FH Hispania Plaza

Our Nation Makes History

 

Yesterday was a day for the books.  The 44th president elect took office.  He's the first black man to run the nation.  He also is an agent of change.  No wonder millions took to the national mall to celebrate him and with him, and no wonder so many influential groups, luminaries, celebrities and media flocked to fete the occasion in due measure. The Latino community was no exception.

Our colleague Marieli Colon-Padilla was there, in D.C., at the center of the action and tells us that there were more than 10 celebrations put together by Latino groups to celebrate the inauguration.  NCLR and other influential groups hosted  the most notable event: the star-studded Latino Inaugural Gala. Latino entertainers Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony said “presente” at the Hispanic inauguration pre-celebration at Union Station. Other entertainers at the event included Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi, Mexican singer Lila Downs, Colombian singer Shakira, comedian George Lopez, actress Rosie Perez, actor Edward James Olmos, Chiefs’ tight end Tony Gonzalez, telenovela actress Angelica Vale, and others. Members of Congress filtered in and mixed in with the crowd and the stars.

They also held a Latino State of the Union meeting alongside MALDEF and LULAC, and, as expected, immigration reform figured at the top of the list. Immigration remains a highly divisive political issue, particularly since concerns about terrorism amplified the debate about border security in recent years. The issue was presented as a topic separate from border discussions and presented as an issue of national interest defined by cooperation, rather than confrontation, with Mexico and Latin America.

But we can say now Latinos have “friends in high places” in the Obama administration, like the Interior secretary designate, Ken Salazar; the Labor secretary designate, Hilda Solis; and the White House’s director of intergovernmental affairs, Cecilia Muñoz, formerly a vice president of the National Council de la Raza.

Overall it was clear that the Latino vote is too important to be ignored.

Around Hispanic networks and Hispanic print, the media turned its focus to the story of the day.  All the leading correspondents reported from the nation's capital. Impremedia did a terrific job with photos and coverage on the site (check out their El Cambio section),  Univision reported live from DC from the swearing in ceremony, even during "Despierta America" and then worked out a deal with Comcast to offer the coverage available on-demand post the event, Telemundo also did a great job of covering the event.

And as the day gets documented and added to the U.S. history book, one Latina will always be close to Michelle Obama on the day she became First Lady: Cubana Isabel Toledo.  She designed the dress and coat that Mrs. Obama wore as she stood next to the man who today begins a new chapter for our nation.

Preparing Hispanas for Leadership: An Interview with NHLI

The National Hispana Leadership Institute—an organization devoted to cultivating leadership among Latinas around the nation since 1987—will celebrate is 8th annual leadership conference next month.  Our colleague Marieli Colon-Padilla in FH's Washington, D.C. office, a member of the organization, interviewed NHLI president Cristina Lopez (photo below) about what are the leadership opportunities available to Latinas and how to seize them. NHLI works to expand the pool of qualified Latinas and connect them through networking opportunities so that corporate America, as well as the public and non-profit sectors are more reflecting of the new American reality. This is the first of a two-part Q&A:

MCP: Hispanics are the largest minority in the nation. What does this mean to Hispanas?

Cristina Lopez: Hispanics being the largest minority means they are also the fastest growing segment of the workforce/largest number of entrants into the labor force over the next 25 years.  And programs that target Latinas and empower them to become better prepared to compete in today’s demanding workplace are crucial.

MCP: How does NHLI respond to the changing demographic?

CL: Latinas are tremendously underrepresented among decision-makers and positions of influence.  NHLI develops strong, savvy, influential Latinas.  Through skills-building training, NHLI prepares them to take on leadership positions in corporate America, become public elected officials and nonprofit executives.  And through Latinas Learning to Lead develop the next generation of Latina leaders. 

MCP: What role does NHLI have in representing Hispanas?

CL: NHLI’s network is a broad cross section of Hispanas in this country.  We inform, connect and advocate for Latinas. NHLI is the “go to” organization for Latinas and on the issues that affect Latinas and their families.  The voice of Latinas on the issues challenging our country.

MCP: How does NHLI’s work with Latinas impact Hispanics and other communities?

