Hey, Everybody - The Latino Health Forum 2008 is coming up October 7!
What? You didn't know about the Latino Health Forum? It's an annual event presented by Sea Mar Community Health Centers, Public Health Seattle-King County, and the Consulate of Mexico in Seattle to coincide with Binational Health Week. The event will take place at South Seattle Community College, all day Tuesday the 7th. For more details: http://groups.google.com/group/latino-health-forum-seattle?pli=1 or call Spence Comstock at 206-788-3200 or Irma Farsch at 206-764-4700.
This is one of those significant events that would be terrific for the right sponsor...especially if you work in the healthcare industry, your organization may want to think about this kind of opportunity in your 2009 planning to reach local Latinos!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
GO, COUGS!
Hey, reading the Tri-City Herald I just learned that my alma mater, Washington State University, is doing a terrific job recruiting Latino students *and* staff for its Tri-Cities campus!
According to the article by Michelle Dupler, multicultural students enrolled in Fall 2008 represent 15% (versus 12.6% last fall). Multicultural students at the Pullman campus are at 15.1%, although a definitely different makeup than those at Tri-Cities, a more traditionally Latino market.
Students at the Tri-Cities campus id'ing themselves as Hispanic nearly doubled from 2006 to 2008--from 75 to 141.
My favorite part of the article was the quote from Chancellor Vicky Carwein, who said the campus is making an effort to recruit not only Hispanic students, but also Hispanic faculty and staff. She said, "Studies show you do a better job of recruiting and retaining Hispanic students if you have faculty and staff that are like them."
This is what Edgar and Holli Martinez are saying, too! (see previous post)
Congrats to WSU Tri-Cities and to its new director of student affairs, Jaime Contreras, who has helped educate the educators on this significant issue.
According to the article by Michelle Dupler, multicultural students enrolled in Fall 2008 represent 15% (versus 12.6% last fall). Multicultural students at the Pullman campus are at 15.1%, although a definitely different makeup than those at Tri-Cities, a more traditionally Latino market.
Students at the Tri-Cities campus id'ing themselves as Hispanic nearly doubled from 2006 to 2008--from 75 to 141.
My favorite part of the article was the quote from Chancellor Vicky Carwein, who said the campus is making an effort to recruit not only Hispanic students, but also Hispanic faculty and staff. She said, "Studies show you do a better job of recruiting and retaining Hispanic students if you have faculty and staff that are like them."
This is what Edgar and Holli Martinez are saying, too! (see previous post)
Congrats to WSU Tri-Cities and to its new director of student affairs, Jaime Contreras, who has helped educate the educators on this significant issue.
El Supermercado
Just read about Sedano's grocery store chain in the Miami Herald at http://www.miamiherald.com/business_monday/story/704935.html.
This is a Florida Latino grocery store chain that is shifting their new stores to better appeal to the second-generation Hispanic while attempting to retain the first-generation shopper. This includes changes in decor (high ceilings, new colors) as well as product line (more prepared Hispanic foods as well as general-market products). It really shows where the market's going (in some geographic areas, anyway) when a Latino chain shifts its focus like that.
Here in the Northwest, for the most part we're still working on the first-generation customer with our local retail. I remember Cost Cutters up in Everett, which underwent a complete makeover about four years ago. It had been a mainstream grocery store with some Latino customers, until the store manager got the brilliant idea that he could better serve his Latino customers' needs with more Latin American products and a festive ambience. Of course, that also included hiring more bilingual checkers and other staff to serve the customers he was expecting to shop at the new Cost Cutters.
Once he made the switch he was amazed, because not only did it appear that all area Hispanics were now shopping at his store, but that their shopping carts averaged 30% higher receipts! This was likely due to the generally larger households in the Latino community and the focus this group puts on food and home cooking. The manager mentioned that, while he did lose some of his regulars who were not Latino, he gained loyalty among the Latino community almost instantly, and word of mouth helped business boom in a way that surpassed prior sales. He was content with the shift.
This is a Florida Latino grocery store chain that is shifting their new stores to better appeal to the second-generation Hispanic while attempting to retain the first-generation shopper. This includes changes in decor (high ceilings, new colors) as well as product line (more prepared Hispanic foods as well as general-market products). It really shows where the market's going (in some geographic areas, anyway) when a Latino chain shifts its focus like that.
Here in the Northwest, for the most part we're still working on the first-generation customer with our local retail. I remember Cost Cutters up in Everett, which underwent a complete makeover about four years ago. It had been a mainstream grocery store with some Latino customers, until the store manager got the brilliant idea that he could better serve his Latino customers' needs with more Latin American products and a festive ambience. Of course, that also included hiring more bilingual checkers and other staff to serve the customers he was expecting to shop at the new Cost Cutters.
Once he made the switch he was amazed, because not only did it appear that all area Hispanics were now shopping at his store, but that their shopping carts averaged 30% higher receipts! This was likely due to the generally larger households in the Latino community and the focus this group puts on food and home cooking. The manager mentioned that, while he did lose some of his regulars who were not Latino, he gained loyalty among the Latino community almost instantly, and word of mouth helped business boom in a way that surpassed prior sales. He was content with the shift.
The (Mixed) Race Card
Hey - I read a neat article in yesterday's Seattle Times http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008210083_biracial280.html about Seattle's mixed-race population. Turns out, we have the highest density population of biracial or multiracial people in the country! Why is that? Because historically we had smaller populations of minorites, so more "mixing" was happening.
