This is a very, very exciting time for us as we launch the World's Best, Biggest and Boldest Spanish learning web site!
We are anticipating a launch no later than June 3, 2009. Several people have already signed up and there is a lot of anticipation around the country from several groups who want to promote the site.
This will be the BEST Spanish learning site anywhere. The core content is my SpanishPower™ course which for many years has been considered by many the absolute best Spanish course in the country for professional adults. In addition, there will be virtual tutoring processes, recordings of live one-on-one sessions, additional pronunciation and structural practice, student forum, charter members who have agreed to help out new students, a 911 Emergency Spanish course for anyone to take for free, interviews with language experts and much more. There is no question in my mind that this is and will be the BEST place to learn Spanish on the planet. All of that for less than $40 dollars a month!
Yes, it will also be the BIGGEST. We're talking quality, mega-content here. We also anticipate developing a membership of thousands of learners. The site will continue to evolve and add additional content based on member requests.
Without a doubt, this is the BOLDEST Spanish learning site in the world. No one, anywhere has even considered taking a professional-grade, quality training process and making it available for less than $40 dollars a month! No one. That is a bold proposition on our part but we asked ourselves, "How do we bring the most value for the least amount of money?" The answer was to digitize our courseware find some super robust membership site software and just make a BOLD move. Oh, by the way, members get free access as well to the membership content at cafeconmilk.com that will launch soon after. That site is dedicated to teaching people how to effectively do business with Latinos.
I invite you to join. For less than $40 a month you can now learn Spanish with the very best. What used to cost $1000 to $3000 dollars is now accessible to all! Spread the word. By the way, there is even an affiliate program where you can make money promoting the site.
I'm not one of those people looking to create controversy for the sake of controversy but my first take on Hispanic Business magazine's title regarding Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court left me a bit dumbfounded.
Are they guilty of the creation of a Latino divide regarding Sotomayor?
I am sure that the Editors of Hispanic Business magazine don't believe that all Latinos are Democrats but the innuendo in their title is both unmistakable and unacceptable. For context, the title to their article says, Hispanics Praise Selection of Sotomayor for Supreme Court; Republicans Wary. I wonder if, when Former President Bush, appointed Alberto Gonzáles as Attorney General, they ran a title like, Hispanics Praise Selection of Gonzáles for Attorney General; Democrats Wary.
Personally, I don't believe either party was established to represent Latinos in the United States thus neither party truly represents Latino issues. Depending on your world view, one party will come closer than the other. That, however, is not the point here.
The point is that Latinos, already divided by country of origin and other issues, are in danger of being divided again over this Supreme Court nominee . This title is a misrepresentation of millions of Hispanics who are Republicans and, yes, many of them are wary of President Obama's Latina choice. They are not wary because she is "Latina" or because she is of Puerto Rican descent. They are wary because she has made statements regarding her background and ethnicity influencing her rulings and judgments. They are "wary" because they do not want activist judges no more than Democrats would want activist judges on the other side of the aisle.
Any Republican who opposes her nomination will no doubt be painted anti-Latino and I want to go on record that this is categorically unjust and untrue. None of these supposedly anti-Latino Republicans opposed Alberto Gonzáles when appointed as Attorney General by President Bush. Alberto Gonzáles also had an incredible rags to riches, poverty to success immigrant story. He was a true immigrant, Sotomayor is not. She was born to Puerto Rican parents in New York. Democrats opposed Alberto Gonzáles. Why didn't the media paint them as "anti-Latino" then? I don't remember any Republican leader accusing Democrats of anti-Latino bias when they opposed him. The type of unprincipaled politics and media reporting we are seeing regarding Sotomayor's nomination should stop. Let's just all admit it has nothing to do with ethnicity and everything to do with ideology. This, mis amigos, is the truth. This debate will be completely about ideology and only dishonest people will pull the race card. I am Puerto Rican, my father came out of poverty and made it in this country. I understand all of this very well.
I don't know if Ms. Sotomayor will make a great, or even good, justice. That is not my call nor do I have enough information about her past judgments, much less her future ones, to make that determination. I am objective enough to frankly not care if she is a white woman, a Latina woman, a man, a latino man, a white man, a black man or a black woman. God knows there are plenty of problems in Latin America where all judges are Latinos. Being "Latino" in and of itself does not insure that a person has sound judgment or wisdom. I am Latino. I love the Latino people but I am not a blind man who just wants Latinos in power for the sake of having Latinos in power. I want leaders who hold high ethics and respect the traditions and laws of our country. As long as that's the case I don't care about their ethnicity.
If a Latino or Latina is more qualified than a person from another ethnic group then that person should get the nod. There should be no discrimination in that sense. However, I sincerely hope that Mr. Obama did not nominate Sonia Sotomayor because she is a Latina. I would also hope that she would hope this as well. Personally, I don't want recognition because I am Latino. I only want recognition because I am fulfilling my God-given mission with excellence. I hope President Obama nominated her because deep in his soul he truly believes that she is the best candidate available to him in this country for the Supreme Court of the United States.