CL: NHLI has directly impacted the lives of Latinas in every corner of the country, and touched thousands more through alumnae-led projects focused on education, employment, health, technology and other quality-of-life issues. Among our executive alumnae are community leaders, award-winning authors, filmmakers, social workers, educators, elected officials and entrepreneurs. In addition with our youth program, Latinas Learning to Lead, we engage the most inspiring and motivated young Latinas in the country, and contribute to the growing number of Latinas graduating from college.

NHLI has created one of the most powerful professional women’s networks in the country. By enhancing the leadership skills of Hispanic women, NHLI has helped position Latinas as key players in the national stage and ensured that Latinas in leadership positions have access and power to influence policy.  NHLI has a multiplier effect – just through mentoring, leadership projects, and networking, NHLI has measurably affected the lives of more than 56,000 Hispanics nationwide

MCP: Do you think the private and public sectors are aware of what NHLI does to promote leadership, professional development, relationship building, inclusion, community and world activism? How would you see this be integrated into other platforms across the board (i.e. politics, corporate, government, education, etc.)?

CL: NHLI is one of the best kept secrets and we want to get the secret out.  In the corporate sector, we have some corporate partners who are very aware of NHLI’s value and they have been staunch supporters for years – StateFarm, Walmart, MillerCoors,  (others GM, Ford, Verizon, AT&T, CocaCola).  We need to do better in the Public Sector and especially in the non-profit/philanthropic/Academic sectors.  The nonprofit sector is currently grappling with how to get people of color into executive positions and be more reflective of the changing face of America.  Foundations need to see us a vehicle that can help in this arena. 

Latino Stars Take a Stand

We read all the time about pop stars' efforts to alleviate problems in different parts of the world: Bono has long been an advocate for Africa, Darfur and AIDS education, also a cause of concern for Elton John, Sting has taken a stand for peace, and Shakira has fought to end child poverty.

As tension rises between Colombia and Venezuela following increasing evidence that links Chavez to the FARC rebels in his neighbor to the West, a Colombian native with star power is calling on his friends to join together for peace. In a press conference this week, Grammy-award winner Juanes announced plans for a peace concert to be performed right on the border of the countries where the two Latin American powers meet.  The site also is symbolic because it also is where Ecuador meets with the two -- the country recently broke ties with Colombia. The concert is scheduled for March 18 and also will feature leading Latino music talent such as Juan Luis Guerra, Mana, Alejandro Sanz and Ricardo Montaner.

This A-list group is increasingly influential far beyond music.  And many Latino pop artists are being more active about wearing their beliefs on their sleeves. 

Q&A with the Houston Film Commission

Oscar had its chance to celebrate 80 years last night, and it was the first big awards show of the season following the aftermath of the writers' strike. In his monologue, Jon Stewart said that the Golden figurines served as a catalyst to reach an agreement. Now that the strike is behind us, what impact, if any, did it have for Latinos in Hollywood? To get more insight on that and perspective on the future of Latinos in film, Ray Fohr conducted the following Q&A last week with Alfred Cervantes, Deputy Director for the Houston Film Commission:

With the recent writers' strike now over, how did this affect Latino writers?

It affected everyone who relies on scripted material and was devastating for some. It's reported that the work stoppage had a more than 700 million dollar impact in loss of spending by those feature films and television productions that didn't happen in those three months.

ABC's Ugly Betty and CBS' Cane are two recent examples of a Latino-branded television shows with wide appeal. Would you credit these to better-made shows or part of the rise in Latino and Latin American influence on the country?

Both. Ugly Betty has been well received by audiences and critics alike. It's also an example of something we might see more of:  successful Latin American shows being adapted for American audiences.

The crossover works both ways, what are you thoughts on American filmmakers tapping Latin America for talent and locations?

The movie "Vantage Point," which opened this past weekend, was shot entirely on location in Mexico but the story was set in Spain. And it was only last year that Latino filmmakers had a great presence at the Oscars.

What's your take on NALIP (National Association of Latino Independent Producers) and the talent they showcase each year?

NALIP member and Texas filmmaker Chris Eska's debut feature film "August Evening" won the John Cassavetes Award at the Spirit Awards this past weekend. It's a Spanish- language film that was shot in Gonzales, Texas. As a member, NALIP has been supportive of his project and instrumental in helping get the word out and finding resources. I'm a member!

