new stars being recruited to reach that audience. Eight of the members on Forbes’ recently released Celebrity 100 list are Latinos. Their combined earnings totaled $245 million, including the number one in the ranking, the omnipresent Jennifer Lopez. Born to Puerto Rican parents, Lopez jumped a surprising 50 places from last year’s list that measures power by earnings, media visibility and social media popularity.
A great deal of that plunge can be credited to Lopez’ acceptance  within the Latino community. In 2010, the singer landed a judge’s chair  on American Idol, one of the most popular shows among Latinos. The job  gave Lopez a platform to promote her music and turn her image around. In  the meantime, she also kept busy working on yet another talent  competition show, Univision’s Q’Viva: The Chosen, which was watched by  2.2 million viewers on its debut in January, according to Nielsen  estimates, giving the network a 37% increase in its time slot compared  to average viewership over the previous weeks.
Another case of success among Latinos is that of Colombian actress Sofia Vergara, who plays the loud wife with the tight tops and high heels on ABC‘s  top-rated sitcom Modern Family. Although feelings are mixed about  whether Vergara is a role model for Latino women or if she’s just  helping to perpetuate a stereotype, the truth is that you can’t escape  her these days. Besides her TV gig, Vergara can also be seen in ads for Diet Pepsi and Cover Girl cosmetics, not to mention her clothing line with KMart that earned the actress a seven-figure advance.
In America, as goes the culture, so goes the politics. Several reports have emerged on the importance of the minority vote for this year’s presidential election. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was criticized by various media outlets and political pundits for failing to reach out Latino voters. Meanwhile President Barack Obama is supported by 69% of them, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. Latinos have produced the world’s most powerful celebrity.

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LATINOS DO VOTE: WELCOME TO THE SHIFT AND THE NEW CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN STORY

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

Today America finds itself at a new crossroads – our culture, our country and our companies are changing again. It’s a shift from exclusion to inclusion from borders to bridges; it’s the new chapter of the American story where our country becomes richer. Hispanic babies are being born this very minute and are like knights in shining armor riding in to save the age of the American boomer. We are replenishing a nation with an endless source of passion, hard work and rhythm. So take a breath, take it all in because we are a part of that shift! Latinos are shifting the message and the thinking because we are not just brown but we are white, black, blonde and so much more! We get to see the shift come to life! Welcome to the next big thing; it’s the end of a niche and the birth of what’s next! -2012 Hispanic Voice Town Hall Tour across America

HISPANICS 2012 “WE DO VOTE!”

“THE 2012 HISPANIC VOICE TOWN HALL TOUR WILL DEFINE AN AGENDA FOR HISPANICS IN AMERICA TO HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND WHY WE MUST PLAY A MORE ACTIVE AND INFLUENTIAL ROLE IN THE REINVENTION OF AMERICA” -FOUNDER GREG LLOPIS

photo source AP

The League of United Latin American Citizens explains how the Latino vote has become a pivotal factor for many political candidates, including the presidency. Estimates from the U.S. Census and the rapid expansion of the population have created a tidal wave of activities aimed at attracting the Hispanic vote across the nation. Even Hollywood gets involved from Rosario Dawson, to Wilmer Valderrama to Eva Longoria are only a few of the actors/actresses getting involved.

photo source Getty Images

Since 1990, 1.5 million Latinos have naturalized. There are 6.6 million registered Latino voters across the nation. In California, Texas, Florida, Illinois and New York, five key electoral states, Latinos have emerged as powerful allies for candidates seeking office. Consider that at 50.5 million, the U.S. Latino population is already larger than the entire population of England and Spain. Latinos are not just large in population size, they have the double distinction of being the youngest and fastest-growing group in the nation.

SALVADOR GUERRERO / SHFWire Brent A. Wilkes, right, of LULAC, and Jose Calderon, left, of the Hispanic Federation are working with Hector Sanchez, of LACLAA, to launch Movimiento Hispano, a website dedicated to increase Latino Voter turnout.

The Hispanic Federation, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement and the League of United Latin American Citizens announced their joint effort in February called Latinos for Democracy, which focuses on voting in the Latino community. The group has coordinated its efforts in 24 states and use the Movimiento Hispano project’s website to help Latinos stay informed on the latest political news.

photo source AP

Over the past 10 years, the members of LFD have worked with over 2.1 million Latino Trade unionists, 135,000 volunteer members, and over 100 community-based organizations to advance Latino voter mobilization. The Hispanic vote is growing by leaps and bounds. Nearly 10 million Latinos voted in the 2008 Presidential elections – an increase of almost 30% from 2004. And just think about the fact that every year for the next twenty years, 500,000 Hispanics will turn 18 in the United States.