Senate confirmation hearings will bring out her intent in saying that a Latina woman would be more equipped to make decisions than a white male on some issues. She is rightly being held accountable by some people for this very concerning statement and sentiment. Technically, it is a "racist" comment as some have indicated. She was talking about her ethnicity gave her a superior ability to make judgments. That is a fact. No "white" person could get away with such a statement — ever and under no circumstances. Let's be honest.
It is time we have equal standards for all people groups if, in fact, we want true equality for all people. The Supreme Court is no place to be playing demographic politics. We should all only care about having Supreme Court justices who will uphold our Constitution without regard to ethnicity or political persuasion. The judgement of our judges should not be shaped by their surroundings (ie; situational ethics), it should be shaped by our laws and our constitution. When this is not the case we have judges who re-write law against the will of the people and that is a very precarious position for our Republic.
Sonia Sotomayor has accomplished great things and I applaud her. She is an example to all of us. Her nomination, if not twisted by Latino partisans on both sides, can be a very good thing for Latinos in the United States. Her determination to overcome an inner city, poor upbringing is honorable. Her level of education is impressive to say the least. Obviously, she is a bright woman and this is to be highly respected. I respect her and I respect our President. We simply need to be truthful with one another.
The Obama administration is expanding jail immigration checks to virtually every county jail in the country.
Right now the practice of allowing ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) to "hold" a person beyond their jail time is only in 48 counties. That is changing.
According to a Reuters article on May 19 President Obama is expanding this practice to virtually the entire country by the end of 2012. The President is seeking up to $1.1 Billion dollars for this project.
If you have Latino employees you need to include information about this in your life-skills training processes. They need to know that if they go to jail for something that the possibility of ICE putting a "hold" on them because they are Latino is going up. The "hold" is up to 48 hours beyond when a person normally would have been released. ICE putting a hold on them does not mean they are here illegally, it just means they want to do further investigation.
Some people estimate that this may increase deportations 10 fold. For example, right now, according to The Elkhart Truth, the Elkhart County Jail in Indiana has 39 inmates on "hold" by ICE. This is a small northern Indiana county. Imagine in larger counties around the country. This practice is already in place in many large cities including Miami, Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Dallas.
You need to make sure your Latino employees are aware of this expansion into the county jail system. Federal and state prisons have already been doing this but now this program will reach every nook and cranny of the country.
Many Latinos think that the Democratic party has their back — well just maybe they do — now apparently more than many partisan Latinos would like to admit. An astute Republican politician would make note of this at least as a buffer to show that Democrats are not necessarily "pro-immigrant" or "pro-Latino."
To be clear, I am not advocating people being here without proper documentation. I am simply pointing out the reality of this situation and asking you to properly educate your people. By the way, be careful in sharing this information that you do not give the impression you think they will get in trouble. Explain it in a way that doesn't make anyone feel like you think they'll end up in problems.
Sometimes it is helpful to remember. In a church service I attended yesterday they scrolled a list of fallen soldiers from Memorial Day 2008 to the present time.
Many of the people on that list were Latinos. Throughout our history Latinos have been on the firing lines defending the freedoms we all so richly enjoy.
Perhaps, for those who so frequently engage in verbal barrages against Latinos in this country, it would be helpful to be reminded of some historical facts.
1. During the American revolution Latinos from several different countries fought with the Colonists to help gain independence from Britain.
2. Records are scarce for WWI but it is historical fact that large numbers of Latinos from states like Texas and New Mexico served in the military. Due to ridicule from other soldiers the military adopted the Camp Gordon Plan in which soldiers were separated into language groups. They were placed with officers who spoke Spanish. Most military training of Latinos was done at Camp Cody, New Mexico.
3. Over 500,000 Latinos served in WWII and more than 9000 died in the line of duty. 53,000 Puerto Ricans served in WWII. Interestingly, prior to the war, many Mexicans had been repatriated due to lack of jobs in the United States. They were gladly welcomed back to the United States to help replace the lost labor forced due to the war.
4. Over 300 Latinos lost their lives in the Korean war. In Puerto Rico there is a famous street called, Avenida 65 de Infantería so named after the 65th Infantry group that was engaged in nine major campaigns, captured nearly 3000 enemy troops and killed over 5,000 enemy troops. 124 Silver Stars were awarded to different members of that group.
5. One in five of the 80,000 Latinos who served in Vietnam were killed in battle. Fourteen Latinos were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their service to our country. The last American to leave Vietnam was a Latino by the name of Juan Valdez who served at the U.S. Embassy in Saigon.
6. 24,188 Latinos have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The first combat casuality of the Iraq war was a Marine by the name of José Antonio Gutierrez.
Historically, Latinos have received more purple hearts than any other minority group in the United States.
We owe a debt of gratitude to all people who have served this great country, irregardless of their ethnic background. In a time when some have essentially declared war against Latinos, ironically primarily from those who consider themselves "patriotic," it might be a good idea to remind them that the very minority they so criticize has played a very instrumental role in the safety of this country.