What would you say are some of the drivers helping Latinos in the industry?  Has there been a visible change with regards to Hispanic representation?

The success of recent past Spanish-language films and television shows bodes well for creating more [content] for receptive audiences. This in turn makes more advertisers create commercials for the same market, which contributes to the production industry creating opportunities for crew and talent.

Do you have any Oscar favorites?

Texas has a great presence this year in the Best Picture category with both "There Will Be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men," both shot in Marfa, Texas, but I think "There Will Be Blood" will take it!

Editor's note:  While “No Country for Old Men” took the night’s biggest award, "There Will Be Blood" garnered two prizes:  Best Cinematography and Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis).  Congratulations also go to Javier Bardem on his Best Supporting Actor win and his candid thank you to his country and recognition of his heritage.

Happy Presidents (and Hispanic Elected Officials) Day

Today we celebrate the birthdays of two important American presidents, Lincoln and Washington.  And while there hasn’t been a Hispanic to serve in the Oval Office – yet – there have been a number of Hispanic cabinet members and presidential advisors, including Alberto Gonzales, Attorney General (Bush), Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce (Bush), Mel Martinez, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Bush), Federico Pena, Secretary of Energy (Clinton) and Henry Cisneros, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Clinton).

There are also thousands of Hispanic elected officials who serve our country at the state, county and local levels every day.  According to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, today there are more than 6,000 Hispanics serving in elected or appointed office across all levels of government.

Confianza: Hispanic Trust Pulse Study

Most every day my colleagues at FH Hispania are engaged in delivering information and messages to the Hispanic public, usually through the filter of media or other third-parties. Today, we unveil the results of Confianza: Hispanic Trust Pulse, a study our agency conducted that delves into the topics that are most important to U.S. Hispanics and what sources they rely on to obtain information about them.

One thing is for certain: Hispanics trust a variety of sources to obtain their information. Although media plays a prominent role in this interaction, to an even greater extent Hispanics reach out to individuals in their communities, such as professionals and service providers or family and friends, to get informed about that things that matter to them. Another aspect that bears noting is that Hispanics share key similar interests with non-Hispanics, but differences do come to the surface that should be heeded by communications professionals - as should differences between recent immigrants and more acculturated Hispanics.

You can access the press release about the study we distributed earlier today at http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-07-2008/0004751504&EDATE. If you are interested in seeing a more in-depth presentation about the study results, please feel free to contact me (jorge.diaz@fleishman.com) or any of our other team members who regularly contribute to FH Hispania Plaza.

Rumbo a las elecciones

While the importance of Latino voters to the elections has been widely reported, one group you don’t seem to hear much about is young Latino voters, many of whom are voting for the first time.

A few organizations, including youth-oriented TV networks, are embarking on efforts to change that by getting young Latinos registered and engaged in the decision process.  For example, last year Telemundo and mun2 jointly launched the “Vota por tu futuro” or Vote 4 UR Future initiative.

Another organization looking to attract the attention of this segment is Voto Latino, co-founded by the actress Rosario Dawson and Maria Teresa Petersen, who see Latino voters between the ages of 18 and 34 as “the ones that will make the difference [in this election].” 

In 2006, Voto Latino released a series of bilingual PSAs, in partnership with Telemundo and mun2, featuring such celebrities as Cameron Diaz, Nina Sky, Chingo Bling, Don Dinero and Jeremias.

This week they followed up on their creative celebrity-driven spots with the release of the “La pasión de la decisión,” a four-part telenovela broadcasting on Voto Latino and YouTube and aimed at encouraging young Latinos to register and vote.

Using celebrities is a powerful way to reach teens and young adults, so it makes sense that “La pasión de la decisión,” features major Latino stars in front of and behind the camera, including Wilmer Valderrama, Tony Plana, Mayte Garcia, and of course, Rosario Dawson. 

The first episode is absolutely hilarious and a smart play on the beloved telenovela genre, featuring a wedding proposal, a love triangle, a medical tragedy and sibling rivalry – all in under four minutes.  Of course, there’s also a register to vote message woven into the plotline, but I won’t reveal how that happens.  You’ll have to see it for yourself, and watch for the final three episodes.