This article was likely spurred by Obama's run for president and the subsequent new focus on race. They say he'll be "the first black U.S. president," which is interesting, because he's actually mixed race. Somehow the minority race trumps Caucasian, and not just with Obama.
This is my opportunity to gently remind readers that "Hispanic" is not a race. Nor is "Latino." They are both terms describing culture. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race, or mixed race. Oddly, in government forms "Hispanic/Latino" actually trumps race. "White, non-Hispanic," "Black, non-Hispanic," "Hispanic."
Interesante, ¿verdad? Some call Hispanics/Latinos "brown." There are books dealing with the "brown" race.
Reading this reminded me of something that happened not too long ago with a Latina friend. We were looking at her family photos, and I noticed that several members of her family were black. I said with surprise, "You're a black woman!" And she laughed at me, because she thought I realized that all along.
But I hadn't. I always identified with this friend as a Latina--not white, nor black, nor anything else. Hispanic, Latina, Venezuelan. So even in my own mind, apparently, being Latina trumped her race, which is mixed.
I welcome any similar stories or lessons you might have. And I wish you a fabulously productive week!
This article was likely spurred by Obama's run for president and the subsequent new focus on race. They say he'll be "the first black U.S. president," which is interesting, because he's actually mixed race. Somehow the minority race trumps Caucasian, and not just with Obama.
This is my opportunity to gently remind readers that "Hispanic" is not a race. Nor is "Latino." They are both terms describing culture. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race, or mixed race. Oddly, in government forms "Hispanic/Latino" actually trumps race. "White, non-Hispanic," "Black, non-Hispanic," "Hispanic."
Interesante, ¿verdad? Some call Hispanics/Latinos "brown." There are books dealing with the "brown" race.
Reading this reminded me of something that happened not too long ago with a Latina friend. We were looking at her family photos, and I noticed that several members of her family were black. I said with surprise, "You're a black woman!" And she laughed at me, because she thought I realized that all along.
But I hadn't. I always identified with this friend as a Latina--not white, nor black, nor anything else. Hispanic, Latina, Venezuelan. So even in my own mind, apparently, being Latina trumped her race, which is mixed.
I welcome any similar stories or lessons you might have. And I wish you a fabulously productive week!
Friday, September 26, 2008
We Heart Edgar
So...in case you didn't hear about the launch yesterday, famed former Mariner hitter Edgar Martinez and his wife Holli have set up a scholarship fund for Latino undergrad students and also for minorities pursuing teacher-training programs. He and his wife know how many students a teacher can affect, and how having teachers that look like us can really inspire us.But you know what? While Washington State schools had 24% minority students in the 2007-2008 school year, only 7% of the teachers were minorities. AND - in 2005-2006, only 16 percent of teaching certificates were issued to minorities.
Now we know there's a problem with graduation levels in our nation and state--especially among minorities. And according to our own study of Puget Sound Latinos, we found that only 16% have attended or are graduating from college. Let's work on giving these students something to aspire to!
So Edgar and Holli have set up The Martinez Foundation and donated $200K of their own funds to guarantee a minimum of ten $20,000 scholarships to Latino undergrads! They'd like you to help them with this amazing cause. The Martinez Foundation fundraising event will take place October 18 at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. See more at http://www.themartinezfoundation.org/
¡Gracias, Edgar y Holli!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Día de la Familia at Pacific Science Center - THIS SATURDAY
Did you know that our own Pacific Science Center sets aside a special day for the local Latino community? They're working on their second annual Día de la Familia, to take place this coming Saturday. It's a really cool deal, where even the 3D movie, Wild Ocean, will be en español. Look for a laser show featuring música latina, live mariachis, and more! For times and other details, see their website: http://www.pacsci.org/diadelafamilia/.
Discount coupons ($25 for a family of four) are available at the Plaza Bank Kent Station branch and were also inserted in the current La Raza del Noroeste newspapers.
Could event be a fun event for young students of Spanish! If you go, please offer your comments on the event, attendance, etc + photos if you've got 'em right here on my blog!
Discount coupons ($25 for a family of four) are available at the Plaza Bank Kent Station branch and were also inserted in the current La Raza del Noroeste newspapers.
Could event be a fun event for young students of Spanish! If you go, please offer your comments on the event, attendance, etc + photos if you've got 'em right here on my blog!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Local Hispanic Marketer makes good!
OK, so one of my favorite publications that details the goings-on in national Hispanic marketing and media is...Marketing y Medios. And Mark Stockdale, director of Hispanic marketing for T-Mobile, has been featured in this month's edition! The reason? He's one of the Hispanic marketers who gets it, and his company is one of the companies that has been investing in end-to-end Hispanic marketing and support. So Spanish-speaking consumers are not only attracted to the carrier but become happy customers. Bravo, T-Mobile!
Check out the story:
http://www.marketingymedios.com/marketingymedios/noticias/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003853165
Oh, and this is one of those lessons--lest you assume Mark Stockdale is a gringo, please note that he hails from D.F., aka Mexico City!
Check out the story:
http://www.marketingymedios.com/marketingymedios/noticias/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003853165
Oh, and this is one of those lessons--lest you assume Mark Stockdale is a gringo, please note that he hails from D.F., aka Mexico City!
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