Taco trucks meet both cultural and practical needs. They are the ultimate food service business to working class Latinos all over the country. They have the food these workers want, when they want it, and most important, where they are.
Now, in many places across the country, the Taco Trucks are getting crunched by local governments under the guise of community cleanliness and order.
This is the ultimate culture shock for these business owners. Many of these people are using their entrepreneurial genius that back home (wherever that is) would be applauded — and legal. Negocios ambulantes (mobile businesses) are everywhere in Latin America. From hot dog vendors to taco makers to jewelry salesmen, they can be found on the streets of all Latin American countries. The cost of entry is relatively low (if you already own a truck and are handy doing conversions) and the client base can be easily targeted by setting up shop close to any job site or manufacturing area with large numbers of working Latinos.
So, what's the beef? According to an article in the LA Times written by Jeff Gottlieb it's coming from two polar opposites. From one side are Anglos who just don't want to deal with the ambulant nature of things and feel it is "third world" and just plain beneath our dignity. In other words, it's dirty. On the other side, but still trying to push these trucks off the road, are owners of Mexican food restaurants who don't want the competition.
My view — we shouldn't squash this entrepreneurial spirit! Make sure all of these trucks have proper approval from the local health departments, make them take classes on proper cleaniness in and around their set up points, hold them accountable for litter and debris within say 75 feet of their place of business and as, Bobby Flay says on The Food Network, let the throwdown begin!
Racism? Yes, on the part of many.
Cleanliness? Many truck owners have not made this a priority.
As with most things, the answer is in the middle. Hopefully, local governments can find it.
My all-time favorite product is the Puerto Rican flag comforter sets. This is such an awesome product for a cold winter night!
This comforter set is for those who truly need comfort because they are no longer in Puerto Rico.
The really amazing thing is that, if you look at the picture on your left, you’ll see that both the King and Queen sizes were “Sold Out” the day I went to purchase mine.
Although simplistic, many times you can reach the soul of the Latino person in the United States through the use of his native countries flag. Look for creative (non-pandering) ways to implement the flag into your messaging and you may just find it comforting to your Latino associates and clients.
I am honored and grateful to be featured on page 74 in the same book with former President Bill Clinton, General David Petraeus, Lou Holtz, Michael Steele, Tom Brokaw and others of distinction.
This type of recognition is not possible without those of you who have supported and encouraged me over the years.
A heartfelt word of gracias to you!
P.S. - The book was co-authored by former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich and his daughter, Jackie Gingrich Cushman. It is a simple read designed to speak directly and openly about success in life. This is not a political book, rather a book about life. I would encourage you to purchase a copy here.
It is impossible to know the real truth about the case I am referencing here but that doesn't really matter.
What does matter is that Sam's Club is in the news for allowing verbal harassment and racial taunts against people of Mexican heritage.
Reportedly, up to 10 employees were subject to this type of discrimination in the workplace. Initially, three people reported this to the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) who then turned up at least seven more people. Evidently, the EEOC attempted to reach a settlement with Wal-Mart, the parent company of Sam's Club, to no avail.
The real problem is that if the Latino press does a full-court press on Wal-Mart over this it has the potential to do serious damage to Wal-Mart. Latinos, by most accounts, account for up to 15 to 20 percent of all business for Wal-Mart in the United States and then, of course, if you throw in the rest of Latin America, it is a significant piece of business.
It is understood that Wal-Mart cannot completely control the behavior of management in an individual locale as this in Fresno, CA. However, Wal-Mart could take public disciplinary action and they could have resolved this case before it got into the public eye.
I suppose they are banking on beating the government on this one. If they don't, and the Latino press decides to grill them, they may be toast in the Latino community.
I am reminded of a saying of Jesus where he instructed people to settle your case with an accuser on the way to the judge lest you be found guilty and condemned. Hopefully, you and your business will never get in a situation like this with Latinos but if you do settle before it becomes public. News spreads like a California wildfire in the Latino community.
(For the original article on this matter at fresnobee.com go here.)
A great sandwich? Perhaps. A great advertisment? Not even close. Watch it below and then I'll give you a few thoughts to chew on.
Starts off pretty good, the music is catchy. People are all VERY anglo looking. Nothing Latino at all there. Translation of words and offers are in Spanish. OK, but certainly expected.
The website referenced is subwayfreshbuzz.com. Couldn't they come up with a website in Spanish? Seriously, how many Spanish-speaking people will have any idea what "fresh buzz" means? Besides that, when you do go to subwayfreshbuzz.com the entire site is in English and I don't find a Spanish language link anywhere.
My daughter Marí Andrea González is a gift from God. She turns two today.
¡Feliz Cumpleaños mi amor!
She is growing up in a bilingual home and in a bilingual world. Your children may not be growing up in a bilingual home but they are most certainly growing up in a bilingual world.
Right now, the United States is the third largest Spanish-speaking country in the world!
