WHO IS THE LATINO VP AT TAMPICO BEVERAGES: MEET PEDRO DE JESUS THE DOMINICANO IN CHICAGO MAKING A DIFFERENCE

April 9, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez 1 Comment

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

Pedro DeJesús Jr. isn’t afraid to knock on doors—or to get knocked down. In his early years, he would cold-call executives for everything from jobs to advice. His intrepidness has led him to the top of one of the world’s leading juice companies, Tampico Beverages, Inc. As senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary, DeJesús Jr. brings order to Tampico’s global brand and pushes it into new territories.

The son of Dominican immigrants, DeJesús Jr. graduated from high school in his hometown of Chicago at 16. He got an associate degree in radiologic technology, working to help his mother with bills after his father’s passing. He quickly realized that life as an X-ray tech wouldn’t get him far financially. So he looked to where the money flowed: the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

“I walked into the Merc’s administrative office and said, ‘Give me a list of every company in this building,’” DeJesús Jr. recalls. “Then I walked over to a telephone booth, and went down the list, starting with A.” By “G,” he had landed a job as a runner.

For two years, DeJesús Jr. worked days at the “Merc” and nights at the hospital, until he landed a strong opportunity that warranted hanging up his lab coat. But four years later, with little long-term job security, he decided to become an attorney. By 29, he had earned a political science degree from Roosevelt University and entered Northwestern University School of Law. During his first summer, he heard that a Northwestern alum, Ruben Castillo, had just been appointed the first Latino federal judge in Illinois. Though the two had never met, DeJesús Jr. rang his chambers, and within a few weeks, Castillo granted him a meeting. When DeJesús Jr. told Castillo he hoped to work in public-interest law, Castillo advised him to consider joining a big firm first.

“If you don’t do it,” DeJesús Jr. recalls Castillo saying, “people assume that it’s because you couldn’t do it. If you still want to work in public interest, a firm can help subsidize those interests for you.”

The Big Law Firm Track

Although DeJesús Jr. took the big-law-firm track, the pecking order frustrated him. Big decisions, and often the big picture, weren’t privy to him as a junior associate. In 2000, he made a risky leap to a tech firm. Soon after, the dot-com bubble burst, sending DeJesús Jr. back to law-firm life, but with a clear advantage.

“Just to see how business operates, it was a world of learning compressed in a very short time period,” he says. “It’s very difficult at a big law firm to learn that.” In 2010, De Jesus was appointed to the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Consumer Goods, whose members advise the US Commerce Department on trade agreements impacting the consumer-goods industry.

In 2004, DeJesús Jr. became vice president and corporate counsel for Information Resources, Inc., a consumer data company. DeJesús Jr.’s experience at IRI prepped him for his current post with Tampico Beverages, which sells its brand in more than 50 world markets.

Since 2007, DeJesús Jr. has helped CEO Scott Miller steer Tampico’s culture away from complacency. “When the senior management team came into this business, there was a lack of discipline in legal and business matters,” he says. “Instilling that level of discipline in the organization was one of our big challenges.” Over time, DeJesús Jr. has revamped the legal department, building a new team with “a stronger sense of accountability.” He issued a new employee handbook, business ethics and conduct policy, crisis-management plan, and a first-ever contract-approval procedure. He also redrafted Tampico’s bottling-and-licensing agreement and centralized the company’s trademark database, enabling him to manage the trademark portfolio globally.

(In 2008, Tampico was acquired by Houchens Industries, Inc., the largest employee-owned company in the United States and, according to Forbes, among the largest privately held companies in North America.)

Next up for Tampico is expansion into other Latino food-and-beverage categories. DeJesús Jr. and Miller spent much of 2011 mapping out a growth strategy and evaluating potential acquisitions in “synergistic” industries. As usual, DeJesús Jr. is ready to pounce on a winning opportunity. “More often than not, in both business and life, those who take advantage of change and embrace it—rather than run from it or ignore it—almost always beat out those who do not,” he says.

What’s more, DeJesús Jr. believes it’s his duty to create positive change. He serves as a trustee of Roosevelt University, works for government transparency and accountability with the Better Government Association, and serves on the board of Chicago-based Mujeres Latinas en Acción, which offers culturally sensitive services to Hispanic women.

DeJesús Jr. hopes more Latinos follow the path of doing good—and doing well. “We tell people to go to school and get an education, but we also have to instill the importance of being strong corporate leaders and building wealth,” he says, matter-of-factly. “Because it puts you in the room with people that are making decisions affecting positions of power.”

HOW DO HISPANIC AMERICANS IDENTIFY THEMSELVES?

