American Hispanics by the Numbers

As of 2013 Latino buying power stands at an impressive $1.2 trillion, with women driving the purchases. Right now, with 53 million Latinos in the U.S., one in six Americans is Latino. In three short decades, it will be closer to one in three. These are all facts.

But where else do we get our facts? The media? Television shows? These are all biased mediums that don't really showcase the passion and statistics. This is where a forthcoming book comes into play...Latino Stats: American Hispanics by the Numbers.

The Evolution of Leadership Within the [Philly] Puerto Rican community

If you're into Puerto Rican history, then don't miss out on Taller Puertorriqueño's upcoming Meet the Author Series: The Evolution of Leadership Within the Puerto Rican Community. Ariel Arnau will be discusing his article, The Evolution of Leadership Within the Puerto Rican Community of Philadelphia, 1950s-1970s. This presentation discusses the generational change in community leadership and the conflicts over control in Philadelphia's Puerto Rican community. 

During my nine years in Philadelphia I met great leaders in the community. Most of Philly's Latino community is Puerto Rican which coincides with their leadership. I definitely learned a lot and just like any industry or community, it's changing and every growing. For example, making history in November 2007 with nearly 80% of the vote, with tremendous grassroots and community support, Councilwoman Maria D. Quiñones-Sánchez, became the first Puerto Rican/Latino elected to a district City Council seat and the first Latina to serve on the Philadelphia City Council. And it doesn't stop there. Philadelphia is booming with young Latino leaders.

Mr. Arnau is a graduate student at the CUNY Graduate Center working on a PhD in history. He currently teaches Latin American Studies at Temple University. Click here to read the article in advance.

The end of the world (in a book)

Today I finished reading Steve Alten's Domain. Although written in 2002, it was crazy reading the story in the era it was written for. The story looks at the lives of the Gabriel family and how they were truly obsesses with the Mayan calendar and the 2500-year-old enigma that predicts the end of humanity in 2012. Dad Julius believe the sites of the ancients, placed all around the glob, represent ancient pieces of a puzzle linked to the salvation of our species...or not.

Now it's November 2012 and a psychology student, Dominique Vazquez, intertwines her life into the Gabriel family. Somehow she's connected to the destruction and as we approach closer and closer to December 21, 2012, lives are lost, trust is broken and we faith is questioned. Is the prophecy correct? I was even questioning everything but as I got closer to the end I had to keep telling myself this is a fiction novel. Right? To be honest I haven't read a book in years but thanks to the recommendation from my brother (and purchasing a Nook), I kept going.

P.S. Domain is only one part of a three-part series -_-