There are 45,000,000 million Latinos in the country and the U.S. Census Bureau is projecting 133,000,000 million by 2050.
Neuroscientists from Canada completed studies that show that people bilingual from youth offset memory related diseases on average by four years as compared to monolingual people. (see post here)
What are you doing to help your children become bilingual? Not only is this a gift of effective mental life to them, it is a gift of vocational opportunity.
First of all, let's define bilingual. It is the ability to have a true conversation with another human being in two languages. Kids can be bilingual. Although not true that children learn language better than adults, the fact is that it is better for your kids to learn now rather than later.
Here are a few suggestions to help you: (These suggestions are for kids in the 0 to 5 year old range and do not all apply to older kids or adults.)
1. At least one of the parents should speak Spanish. If neither does, one of you should learn. You cannot teach or model something you do not know. If you are interested in the best Spanish learning program in the country, visit here.
2. You should have "Spanish only" times. Don't just mix in some Spanish from time to time. Set dedicated times when you speak only Spanish with your child.
3. Depending on age, you may want to consider one of the many Spanish programs out there for children. If you want some advise on this contact me via the Contact Us link above and I'll guide you in the right direction.
4. You can go to Barney.com and go to their Spanish site as they have a lot of songs, videos, etc. there for children. It is here. This site is addicting trust me!
5. You can easily get kids to learn new words. I would consider paying them 10 cents a word they truly get in long-term memory. For very small kids a more tangible reward may work better. You can quiz them weekly and most kids can learn around 30 words a week quite easily if you teach them correctly. You can also use some stickers that you can put on different objects in your home.
These are just a few suggestions to get you started — and thinking!
By the way, when I walk in the door it is always, "¡Papá, papá, papá!" Although she knows how to say "daddy" she never does. A true little Latina. "God bless you Marí, tu papá te ama."
We all know what will happen in Venezuela now. The Venezuelan people have effectively elected themselves a communist dictatorship — amazing yet true!
The greater danger now lies in the spread of socialist/communist dictatorships throughout the region. The red shirt he consistently wears is strong communist symbolism to be sure.
Two South American Presidents and one Central American President are already making moves in the same direction regarding extension of powers and elimination of term limits.
Evo Morales, President of Bolivia, will now follow Chávez' lead.
Rafael Correa, President of Ecuador, will now follow Chávez' lead.
Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua, will now follow Chávez' lead.
I wonder how alarmed the United States would be if this were happening somewhere else in the world other than in our own backyard? Our Secretary of State is off in Asia somewhere while this is unfolding. Noel Clay, State Department spokesperson could only praise "the civic spirit" of Sunday's referendum while encouraging him to "govern democratically."
...................................................................................................... posted by Ricardo González on February 17, 2009.
The term "diversity" really isn't working for businesses.
The reason is because you cannot manage diversity. You can accept it, embrace it, or, as one university leader recently wrote me, celebrate it.
Ok, that's nice but, honestly, so what?
Before you write me off as an insensitive person, hear me out. In most cases diversity training is designed to somehow make people sensitive to cultural differences. This is nice, and I suppose important, but how does that hit the bottom line? A staged "diversity" picture (like the one above), or ad, or television commercial, or whatever does not reach me. Be honest, doesn't it come across as fake when the truth is that most of these people, if they had their own way, would not spend much time together in real life?
The real issue here is that diversity training is non-strategic to business growth in the sense that it is simply designed to foster good-will, understanding and openness. Again, this is nice but doesn't really qualify as a strategic business objective unless that understanding is leveraged into the real world.
I would much prefer to see organizations and companies doing serious cultural management training. That's the word; cultural management training.
This type of training would be honest, open, transparent, and most important, strategic. It would clearly, in a non-politically correct way, tell you the truth about how to best manage and do business with people you don't know much about. It would tell you the truth about say, how certain people from certain countries really do have a better reputation as workers than people, say from other countries. It would fully and clearly confront stereotypes, not discarding them automatically, rather, exploring the possibility of at least some truth in them and how that truth applies to business.
Seriously, what good does it do you or your business to "embrace" another culture if you don't know how to properly manage that cultural understanding for strategic business growth and development? There is an uncomfortable tension here to be sure but I wanted to make you think for a moment.
To be succint, if I had to choose between "embracing diversity" or "managing culture," I would manage culture.
...................................................................................................... posted by Ricardo González on February 17, 2009.
I couldn't believe my ears when I heard the Verizon ad below.
Basically, this young man is asking the young ladies father for her hand in marriage. Ok, Latino culture, tradition, respect to family — so far so good. He assures the father that his daughter will be properly provided for, etc. He assures him that they will have well educated kids. Really good.
He then goes into this, "since now I'm almost sure (about the marriage? almost sure?) I want to ask you for one favor." This is weird but more weird is the favor he seeks. Amazingly, he says, .... No, watch the video below. It is subtitled so you'll see it there.