April 5, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez 4 Comments

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

Just over half of Americans of Spanish-speaking origin have no preference between the terms “Hispanic” and “Latino,” according to new data from the Pew Hispanic Center. Of those with a preference, 33 percent preferred “Hispanic,” versus the 14 percent who said “Latino” better describes them.

How Hispanic-Americans identify themselves is only one aspect of the detailed picture provided by the Pew study released Wednesday. The Pew Center asked a sampling of the 50 million Latinos around the country questions about culture, social attitudes and life in the U.S.

The survey began with a simple question: “What do you call yourself?”

When it comes to identity, Mark Hugo Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center, says it’s not the name that counts, but where you’re from.

“More than half of Hispanics overall say it’s the name of the country of origin of their families or their ancestors — names like Mexican, Dominican or Cuban, for example,” Lopez says, that matters most.

And that association with country of origin is highest among immigrant Hispanics.

But whether respondents were first-generation immigrants or third-generation descendants of immigrants, there was agreement on one thing: the importance of language.

“We found that virtually all Hispanics think that U.S. Hispanic immigrant adults should learn English,” Lopez says.

But researchers “also found that when we asked Hispanics about the importance of Spanish, virtually all of them say it’s important that future generations speak Spanish.”

In other words, English fluency should not come at the expense of that important cultural link to their country of origin.

Marketing expert Laura Martinez writes and blogs about Hispanic consumer interests. She says one of the biggest misconceptions among marketers involves language.

“Still, a lot of people think all Hispanics speak Spanish, or all Hispanics speak Spanish only,” Martinez says.

In an effort to reach out to that population, that assumption has led many companies to make marketing missteps, Martinez says — like the very popular “Yo quiero Taco Bell” ads, featuring a hungry Chihuahua.

To Taco Bell’s credit, Martinez says, the fast-food chain’s marketing philosophy has evolved. The current campaign is offering everyone “mas for their money” — more for their money.

The blending of cultures is a strong theme throughout the Pew study results. Lopez points to data that younger Hispanics are marrying outside their ethnicity at rates higher than the general population.

“We’re seeing, in many respects, Hispanics who are newlyweds marrying someone who is not Hispanic,” Lopez says. “And that Hispanics and Asian-Americans are the ones most likely to do that, compared to any other group.”

photo source: 30minute.weebly.com

More than 80 percent of Hispanics interviewed said they’d have no problem if their children married someone from a different heritage, whether or not that person was Hispanic.

That openness to other cultures is also reflected in popular culture, as in ABC’s Modern Family. In the sitcom, a Colombian-born character, portrayed by actress Sofia Vegara, is married to non-Hispanic Ed O’Neill. The cross-cultural lines often become tangled as the two interact on screen.

In the end, says Martinez, it’s all about inclusion. She says marketers like Nike and Apple are successful because they don’t lean on ethnicity, but rather show a mosaic of races and ethnicities using their products.

Businesses that don’t figure out how to approach Hispanics correctly may find that’s an expensive mistake, Martinez says.

“Think about it,” she says. “We’re talking about a population of 50 million people. This is a market that’s growing. They’re buying cars, they’re getting mortgages, they’re sending their kids to school,” she says.

And they’re doing it with companies and services that understand their myriad interests and cultures.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CANCELS NEGOTIATIONS WITH SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO’S OFFICE OVER CIVIL RIGHTS ALLEGATIONS

April 5, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez 3 Comments

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

The Justice Department says it is canceling negotiations with Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office over civil rights allegations against him — claiming the sheriff refuses to include a court-appointed monitor in the process.

An agency spokeswoman said the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office knew the monitor was “a non-negotiable requirement of a settlement” and that the refusal has led to the cancellation of talks.

The move was expected, with the Justice Department saying Tuesday evening that Arpaio had initially agreed to the monitor, then failed to negotiate “in good faith” by changing his mind that morning.

“We believe that you are wasting time,” the agency said in a letter to Arpaio’s lawyer. “Your tactics have required DOJ to squander valuable time and resources.”

Arpaio, the self-proclaimed America’s toughest sheriff, has said he never agreed to the monitor because that would mean every policy decision would have to be cleared through an observer and would nullify his authority as the elected sheriff.

“I am the constitutionally and legitimately elected sheriff, and I absolutely refuse to surrender my responsibility to the federal government,” Arpaio said, accusing the Obama administration of trying to “strong arm” him.

The Justice Department said both sides met at least once in February and that the letter marks the second time negotiations were called off, which means the agency will go forward with a lawsuit.