Groups such as the the 2012 Hispanic Voice Town Hall Tour, is a group of Young Latinos ready to to change the story about Hispanics in this country. They’re ready to play a more prominent role in how our community influences policy makers, corporate leaders, and the rest of America. They’re starting to express themselves with a new attitude and a new sense of purpose. They’re excited to use the 2012 Hispanic Voice platform to showcase a new, energized Hispanic voice, a voice that hasn’t yet been fully unleashed. And most importantly, they want results: Less talking, more doing!

Cuauhtemoc “Temo” Figueroa, Obama’s top Latino outreach official, said [Texas] could be taken seriously as a presidential battleground if Democrats could win statewide races there in 2010. “I don’t know if it’s four years or eight years off, but down the road, Texas will be a presidential battleground,” Figueroa said. The reason is demographics. Across the Southwest, Latino voters are increasingly powerful. In Colorado, their share of the vote went from 8% in 2004 to 13% in 2008. Nevada, 10% to 15%. New Mexico, 32% to 41%. Every 30 seconds, a Latino is added to the American population, the fastest rate of any minority group. By 2050, Hispanics will represent 29 percent of the American population. In 2008, Latinos voted 67-31 for Barack Obama. Texas is already 35 percent Hispanic. You can see where this is going. http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2008/11/when-will-we-see-blue-texas-hispanics-will-decide

Driven by some Republicans’ sharp attacks on illegal immigration and — as many Hispanics perceived it, immigrants in general — Latino voters fled the GOP en masse in the midterm elections, then turned on John McCain, as well. He got 31 percent of the Latino vote to the 44 percent that George W. Bush took in 2004, according to exit polls. And it was enough to put much of the West and Southwest out of reach for the Republican Party, to give Florida to the Democrats and to hand Barack Obama the presidency. Now, as Obama moves to solidify his advantage, Republican leaders are sounding the alarm on what could be the party’s most pressing national challenge.

“Viva Bush” signs were prevalent when then-Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush made a campaign stop in Mesilla, New Mexico in 2000. Tracy Greer/Fronteras

JUST BECAUSE THEY SAY WE CAN’T DOESN’T MEAN WE WON’T! IN NOVEMBER OUR VOICE WILL ROAR!

There are hundreds of Latino organizations and/or local chapters taking charge by registering voters and creating an unprecedented Get Out The Vote movement across our nation. Groups such as Voto Latino, National Coucil of la Raza, the Tequila Party, Southwest Voter Registration, etc. and even local groups  like Mi Famila Vota in Las Vegas and Arizona, AACT NOW in South Texas, Teamsters in Chicago, etc. are doing their part to spearhead revolutions this November. The media is leading the public to believe that the Latino vote does not count or that the registrations numbers are down, but the truth is that the Latino vote and voice is powerful and in a few months it will be heard!

The GOP nominee will need a minimum of 35-40% of the Hispanic vote to be competitive in November, and that Marco Rubio offers the best opportunity to get there due to the rapid growth of the Hispanic population in a number of crucial swing states.

Alicia Menendez on MSNBC w/ Ben Monterroso of Mi familia Vota & Frank Donatelli

Hispanic rights activists holding a rally in 2010 at the Teamsters Local 705 hall in Chicago.

Groups such as the non-partisan Mi Familia Vota (My Family Votes) consists of Hispanic families all across Nevada not only working to register voters, but to also turn out the vote in November. Five days a week, about 20 staff members and several volunteers of Mi Familia Vota meet and brainstorm on ways to get the Latino community engaged in the voting process.  For now, they are visiting popular places within the Hispanic community. But in a few months, they will be going to door to door throughout neighborhoods. “We go to their grocery stores. While they are buying tortillas, we are telling them it’s time to vote. They are at the grocery stores.  They are at the 99 cents stores, at the carneceria’s, at the DMV,” said Leo Murrieta with Mi Familia Vota.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH WHAT MI FAMILIA VOTA IS DOING

BELOW IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE NON-PARTISAN “AACT NOW” IS DOING TO REGISTER VOTERS AND GET OUT THE VOTE IN SOUTH TEXAS. THIS GROUP WAS FOUNDED BY THE REAL ESTATE TYCOON AND BILLIONAIRE FROM MCALLEN, TX.

HISPANICS HAVE REACHED A TURNING POINT, SO JUST BECAUSE THE MEDIA CHOOSES NOT TO FEATURE OUR LATINO MOVEMENT THE REALITY IS THAT IT IS HAPPENING AND WE ARE MOBILIZING! HISPANICS WILL SHOW AMERICA IN 2012 THAT THE SLEEPING GIANT IS AWAKE AND THAT OUR VOICES ARE ROARING. LATINOS WILL NO LONGER BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED…WELCOME TO THE SHIFT…WE ARE THE FUTURE!!!!