You saw it right? How do you equate "trying out" a man's daughter for thirty days to trying out a phone service for thirty days? Makes absolutely no sense to me and avoid this type of approach to Latinos that ridicules the family.
Of course, I certainly don't like a Spanish language voiceover with the top of the visual in English at the very end of the ad but the worst thing here is the absolute poor choice of humor that denigrates this man's daughter. Just really bad advertising. Don't make the same mistake.
...................................................................................................... posted by Ricardo González on February 16, 2009.
I'm on the phone this morning with a 23 year old young man living in Kentucky and I asked him, "What is motivating you to learn Spanish?"
He said, "Well, I was in Europe traveling with my university and I went into a McDonalds with some friends. The person at the counter talked to us in English, turned around and talked to the other employees in French, and then, as we were leaving, started speaking Spanish to the people who were in line behind us!"
Does this speak to you like it did to the young man in Kentucky? It should.
P.S. - For the best Spanish learning course in the country, go here.
I had the privilege of doing training on cultural management issues with the Carmel, IN (just north of Indianapolis) police department last week.
As you know, Latinos and Law Enforcement have had multiple challenges all throughout the U.S.
Topics of training were the dynamics of cultural management communications, trust and loyalty issues, machismo, the Latino family and law enforcement, education and high school drop-out issues, domestic violence, DUI's in the Latino society, arrest issues and effective public relations and community involvement with Latinos.
Awareness for this type of training was heightened by a police officer (not from Carmel Police Department) from an area department who was stopping undocumented Latinos and threatening to turn them over to Homeland Security unless they gave him "hush money." This guy was late 30's, with a family, and a respected member of the community. He is now in jail. Sad.
I was really impressed with both Chief Michael Fogarty and Lt. John Foster. They both want to get ahead of the Latino/Non-Latino issues in their community. They are to be commended for both their integrity and vision to do things that are truly in the best interest of the entire community. Honestly, they are ahead of the curve as Carmel is not a densely populated Latino area — at least yet. Frankly, you don't meet people like this too often so I walked away feeling very good about my time there. By the way, around 35 percent of the officers in attendance also expressed some interest in learning Spanish! Impressive to say the least.
If you are in law enforcement, or know of a community that could benefit from this type of training, let us know. We'll see what we can do to help.
I would love to see you at this event! If you are in the construction related fields, real estate or a lending agency, this is be an outstanding opportunity for you.
Click on the image to your left to download the .pdf file of the registration form.
Sponsored by Brighthouse Networks and The Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida.
This is going to be a great event and you will profit incredibly by the information and training given. I invite you to come as my guest. The tickets are very reasonable and this is a great way to get high ROI with Latinos.
As we approach the inauguration of President Obama it's worth taking a quick look at a short clip of a speech he gave on the campaign trail regarding being bilingual in America.
Russia and China have now officially become more relevant in Latin America than the United States. This should be front-page news but it isn't. Our country is asleep on this important issue.
These two super powers should present a very formidable concern for the Obama administration and incoming Secretary of State Clinton.
China has purchased a great deal of the natural resources in South America. Russia is preparing to send three warships to Cuba. Venezuela has purchased billions in military weaponry from Russia.
Years ago, the disciples of Jesus were taught to reach people first in Judea (their local region), then Samaria (the regional area) and then to the uttermost parts of the earth. For all the talk of the United States being a "Christian" nation, we certainly are not taking this teaching into consideration as it relates to Latin America which, for purposes of dialogue here, let's call our "Samaria."
Over the past several years, both Democrats and Republicans have virtually ignored Latin America. We have further alienated those who oppose us (Chávez, the Castro brothers, Morales, etc.), unfortunately failed to approve a trade agreement with the most pro U.S. country in South America (Colombia) and angered our closest neighbor (Mexico) with our ratcheted up rhetoric on the immigrations debate.
Now, on our doorstep, we have Russian warships coming into Cuban waters and for the first time since we can remember, a Latino Regional Summit to which the United States is not welcome. The Obama administration should start giving some attention to our "Samaria" or we will eventually pay a very heavy price as a people and a nation.
If you would like to read more on this subject, read this.
...................................................................................................... posted by Ricardo González on December 15, 2008.
This is one of those posts I dislike writing. All of us want to write positive things about our own people but we have to keep it real here.
We should all be very concerned about the High School drop-out rate among Latinos in the United States. By all accounts it hovers around 50 percent nationally.
This is beyond unacceptable.
This is pathetic!
Obviously, there are multiple social and political factors at work here. The solution to this problem is not going to be an easy one. We could ask how we got to this point and that might bring us a bit of understanding. The real question, however, isn't how we got to this point, rather how do we create a different reality?
I have hesitated to comment or write about this issue publicly knowing full well that some people in the Latino community will react. Well, perhaps a reaction will be the catalyst to begin change. Awareness is, after all, always the first step to real change. The other day, Jerry González, the Executive Director of the Georgia Assocation of Latino Elected Officials were talking together and this subject came up when I asked what he believed to be the most important issue today in the Latino community. His immediate answer was, "education."
