A Very Latino Christmas in the U.S.
One of the joys of living in a country with such a high number of immigrants is witnessing how people from different cultures meld traditions from their home country with those of the U.S. Christmastime for Latino immigrants is no different, though the traditions brought from Latin America are much more evident in areas with […]
Should Americans Learn Spanish?
If you visit any of the scores of language immersion programs in Latin America, you’d think that Americans are thrilled to learn Spanish. And anyone who attended a four year college or university probably had a least a few friends who spent a semester in Spain, Guatemala, or Argentina. But set foot in the United […]
Providing Financial Services to the “Unbanked”
An article from the website Hispanic Bank Marketing cites that roughly 56 percent of Latinos are currently “unbanked,” meaning that they do not use financial institutions to keep their money safe and grow their savings. Why such a high percentage? The usual suspects of distrust, lack of accessibility, language barriers, and lack of understanding about […]
Translation Outreach and Bilingual Employees: Two Halves of a Whole
Many business owners and service providers are sold on the importance of providing Spanish language translations of their documents. Ensuring that Spanish speakers understand your written message will enable you to tap into a new demographic if you own a business or reach out to people who need your services if you are a nonprofit […]
Latinos “Moved the Needle” in 2008’s Historic Election
As we mentioned in an earlier Transpanish Blog post, several groups pushed for Latino permanent residents to apply for citizenship in time for this year’s election. In fact, one in five new voters is Hispanic. Both Obama and McCain spent millions reaching out to Hispanic voters, especially in the swing states. These campaigns, along with […]
Nearing Election Day, Latino Vote Becomes Critical
In the spring and summer of 2007, organizations working with immigrants made a huge campaign to encourage people to apply for citizenship for two reason: to beat the monumental fee increase in the end of July 2007 and to get America’s newest citizens ready in time for November 4th. More than a million applied for […]
Latinos and Real Estate
As people in the United States of all socio-economic classes worry about financial problems, Latinos are disproportionately getting hit with foreclosures on their properties. Why are Latinos losing their homes to foreclosure at a faster rate than other demographics? The upsurge in subprime mortgages (mortgages with high interest rates and tenuous ethics meant specifically for […]
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
We are right in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15th to October 15th. These 31 days are meant to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the U.S.’s largest linguistic and ethnic minority. The month-long homage to the contributions that Hispanics (those who trace their roots to Spanish-speaking countries) appropriately begins […]