2012: THE “MINORITY” VOTE IS ON FIRE

Jealous said the NAACP is the only group outside of the two major political parties with a voter database for all 50 states. Photo credit: Ishton W. Morton

The NAACP has also launched its nationwide drive to register thousands of mostly minority, student and elderly voters before the November 6th, 2012 elections. The organization has chosen the State of Georgia to launch its voter registration push. According to NAACP President Ben Jealous, the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization will work harder and smarter to meet the new voting requirements. He framed them as a negative reaction to historic voter turnout in 2008 that led to Barack Obama’s election as the first black U.S. president.

Referencing the 2008 election he continued to say “Were we students of history, we would’ve expected that night, when everybody was celebrating, that we needed to be preparing for what we’re dealing with right now. We saw the largest most diverse presidential electorate this country has ever seen.

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NIELSEN REPORTS THAT ENGAGING THE HISPANIC MARKET IS AN IMPERATIVE FOR FUTURE SUCCESS: THIS MEANS YEAR ROUND NOT JUST ON CINCO DE MAYO

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

Myspace Layouts, Myspace graphics
Cinco de Mayo is around the corner, and some brands are leveraging the holiday to roll out special promotions and discounts. (For example, Tyson Foods, Tabasco brand and Jose Cuervo’s nonalcoholic margarita mix have teamed up on a “Fiesta of Flavor” retail savings promotion.)
While I love the idea of engaging consumers around special events like holidays (and this Fiesta of Flavor campaigns seems like an innovative, multi-channel winner), I also want to add a few words of caution. If you’re a brand that wants to be more relevant to Hispanics (and you should be), it’s time to start thinking beyond Cinco de Mayo alone. These days, Hispanic marketing campaigns need to be comprehensive, consistent and year-round.
Why do you need to start focusing on the Hispanic market? A recent Nielsen report doesn’t mince words. From State of the Hispanic Consumer: The Hispanic Market Imperative:
“The U.S. Hispanic population is the largest minority segment and is growing at a dramatic rate towards ethnic plurality, which has already occurred in the most populous states and is beginning to occur among the U.S. baby population. Ethnic plurality refers to the coexistence of numerous ethnicities and races with no one segment in the majority. If the present U.S. economy substantially benefits from Hispanics, the future U.S. economy will depend on Hispanics by virtue of demographic change and the social and cultural shifts expected to accompany their continued growth.”
“The Hispanic market’s size, sheer size, growing clout, and buying power of $1 trillion in 2010 and $1.5 trillion by 2015 require thoughtful understanding about what the market represents to a company’s bottom line.”

“Hispanics are a primary driver of growth and change in the American marketplace, and marketers must recognize that engaging the Hispanic market is now an imperative for future success.”

How can you make an authentic connection to Hispanics so that you can start truly engaging them and provide a relevant and personalized customer experience? Execute, evaluate, evolve.

The biggest mistake you can make in marketing to Hispanics is relying on a one-hit-wonder campaign centered around Cinco de Mayo.  Today’s Hispanic population is diverse, discerning and engaged –as such, it demands your consistent, thoughtful attention year-round.

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DO HISPANICS SPEND THE MOST ON SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS: FIND OUT ABOUT THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS LATINOS ARE SPENDING IN 2012

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

Hispanics are early technology adopters, with high spending expected on devices and content

Hispanics are early adopters of both tablets and smartphones, and also more likely than whites to go online using mobile devices. All of that activity will add up to a sizeable pile of cash for device retailers and app stores in 2012. According to December 2011 research by advisory firm Zpryme, adult US Hispanics will spend $17.6 billion on mobile tech devices in 2012, a 30% increase over the previous year. It also estimates that Hispanics will spend $501.1 million on mobile apps by the end of the year.

Smartphone penetration was 51.5% among the survey group, which was comprised almost entirely of mobile owners (just 6.1% said they had no mobile phone). This is slightly higher than eMarketer’s estimated 46.9% smartphone penetration for Hispanic mobile users as of the end of 2011. Also, 19% of those polled owned tablets, higher than eMarketer’s estimate of 12.6% for the same period. The high adoption rates for smartphones and tablets among Hispanics are likely due to the fact that they are on average a young group, and more likely to use mobile devices instead of landlines.

Mobile Devices Owned by US Hispanic Consumers, Dec 2011 (% of respondents)

Smartphones were at the top of the list of new mobile devices respondents said they planned to buy over the next six months, at 24%. Another 18% said they planned to purchase a tablet. Top activities performed on a tablet included gaming, search and email. Games were also the leading category of mobile app purchased by Hispanics; according to the poll, nearly half of respondents had bought a mobile gaming app.

Social networking, the fourth leading tablet activity among Hispanics, was the No. 2 online activity overall for the group, and Facebook was the favorite destination.

Social Networks Used by US Hispanic Consumers, Dec 2011 (% of respondents)

Twitter was a distant second at 29%, followed by Myspace at 23%. Hispanics are more active on social media than US internet users overall, suggesting there is plenty of potential for marketers to target them on social networks.

Read more: EMarketer

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