Latino Arts

The arts are an important part of any culture, and the U.S. Hispanic arts scene is incredibly vibrant and thriving.  New shows, books, and music are being introduced everyday and other big offerings are planned for 2008.

That Hispanics have begun to carve out their own artistic identity in this country is nothing new.  The New York arts movement of the 50s and 60s, that led to the creation of El Museo del Barrio and later saw the birth of the Nuyorican Poets Café in the 70s, and the Chicano movement of the 60s and 70s, all spawned great poets, musicians and writers.

But what seems new to me is the rise in the number of Latino arts organizations such as comedy troupes, theaters, and film festivals, and the opportunities they present for influencing popular culture and reaching U.S. Hispanics.

From the Refried Fridays Latino comedy nights at the Hollywood Improv to Chicago’s all-Latina Teatro Luna to the Teatro Stage Fest in New York, examples of strong, emerging Latino arts organizations abound.

Some of these names may not seem familiar to you, but chances are that one day they will.  Latino comedians such as George Lopez and Carlos Mencia, pioneers of Latino-themed TV shows, got their start on stages like the Hollywood Improv and are proof that Latino artists, with Latino themes, can make it to the big time and make a stamp on popular culture.

2008 is already proving to be a strong year for Latino artists.  In the first few weeks alone we’ve seen Nilo Cruz's Pulitzer-winning Anna in the Tropics staged in Spanish in Miami, Chilean Ariel Dorfman’s Widows premiered in New York for a short run, and the musical Celia (in honor of Celia Cruz) going strong on Broadway.

For marketers who wish to reach U.S. Hispanics, sponsorship and support of Latino productions and arts organizations are great ways to connect to the community.  Artists are always looking for funding and visibility, and helping them reach for the stars makes good business sense.  Because there’s no telling how high Latino artists will soar.

Republicans to Debate on Spanish-Language TV

Univision announced Friday that the Republican debate is on for Sunday, December 9.  Candidates confirmed to participate: Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Congressman Duncan Hunter, Senator John McCain, Congressman Ron Paul, Governor Mitt Romney and Senator Fred Thompson.

A Guest Post from LaPolitica.com

Long-time Hispanic marketing blogger and political enthusiast Luis Clemens has a new, timely blog about the intersection of Latinos, culture, marketing and politics. With all that is happening in the arena and the line up of presidential candidates debating on many topics of deep interest to Hispanics, LaPolitica.com is a fresh, new, much-needed forum.  Luis contributes the following post, originally published as his inaugural editor's note, to readers of FH Hispania Plaza.  Congratulations on your new blog Luis, and happy, content-rich countdown to the 2008 election.
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Latino political marketing in presidential elections got its start in 1960 when Jacqueline Kennedy recorded a television ad in her prep-school Spanish touting the candidacy of her husband. The production quality is lousy but the message is clear, "¡Qué Viva Kennedy!"

Nearly fifty years later there is one Hispanic presidential candidate, two Latino campaign managers and three contenders who have already purchased Spanish-language media.

Hispanic online, print, radio and television media outlets are ramping up their electoral coverage. Many are going beyond reporting and actively encouraging their audience to become citizens and register to vote. Spanish-language radio disc jockeys nicknamed "Piolín" and "El Cucuy" are becoming full-blown political players. Presidential debates are conducted in Spanish and simulcast in Spanish. Latino English-language bloggers are receiving paid political advertising.

Against this backdrop, we launch La Politica one year before the 2008 elections.

There is some sort of seismic shift in the American political landscape. Indeterminate and unpredictable, yes. But, there is movement.

Enough to spur Latino voter turnout? Enough to tilt the presidential elections one way or another? Enough to encourage investment in Hispanic political advertising?

I don't know. I leave the business of predictions to others.

My business, my obsession, my passion is news and analysis. I promise to work like crazy to keep readers informed of the full range of political communications efforts targeting Latino voters at the national, state and municipal levels. And we will cover the political issues that matter to Latino voters: the economy, education, health care, the war in Iraq, relations with Latin America and, of course, immigration. Indeed, we will report on the intersection between Hispanic media and politics.

A dash of opinion - someone else's, that is - will close each weekly newsletter.

And please share your own opinions about the newsletter, politics and Hispanic political marketing at our blog.

Let's become part of the political conversation.