Photo: Flickr user barb.howe.

The agency has accused Arpaio’s office of racially profiling Latinos, basing immigration patrols on racially-charged citizen complaints that did not allege crimes and punishing Hispanic jail inmates for speaking Spanish. It also accused the sheriff of having a culture of disregard for basic constitutional rights.

The sheriff’s office has denied allegations of systematic discriminatory policing and told news reporters that it will insist the Justice Department provide facts to prove its allegations.

The agency said a 22-page letter that it sent Arpaio’s office in December provides the facts of the allegations and that giving further information would delay the settlement.

The federal agency said an Arpaio lawyer acknowledged in earlier settlement talks that negotiations would go forward without the Justice Department providing additional information since that information would be necessary only as part of a lawsuit.

The agency also said in Tuesday’s letter that it has found additional information to support its allegation that Arpaio’s office failed to adequately investigate a large number of sex-crimes cases. The Justice Department is seeking an agreement that would require the sheriff’s office to train officers in how to make constitutional traffic stops, collect data on people arrested in traffic stops and reach out to Latinos to ensure them that the department is there to also protect them.

Earlier in the three-year investigation, the agency filed a 2010 lawsuit against the sheriff, alleging that his office refused to fully cooperate with a request for records and access to jails and employees. The case was settled last summer after the sheriff’s office handed over records and gave access to employees and jails.

IS UNIVISION LAUNCHING A CHANNEL JUST FOR SOCCER?

April 4, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez Leave a Comment

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

Univision on Saturday will launch a sports channel seeking to attend to the “insatiable appetite” of the Latino audience for soccer, the senior vice president for production at Univision Deportes, David Neal, told Efe.

He said that the Univision audience has “been waiting to be taken care of,” regarding their preference for the main soccer competitions around the world.

“The audiences that the broadcasts of the Copa de Oro and the Copa America had in the summer of 2011, as well as the friendly match between Colombia and Mexico, in February, with 8 million viewers in prime time, tell us that there was a lot of interest in what we’re going to offer,” Neal said.

Univision Deportes will broadcast matches of the Mexican first division, Major League Soccer, the CONCACAF Champions League and matchups between the U.S. and Mexican national teams.

The coverage will also include the 2014 World Cup and the qualifying matches that begin in June.
Univision Deportes decided to focus its programming on soccer, but Neal does not rule out offering other sports with the predicted expansion of the channel.

“We know that soccer is a real passion for our audience, but that doesn’t mean that down the road we won’t have the rights to broadcast other sports,” he said.

DID SESAME STREET REACH OUT TO A LATINO PROFESSOR ON ADVICE ABOUT HOW TO REACH OUT TO HISPANICS?

April 4, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez Leave a Comment

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

Jamie Naidoo, an assistant professor in UA's School of Library and Information Studies, got a call from 'Sesame Street' in early February to assist the show in reaching out to the growing Latino population in the United States.

A University of Alabama professor recently received the rare honor of being asked for advice by none other than the curators of “Sesame Street.”

Jamie Naidoo, an assistant professor in UA’s School of Library and Information Studies, got a call from the legendary children’s TV show in early February to assist the show in reaching out to the growing Latino population in the United States.

Naidoo’s research interests focus on the representation of minority populations in print and non-print media for children and young adults.

He directs the National Latino Children’s Literature Conference, which he co-developed in 2007, and also runs “Imagínense Libros!”, a review blog of Latino children’s and young adult literature.

Rocio Galarza, the show’s senior director of content planning and design for outreach, emailed Naidoo after reading some of his research and his blog.

Naidoo said he didn’t believe the initial email was real.

Jamie Campbell Naidoo (Alabama), 2009-2010 SIG Co-Chair.

“I mean, why would ‘the’ ‘Sesame Street’ be contacting me?” Naidoo said in an email interview. “Once reality set in, I could barely contain my excitement. … I grew up watching ‘Sesame Street’ as a kid and never imagined that one day I would actually go there.“Although I didn’t get to meet Bert, Cookie Monster or Grover, I did get to meet some of the creative masterminds behind them.”

Naidoo was one of four consultants “Sesame Street” contacted in order to discuss how to incorporate authentic, accurate portrayals of Latin cultures into the show’s many properties including its television programs, websites, books and toys.