Ok then, education it must be and it must start with graduating our own children from high school.
Reality #1: There is no national Latino voice leading this charge. I don't know of any Latino leader who is leading in this area. If this is our biggest challenge then perhaps we need a person who will take the lead on this issue.
Reality #2: Parents must be taught how to engage in the educational process. Far too many Latino parents are disengaged from their children's education. How can we Latinos honestly continue to say, "family is first" when many of us don't care enough about our own children's future to get them out of high school? Those who don't know how to engage in the process should be taught how to do so.
Reality #3: The Cubans are the example here. I hate to split the Latino populace but reality is reality and it can be very instructive. Someone in the Latino community needs to study the Cuban family view towards education because for the most part they are doing a great job in this area. I must also say that the Colombians are also doing much better at this than the rest of the Latino populace in this country. Cubans, for example, are only 3 percent of the Latino populace in the United States but Cubans hold 70 percent of the Masters Degrees in this country among Latinos. They must be doing something right.
I have a very good Cuban friend whose parents held the positions of school janitor and school cook respectively. Neither speaks English very well. They have five children. Are you ready for this? One is a CEO of a tech company, the other a highly successful real estate agent, another a doctor, another a teacher and another a nurse. Some Latino sociologist should go and interview those two parents and figure out exactly what they did to produce such a crop of Cubanos!
I know a Colombian single mom who has raised three daughters and all three are outstanding students with high grade point averages. One is graduating from college in the medical field, the other two are making their plans for university study. Again, maybe a Latino sociologist who is interested in profiling successful parenting should interview her as well.
Even when Latinos do graduate from High School, a small percentage of those go to college and of those who do enroll into college, less than 20 percent actually finish the degree program.
I understand there are pressing economic and social issues. I understand that many Latino families are of a lower socio-economic class. There are multiple and real issues that are in play. I truly do understand this. My purpose here is not to highlight those issues, rather to underscore the actual issue at hand. Reasons and solutions can be examined. I simply want to draw attention to this issue and by doing so, hopefully light a fire under someone, or a group of people, who will begin to take the lead in this incredibly important mission. Are you, or do you know, that person?
Let’s face it, we all need more friends! There is an old adage I heard many years ago that says, “No contact, no impact.” We could change that and easily, and truthfully say, “No Contact, No Influence.’
Do you need more friends? I sure do. I want as many as I can have! Building friendships requires us to be able to communicate with the people we meet.
Friends open doors to deeper personal joy, business opportunities, and for some, even the joy of finding their soul mate.
The Value of Hundreds of New Friends
Could you put a monetary or personal value, say, on getting more than 100 new friends in the next year? I couldn’t. That’s one of the beautiful things about the Latino culture — most people love people. Latinos especially love making friends with Americans who have taken the time to learn Spanish.
This past Sunday I was in church and noticed a very joyful spirit in the man who was there as a greeter. He was different, just a wonderful spirit. We started to talk and I learned that he was from Germany.
He was wearing a tie and the tie had, in Spanish, “Padre nuestro, que estás en los cielos…” That means, “Our Father which art in heaven…” The whole prayer was on his tie in Spanish. I asked him if he spoke Spanish.
He grinned from ear to ear and started to speak with me in Spanish. It turns out that this man was a very high level attorney and business professor from Germany who has done a lot of work for the European Union in many parts of Latin America. He also was a professor of business for several years at the University of Puerto Rico. Learning Spanish absolutely changed his life for the better. He told me that one of his very best friends is a president of a well known banking system in Latin America. Ironically, his friend has the same name as mine. So now, he has two friends named Ricardo González!
The Power of Influence
Talk about influencing people. I had one student who learned Spanish, packed it up for Central America and started a mission to help poor people in the region. I am sure that Spanish learner doesn’t lack for friends in the towns of that region! He is an amazing person, who caught a vision and acted upon it. Do you have a vision for making more friends and influencing more people? I hope this article will fan that flame in you.
The other day, a student in our Spanish program asked me if I would pray that God would give him wisdom in how to best use his Spanish to make a positive impact in the Latino community. I can't tell you how much it encourages me to know that so many people not only want to make friends but they also want to have a positive influence on the Latino culture.
The point here is that we all need more friends for both personal and business reasons and by 2050 there will be nearly 150 million Latinos in the United States. We must also make a sincere attempt to influence people for good once they are in our lives. Most of them will speak Spanish, have extended families here in the United States and in Latin America and for you to relate you’ll need to speak Spanish. For you to develop business friendships and partnerships with them, you’ll need to be able to speak Spanish.
This is true even if they speak English. Latinos love to speak Spanish, it is a rich, flowing and beautiful language. There is just something about the Spanish language that makes it easier to relax and enjoy conversation together. That’s why it is called a romance language.
So, if you ever feel a little bit lonely, learn Spanish. You’ll never lack for friends in this wonderful group of accepting, inclusive and fun people! Never. Nunca. Thousands of Americans have told me this and I know it is true. I want you to experience the richness of friendship with Latinos for yourself.
