Hispanics are aggressive drivers according to new State Farm research

Talk about this for a stat: 67% of Hispanic drivers have experienced an act of aggressive driving 6x or more in the past 3 months. The holiday season means many things to many different people, but you would think we would steer away from the "Grinch" mood. I must say my dad used to be one of those aggressive drivers; and it may have been passed to me. According to the online survey conducted by State Farm and KRC Research of 565 drivers over 18 years old, there's definitely room for improvement.

More results:

• Younger Hispanic drivers (ages 18-49) and Hispanic parents were significantly more likely to report being provoked to feel or engage in aggressive driving during a major winter holiday compared to their respective counterparts. 
• Over half (52 percent) of Hispanic drivers say men and women are equally as likely to be courteous while driving. The majority of Hispanic drivers (54 percent) cite men as the most likely culprits of aggressive driving, compared to only 1 in 10 that say women are more likely. Surprisingly, Hispanic males are significantly more likely than females to point the finger at men as being the most likely to engage in aggressive driving. 
• Top situations most likely to make Hispanic drivers drive aggressively were traffic jams (68 percent), running late (59 percent) and road closures or construction (47 percent)

Interesting results indeed. Let's stay safe out there people. Whatever you're driving too can most certainly wait. Para más información y consejos de cómo mantenerlo a usted y a su familia seguros en la carretera en esta temporada de fiestas, visite http://st8.fm/cg3.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil final draw announced

COSTA DO SAUIPE, BRAZIL - DECEMBER 06: FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke holds up the name of Argentina during the Final Draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil at Costa do Sauipe Resort on December 6, 2013 in Costa do Sauipe, Bahia, Brazil. (Photo by Shaun Botterill - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Every four years the entire world goes crazy and roots for their favorite country in the FIFA World Cup. And because we always want to know where our favorite team is playing, today all 32 final teams were sorted out in their eight groups. Will you be watching? Who are you rooting for?

Let's take a look at the groups.

Group A:

• Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon.

Group B

• Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia

Group C

• Colombia, Greece, Cote d'Ivoire, Japan

 Group D

• Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy

Group E

• Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras

Group F

• Argentina, Bosina-Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria

Group G

• Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA

Group H

• Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic 

Thalia earns her estrella in Hollywood

In Hollywood news, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that performer Thalia was honored today with the 2,514th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “Thalia is hailed by her fans as the queen of Latin Pop.  She is a singer and actress, as well as an author, radio personality and entrepreneur” stated Ana Martinez, Producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies.

So how many Latinos have the estrella? According to a 2012 article in Latina.com, "Over 50 Latinos have made their eternal mark on the infamous Hollywood Walk of Fame. You can thank our natural talent, charisma, and work ethic for that one! Thalia and Javier Bardem are the latest to earn the honorable estrella." Fun fact:Thalia is the first Mexican-born singer to get a star on Hollywood Blvd!

Are you ready? I am! pic.twitter.com/jzeS0j55kI
— Ana Martinez (@wofstargirl) December 5, 2013

.@Thalia posa en su #ThaliaStar en el #PaseoDeLaFama http://t.co/6sQ2ORq8In pic.twitter.com/BGtjYQLOYk
— TVyNovelas México (@TvyNovelasMex) December 5, 2013

#Thalia and husband tommy Mottola on the hollywood walk of fame about to get her Star #ThaliaStarHollyWood pic.twitter.com/XcL3EGfwz7
— CLAUDIA GONZALEZ (@CLAUDIA__TV) December 5, 2013

Daytime Emmy Awards announce new categories recognizing Spanish-language media

How about that, after many years of Hispanic television, the Daytime Emmy's have finally decided to add Spanish-language categories. Now Univision, Telemundo, MundoFox and others have the opportunity to celebrate the hard work in television broadcasting.

“The growth of Spanish-language media over the last 50 years has been very closely followed by our organization,” NATAS chairman Malachy Wienges said. “American television is changing at a rapid pace, driven by the growth of multicultural audiences who often speak more than one language. The Spanish-language media continues to grow exponentially each year, and NATAS believes it is long-overdue that we recognize its excellence in our industry.”

We are all very aware that unlike mainstream media, Spanish-language news and primetime programming have been growing at a rapid rate. It also outshines in ratings. According to the press release, the Univision Network won the July sweeps, beating ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX as measured by Nielsen, becoming the #1 network for Adults 18-49, the most coveted demographic for US advertisers. And all this regardless of language!

