november 2013 queviva

Indiana’s Premier Bilingual Magazine NOVEMBER 2013

8Director of Community Affairs and RelationsOffice of Indiana Governor Mike Pence.

A DreamTranscends Barriers

Humble Beginnings, Unparalleled Results: Instituto del Progreso Latino, Chicago, IL - Page 6

Diego Morales

Why is America not number 1?Karin Chenoweth, Education TrustPage14

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NOVEMBER 2013

As the holiday season fast approaches those strolls on crisp autumn nights allow us the opportunity to reflect upon the meaning of Thanks-giving. Many of us, in our own, way take the opportunity to look back upon the calendar year and take stock of the events, both positive, neutral and not so positive and put them in their proper perspec-tive. Through the journey of living out our lives we are continuously reminded by daily events of the precious gift that life is for us all.

In this issue we continue to focus on people who have walked journeys that ,warrant not only our applause, but who are torchbearers and prime examples of everyday people doing things incredibly well. Through the course of less than one decade, our featured guest, Diego Morales, managed to “leapfrog” what some families in any community have taken as many as three generations to accomplish. His story is one of passion for excellence and an unquenchable thirst for knowl-edge with a steadfast and ironclad commitment to his newly adopted homeland and country.

Epiphanies that flashed across his mind as a young man led Juan Salgado to identify “what filled his soul” to the benefit of many in Chicago. He along with his trusted team propelled what started out as a small organization to one that is renowned for its effectiveness on a national scale and recognized by none other than the White House as a “Champion of Change”. His organization presents opportunities for those interested in bettering their lives.

We touch upon a cultural iconic parade that has been part of Northwest Indiana, the Mexican Independence Parade, both to honor its current president, Tony Barreda, and to show the degree of tenac-ity and fervor to celebrating Mexican culture while, at the same time, being sensitive to daily life and how geopolitical events unfold for our country.

The traditional focus on education and business follows the same thread we have had since the inception of Que Viva! We continue to expand our footprint well beyond the Region as we are now reaching to every major metropolitan city in the United States and throughout Latin America.

We thank you for your readership as we continue to make every effort to bring relevant topics that are of value to our readers and just as importantly, a message of “Si Se Puede!”. We have countless examples in our issues, including this one, of people who have triumphed by having the strong belief that success is just ahead and never losing sight of it.

We look forward t your feedback and wish each of you and your families a very happy and safe Thanksgiving 2013.

We look forward to your thoughts and feedback,

Que Viva! Magazine [email protected]/quevivaindiana

Que Viva! , LLC219-973-5488 / www.QueVivaIndiana.com The Que Viva! Team in Coordination with:

Guest Columnist Daniel O. (Danny) Lopez

Guest Columnist Jerry Davich

Guest Columnist Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Health Segment Contributor David Carrillo

SCIENCE CONTRIBUTOR Dr. David L. Cedeño

Art and Layout Director Domi Edwards

COVER / Feature story photos J.Wiggins / www.jmarshell.com

Sales/Ventas

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Editorial & Submissions/Editorial y Presentaciones

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Indiana’s Premier Bilingual Magazine

NOVEMBER 2013

3Que Viva! Editorial

Guest Column5Preventing employment discrimination lawsuits - Jamal Smith

Education Section6-10Humble Beginnings, Unparalleled Results: A Success Story - Que Viva! Magazine Staff

12American Schools Missing 389,000 Teachers: Associated Press

13Techies Urge Kids to Learn Code: PBS Newshour Extra, Elise Garofalo

14Why is America not Number 1? Karin Chenoweth, Education Trust

recipe section25Ropa Vieja, Cuban Meat Stew; Goya Foods

business Section27Guerrilla Marketing for Small Business is More Than Crazy Pens - Michael Sobus, Ph.D.

28Keeping your creative juices flowing, when you’re always busy - Debra Kaye

29Realizing the Potential of Latino Small Business - National Council of La Raza

international Section32Inflation, corruption, inequality top list of Chinese public’s concerns - Pew Research

18 feature articleA Dream Transcends Barriers - Diego Morales

Jamal Smith is the Executive Director of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC). The ICRC investigates complaints of discrimination and educates organizations, companies, landlords, associations, and individuals on their rights and responsibilities under the Indiana Civil Rights Law.

18 feature articleA Dream Transcends Barriers - Diego Morales

In employment discrimination lawsuits, the business always loses. Whether an em-ployee’s allegation is later proved to be factual or not, the reputation of the business has already suffered in the court of public opinion. To avoid this, employers need to adopt several serious guidelines for the prevention of dis-crimination in the workplace.

Employment Discrimination Law-

suits Rising

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) statistics reveal that more employment discrimination charges have been filed over the past three years than in any three year period in the agency’s 47 year history. Like our substantially equivalent federal counterpart, we at the Indiana Civil Rights Commission have also seen a rise in employment discrimination complaints in Indiana. A startling trend, that costs businesses millions of dollars each year.

What Employers Can Do to Prevent Employment Discrimination

Employers who put strong measures in place to prevent and address employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation can limit the likelihood of charges and lawsuits brought against them.