How About a Little Latin Style Romance? (don't read this part if you are married!)
Yesterday, I was in my office talking with a man who told me that his only goal for learning Spanish was to make money. Now, that’s a perfectly legitimate, and even fantastic reason for learning Spanish. In fact, I have an article just on that subject right here. Now, mind you, this guy was in his 60’s, single and living in Orlando, FL where there are a lot of beautiful Latina women. So, just to prod a bit, I asked him if he had ever thought about the possibility of dating a Latina. His eyes lit up! He said he had but he couldn’t talk with them or relate with their families. Hello! ¡Hola! So, I said, “it’s not just about making money is it, you wouldn’t mind at all to make a special friend who just happens to speak Spanish?” He just smiled.
You see, whether you have entertained the idea of finding a future partner out of the 45 million Latinos in this country (or from other countries!) or you just see the incredible possibilities for increasing your number of friendships with a people group that is notoriously inclusive, accepting and fun, learning Spanish is an absolute must.
A Very Friendly Offer
As a friend, I want to make you a very special offer regarding you learning Spanish. As you know, Bilingual America offers the very best Spanish learning course in the country for people wanting to communicate well. To get a special, get started offer, just call our Toll Free number, ask to speak with someone regarding the SpanishPower™ program and use the following code: makefriendsgr
I have a special 15% discount on courseware, a 10% discount on tutoring and 10% discount on course certification. Remember the code: makefriendsgr
Many Americans are mentally stressed out. Many of us are walking around with brain fog. We’re on overload!
We see thousands of media messages daily, people pressuring us, information to filter and process, situations that stress us and much more. We are the most mentally afflicted people in history.
Let’s face another sobering truth; we’re not getting any younger and age related memory diseases are on the rise. Even one of the most revered men in recent history, Ronald Reagan, was not exempt from Alzheimer’s disease. This strong, actor turned governor, turned President of the world’s most powerful nation, was completely weakened and eventually, killed by the loss of his mental faculties. Memory diseases are horrible.
A Bright Light of Hope is Shining
None of us are above this but there is some light shining through in some recent studies. Studies are conclusive that people who are bilingual from youth on average will stave off dementia type diseases for up to four years longer than people who are monolingual. Some are also suggesting that even adults who learn a second language well are able to rev up their mental motor skills thus fighting off symptoms of dementia in old age.
Learning another language well is good for the brain and may just add some quality years to your life! The mental skills that are developed and tuned to process another language after years of speaking and thinking in only one language is, by many accounts, the very best thing we can do for our brains. Learning another language stimulates the brain like no other activity on earth.
Some Canadian researchers are reporting on their findings in this area. Read the following excerpt from a study published in the February 2007 issue of Neuropsychologia (Vol.45, No.2):
"We are pretty dazzled by the results," says principal investigator Ellen Bialystok, Ph.D., whose research team at Baycrest included psychologist Dr. Fergus Craik, a world authority on age-related changes in memory processes, and neurologist Dr. Morris Freedman, an eminent authority on understanding the mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment due to diseases such as Alzheimer's.
"Our study found that speaking two languages throughout one's life appears to be associated with a delay in the onset of symptoms of dementia by four years compared to those who speak one language," says Dr. Bialystok, Professor of Psychology at York University and Associate Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest.”
"There are no pharmacological interventions that are this dramatic," says Dr. Freedman, who is Head of the Division of Neurology, and Director of the Memory Clinic at Baycrest, referring to the four-year delay in onset of symptoms for bilingual patients.
What Value Do You Put on Your Brain?
I have never had a student tell me, “I really regret learning Spanish. It didn’t help me in business and it really hurt my brain function.” Can you imagine the silliness of such a comment? On the contrary, I have had so many people tell me, “Not only did learning Spanish help me in business, help me make more friends, but it actually helped me to learn to think better. My brain is more nimble, I am more creative in my thinking and I feel freed up mentally.”
So, I ask you, why don’t you learn Spanish? It’s great for the brain, obviously would help in business and in making tons of new friends. What keeps you from it? Money? Doubtful, we all spend money on what we highly value. If I put a brand new Mercedes Coup in front of you and said, here, for $3000 you can have it. That’s a $60,000 car my friend! I am pretty sure you would find the $3000. So, it’s not money.
It might be that you don’t put a high enough value on your brain, your business or increasing the number of friends you have. That could be the real truth. If you face that truth and act upon it you will be set free. I just want to make you think. I just want you to use the brain that we’re talking about. I want to snap you out of that brain fog that keeps putting off doing a quality Spanish program. It makes no sense and that is almost like dementia in and of itself, even if you are still relatively young.
Will you make a decision to put a much higher value on your own brain and make a step to become truly bilingual?