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Filed Under: FEATURED MARKETING, LATINO ENTERTAINMENT, LATINO MARKETING Tagged With: Cookie Monster, hispanic, JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ, Naidoo, public relations, Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, Sesame Street, Sharon Robinson, United States, University of Alabama

WHO IS THE LATINO VP AT TAMPICO BEVERAGES: MEET PEDRO DE JESUS THE DOMINICANO IN CHICAGO MAKING A DIFFERENCE

“I walked into the Merc’s administrative office and said, ‘Give me a list of every company in this building,’” DeJesús Jr. recalls. “Then I walked over to a telephone booth, and went down the list, starting with A.” By “G,” he had landed a job as a runner.

“If you don’t do it,” DeJesús Jr. recalls Castillo saying, “people assume that it’s because you couldn’t do it. If you still want to work in public interest, a firm can help subsidize those interests for you.”

The Big Law Firm Track

(In 2008, Tampico was acquired by Houchens Industries, Inc., the largest employee-owned company in the United States and, according to Forbes, among the largest privately held companies in North America.)

READ MORE: HISPANIC EXECUTIVE

HOW DO HISPANIC AMERICANS IDENTIFY THEMSELVES?

“More than half of Hispanics overall say it’s the name of the country of origin of their families or their ancestors — names like Mexican, Dominican or Cuban, for example,” Lopez says, that matters most.

“We found that virtually all Hispanics think that U.S. Hispanic immigrant adults should learn English,” Lopez says.

“Still, a lot of people think all Hispanics speak Spanish, or all Hispanics speak Spanish only,” Martinez says.

“We’re seeing, in many respects, Hispanics who are newlyweds marrying someone who is not Hispanic,” Lopez says. “And that Hispanics and Asian-Americans are the ones most likely to do that, compared to any other group.”

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CANCELS NEGOTIATIONS WITH SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO’S OFFICE OVER CIVIL RIGHTS ALLEGATIONS

“We believe that you are wasting time,” the agency said in a letter to Arpaio’s lawyer. “Your tactics have required DOJ to squander valuable time and resources.”

“I am the constitutionally and legitimately elected sheriff, and I absolutely refuse to surrender my responsibility to the federal government,” Arpaio said, accusing the Obama administration of trying to “strong arm” him.

IS UNIVISION LAUNCHING A CHANNEL JUST FOR SOCCER?

“We know that soccer is a real passion for our audience, but that doesn’t mean that down the road we won’t have the rights to broadcast other sports,” he said.

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WHO IS THE LATINO VP AT TAMPICO BEVERAGES: MEET PEDRO DE JESUS THE DOMINICANO IN CHICAGO MAKING A DIFFERENCE

“I walked into the Merc’s administrative office and said, ‘Give me a list of every company in this building,’” DeJesús Jr. recalls. “Then I walked over to a telephone booth, and went down the list, starting with A.” By “G,” he had landed a job as a runner.

“If you don’t do it,” DeJesús Jr. recalls Castillo saying, “people assume that it’s because you couldn’t do it. If you still want to work in public interest, a firm can help subsidize those interests for you.”

The Big Law Firm Track

(In 2008, Tampico was acquired by Houchens Industries, Inc., the largest employee-owned company in the United States and, according to Forbes, among the largest privately held companies in North America.)

READ MORE: HISPANIC EXECUTIVE

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HOW DO HISPANIC AMERICANS IDENTIFY THEMSELVES?

“More than half of Hispanics overall say it’s the name of the country of origin of their families or their ancestors — names like Mexican, Dominican or Cuban, for example,” Lopez says, that matters most.

“We found that virtually all Hispanics think that U.S. Hispanic immigrant adults should learn English,” Lopez says.

“Still, a lot of people think all Hispanics speak Spanish, or all Hispanics speak Spanish only,” Martinez says.

“We’re seeing, in many respects, Hispanics who are newlyweds marrying someone who is not Hispanic,” Lopez says. “And that Hispanics and Asian-Americans are the ones most likely to do that, compared to any other group.”

Share this:

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CANCELS NEGOTIATIONS WITH SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO’S OFFICE OVER CIVIL RIGHTS ALLEGATIONS

“We believe that you are wasting time,” the agency said in a letter to Arpaio’s lawyer. “Your tactics have required DOJ to squander valuable time and resources.”

“I am the constitutionally and legitimately elected sheriff, and I absolutely refuse to surrender my responsibility to the federal government,” Arpaio said, accusing the Obama administration of trying to “strong arm” him.

Share this:

IS UNIVISION LAUNCHING A CHANNEL JUST FOR SOCCER?

“We know that soccer is a real passion for our audience, but that doesn’t mean that down the road we won’t have the rights to broadcast other sports,” he said.

Share this:

DID SESAME STREET REACH OUT TO A LATINO PROFESSOR ON ADVICE ABOUT HOW TO REACH OUT TO HISPANICS?

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