The nine new categories are as followed:

• Daytime Emmy® Awards Outstanding Morning Program in Spanish (For a Series) 
• Outstanding Entertainment Program in Spanish (For a Series) 
• Outstanding Daytime Talent in a Spanish-Language Program (For a Series)
  
• Sports Emmy® Awards Outstanding Live Sports Coverage in Spanish 
• Outstanding Studio Show in Spanish 
• Outstanding On-Air Sports Talent in Spanish
  
• News & Documentary Emmy® Awards Outstanding Newscast or News Magazine In Spanish 
• Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Story in Spanish
• Outstanding Investigative Journalism in Spanish

The question now is will these awards be televised? You know what usually happens. 

Congratulations Gabriela Isler, newly crowned Miss Universe

That's right the newly crowned Miss Universe is (and was) Miss Venezuela! Representing Latinas across the entire world, Gabriela Isler is bound to bring focus on the every growing political landscape from her country. But who cares about that right? According to some fun facts in Latina Magazine, Isler is the third Venezuelan to win the pageant in six years! The country is quickly becoming renowned for its beautiful women!

The top 5 finalists included 4th Runner Up, Brazil; 3rd Runner Up, Philippines; 2nd Runner Up, Ecuador and rounding up 2nd is Spain. Notice a trend there? To be honest, I was more impressed by the Miss Universe National Costume runway show.

Watch below.

Spanish In Colombia

Well this is something interesting I just came across on Facebook. From what I've found, Spanish in Colombia is a new educational tourism push to study español in Colombia. Sponsored and paid for by the Colombian government, the web site gives information about the programs and courses in Spanish as a Foreign Language (ELE) offered by Colombian universities as well as relevant content for ELE teacher training. I've always said the best way to learn a language is to dig deep and get dirty. Speaking Spanish or another language with your friends helps but living and studying in another country would benefit you in more ways than you can think of.

Although I have no proof, many of my friends have agreed that Colombians speak the best Spanish in the world. And from what it looks like in their social sphere, they are targeting North Americans as well as other international countries. I applaud the motherland for including education and travel into this great campaign.

For more information visit http://spanishincolombia.gov.co/. 

Amtrak launches DescubreNorteAmerica.com

In today's "businesses are still looking into Hispanic marketing" news, Amtrak launched a bilingual microsite targeting Hispanic consumers: DescubreNorteAmerica.com. Although Amtrak.com (main website), will be the official travel-planning resource for all travelers, the microsite is a culturally focused travel site that hosts unique and original multicultural voices of a rotating set of featured bloggers. 

The blog (currently at 3 posts) so far doesn't necessarily focus on selling any tickets. The latest post, "Batter up! The legacy of Dominicans “Domi-nating” the world of baseball," discusses Dominican influence in baseball and vice versa. According to the press release and Lilliana Lopez, Amtrak editor of DescubreNorteAmerica.com, "Diversity begins with respect. Respect for the community, for culture and, of course for you." I love it! The blog pushes a message that we (Latinos) speak both English and Spanish and do indeed travel. Looking forward to reading the wide range of topics. 

Amtrak also launched two additional microsites: MyBlackJourney.com for African American consumers and AmtrakRideWithPride.com for the LGBT community. 

The ongoing Hispanic versus Latino story

The truth is, we do care. According to a new Pew Research Center survey of Hispanic adults, half (50%) say they have no preference for identifying with either Hispanic or Latino. But among those who do have a preference, “Hispanic” is preferred over “Latino” by a ratio of about 2-1. Texas however has something else to say about the topic. According to the survey, among Hispanic Texans 46% prefer the term Hispanic, while just 8% say they prefer the term “Latino”—roughly a 6-to-1 ratio.

You actually have to dig deeper because some people will say neither, they will say American. But others will report back to their country of origin like Colombian or Puerto Rican. The identifying term is very important because this is how businesses and organizations cater towards our community. If you see an ad referring to the term Latino, but you prefer Hispanic, you may not want their product or service.

I'm actually very surprised the term Hispanic is still high in percentage since in reality, it was a term defined by the U.S. government and only ties us with Spanish roots. Latino encompasses all three cultures: Spanish, African, Indigenous. I honestly named this blog after Geraldo River's book, however, I prefer the term Latino. It's also evident that in mainstream media and professional organizations, the term Hispanic is used more often than Latino.

So what's your preference?