How SpanishPower™ is GREAT for Your Brain
SpanishPower™ is far and away the best (and most thoughtful!) Spanish training course in the country for people who want to achieve high levels of proficiency. By the way, just learning enough Spanish to get by will do nothing for your brain function. The point is to achieve a high level of proficiency. SpanishPower™ implements memory systems like no other course. Let me just give you a few examples of the memory movement in the course.
First of all, in Step Two we have a very sophisticated memory card system that is designed to use throughout the day. If you do your initial ten reps at different times throughout the day you will get more motor movement than if you do ten reps all at one time. I recommend that when you start Step Two, you do two reps and then do the other eight reps throughout that day. In Step Three, after your audio teaching, we ask you to go back and do a three-step review. This is really a memory technique and if implemented correctly will solidify the initial information. Step Four, Writing and Revision Exercises, if done correctly (you speaking aloud as you write) is an outstanding mental motor process as you harmonize seeing, saying, hearing and feeling (you are writing) all at the same time. This gives optimal mental motor skill movement. Also, you are being guided to move from one language to the other which is key in motor skill development. Step Five is another memory motor skill with the cards and Step Six Paced Reading develops flow and movement in the brain.
Mi amigo or mi amiga, SpanishPower™ is like putting your brain on mental steroids if you will take it seriously. There is no other course, nor activity, that will exercise your brain like this course will! If reading this has you considering taking a serious Spanish learning course, I invite you to check out SpanishPower™ now.
Even McDonalds, the king of cheap, recognizes the financial value of being bilingual in English and Spanish. In many areas they pay at least a dollar more an hour for bilingual help.
Many international companies now require new applicants to be bilingual in English and Spanish and pay them more for being so.
Tap Into The 700 Billion Dollar Latino Purchasing Power in the U.S. Alone
Smart entrepreneurs recognize this value as well. They quickly understand that Latinos in this country have over a $700 BILLION dollar purchasing power and by 2010 it is projected to reach $1 TRILLION.
Do you want to make more money? If so, learn Spanish. Forward thinking sales executives, attorneys, physicians, nurses, entrepreneurs, public servants and students entering the job market are all learning the truth that being bilingual is not only good for us mentally (studies suggest a link to limiting memory diseases such as
Alzheimer’s) but it’s good for our pocketbook.
The question is not, can I afford to learn Spanish, the question is, can you afford not to? That, mi amigo, is the real question.
Some People Who “Get It”
I remember a lady who came to us who owned a very small medical clinic. We talked, she decided to learn Spanish and now she owns one of the largest women’s medical clinics in the entire Southeastern United States. Yes, a large percentage of her clients are now Latinas. Her growth was catapulted by her learning Spanish.
Another person I know was able to get a great promotion (with a hefty raise) in an international company due to learning Spanish. Several airline employees were not only able to get a raise but by learning Spanish were able to get on the preferred, and much more exciting international routes.
John Schuerholz, former General Manager of the Atlanta Braves and now Chairman of the organization, once told me, there are three things every young person should learn if they want to work in Major League Baseball; 1. A little bit about baseball, 2. Computer skills, and 3. Spanish. Maybe YOU would like to hit a home run and get in on some action? I certainly hope so.
Former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, said that he felt it was imperative for him to learn Spanish in order to make a greater impact. Many people would consider Speaker Gingrich “too conservative” to learn Spanish but smart people get it no matter their political views.
The other day I was walking by the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL and noticed A LOT of very well dressed Latinos going into the building. I stopped a couple of people and asked them what was going on. It was Amway’s Annual Latino Global Awards meeting. It was packed. I asked one of the men I talked with how their business was going and he said that it was even better now with the economy down since so many people were looking to make additional income. Hey, there’s an idea for you! Join a reputable multi-level marketing company and start developing a down line with Latinos! No, I am not a member of any of those organizations but a lot of people have become very wealthy in them and if you learned Spanish, you might just be the next. Dream a little bit my friend!
The FLOOD of Latinos in The Job Market
There are now around 45 million Latinos in the United States. The Census Bureau is projecting up to 140 million by 2050! The population growth in the United States is primarily Latino and has been for the last several years. This means that there will be a FLOOD of bilingual people in the job market and if you don’t learn Spanish it will be very, very difficult for you (or your children!) to compete in this economy. Of course, we’re not even considering that a large part of our hemisphere is composed of countries that are Spanish-speaking countries. These are emerging countries and there is a lot of money to be made for astute business people or people looking for good jobs in international organizations.
Is it Really the Economy?
The tendency in difficult economic times is to entrench and coil up in a ball and wait for it to pass. There are two main problems with this type of thinking. First, while time is passing, millions more are becoming bilingual in English and Spanish just making it that much more difficult for you to compete in the job market or in the business environment if you are an entrepreneur or business owner. Second, it does take some time to learn (thankfully not too long in the SpanishPower™ course) and by the time you learn well enough to conduct business the economy will be in a position where you can really make the most of your Spanish and get your return on investment and much more back very, very quickly.
---Did this article get you thinking seriously about learning Spanish? If so, learn more about the best Spanish learning course in the country right here.---