Provided below are a list of steps busi-nesses should follow to prevent employment discrimination:

1.) Implement a strict policy that

makes employment discrimination un-

acceptable in your workplace

Developing a comprehensive policy that addresses employment or workplace discrimi-nation is the first step to safeguarding your business from a lawsuit. This policy needs to cover employment discrimination, harass-ment, and retaliation. The policy should also include a process for reporting any incidents. Preferably employees have several methods for reporting employment discrimination in case their supervisor is involved in the matter. This also allows for situations to be handled “in-house” through an internal investigation as opposed to a third-party review by a civil rights agency or law firm.

2.) Train your managers in the imple-

mentation of the anti-discrimination

policy

A manager’s role in this process is to create a work environment and culture in which employment discrimination, harass-ment, and retaliation do not occur. Manag-ers must recognize signs and symptoms that discrimination, harassment, or retaliation is occurring and know how to address these illegal actions. Managers must thoroughly understand the company’s policy and know how to recognize work situations that might escalate into employment discrimination, harassment or retaliation situations.

3.) Conduct an annual employee

training

An annual review of your employment discrimination policy should be mandatory for all employees. You should require them to sign a training record and to indicate that they are

aware of and understand the employer’s policy and complaint process. There are plenty of training options available; including our Power of Diversity™ Statewide Series which provides free training on employment discrimination. For more information about this program visit: www.in.gov/icrc.

4.) Establish cultural expectations

and norms

Creating a work environment that is free of employment discrimination, and all forms of harassment and retaliation should be integral in employee job descriptions, the goals in the performance development planning process, and in employee review and evaluation. Like with any policy, their effectiveness is dependent on each level of the organization both embracing and enforcing the policy consistently. Taking this policy lightly or assuming employment discrimination just “doesn’t happen” at your organization will make you much more susceptible to a lawsuit.

Final Thoughts

As with any employment situation that could result in litigation, document all aspects of policy training, complaint investigation, hiring and promotion practices, management development and employee training. Your good faith efforts to prevent employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation may serve you well in the event of a lawsuit or discrimination complaint. In addition to saving your organization from financial hard-ship, adopting a comprehensive employment discrimination policy promotes an inclusive and cohesive work environment.

Preventing employment discrimination lawsuits

by Jamal Smith, Indiana Civil Rights Commission

Creating bridges is what Juan Salgado has dedicated his life to. He grew up in South Suburban Calumet Park, IL and through a series of life events, his focus during most of his adult life, has been to help society solve some of its issues. As a youngster playing both football and baseball his care was to optimize his athletic prowess and attain his personal goals in the sport. As he gained wisdom through the guidance of many mentors and coaches, he developed a passion that has served as the bedrock to his success.

During his pursuit of his undergrad-uate degree while at Illinois Wesleyan University he had some epiphanies based on fundamental questions he had about his identity. He had a natural ease, through his many per-sonal attributes, to open doors toward achievement and success. Through the study of Economics, in which he earned a bachelor’s degree, and by proceeding to earn a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning at the University of Illinois, Salgado received answers to his basic questions and expertly put them to good use by orchestrating monumental growth and achievement at El Instituto Del Progreso Latino in Chicago (Institute of Latino Progress),

“Instituto”.

Salgado joined the organization in 2001 as Executive Director and in 2008 was promoted to President and CEO. In May of 2013 he gave the commencement speech at his alma mater, Illinois Wesleyan University to the graduating class and was awarded an honorary doctorate degree.

As an ambassador for his organi-zation, he recognizes that performance

is key. With limited funds, Instituto was founded in 1977 in a former motel in the city of Chicago. Under Salgado’s leadership, Instituto was able to build a beautiful three story steel and glass building in 2010. It houses the Instituto Health Sciences Academy and Instituto Justice Leadership Academy in addi-tion to the core organization Instituto del Progreso Latino.

Dignitaries ranging from Governor Pat Quinn, Congressman Luis Gutierrez, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez and Mayor Rahm Emmanuel are just some examples of individu-als who have been invited to either sign legislation or share significant accomplishments with the community.

“Instituto’s mission is to help people attain upward mobility”, says Salgado,

“Our focus is to catalyze a full partici-pation in U.S. Society through educa-tion, training and employment.” The five key areas Instituto focuses on are: Workforce Development, Adult Basic Education, Youth Development, Citizenship Preparation and Charter Schools. More than eighty percent of their $10 Million per year budget comes primarily from Federal, State and City sources. “When the economy is in rough shape, funding sources are exceptionally vigilant with the effectiveness of each and every dollar they contribute.”

Salgado shares that enacted laws to reduce high school drop-out rates and those enacted to re-enlist “school age” individuals can only be executed upon by systems adept at delivering such results. Through Instituto’s structure, tangible results have been achieved in helping the community better prepare itself toward participation in society.

Humble Beginnings, Unparalleled Results: A Success Story Instituto del Progreso Latino-- Chicago, ILby the Que Viva! Indiana Staff

One example has been the licensed practicing nurse program. “We have helped people with a limited educa-tion, unemployed or earning less than $10 per hour to graduate from our nursing program and land jobs paying as much as $24 per hour.” It is this level of success that has triggered at least one big management consulting firm to invest financial resources at Instituto to facilitate an exchange of methods and knowledge to other learning institutions throughout the nation.

“We started with 40 kids in our small Justice and Leader-ship Academy and grew it little by little throughout the course of time to a total of 250”, says Salgado, “the quality of our work earned us recogni-tion from the Chicago Public School system. “They awarded us with the support and option to build 15 additional Charter Schools.” Salgado notes that Instituto will probably opt to build 4 or 5 in the near term each helping roughly 250 students. “We will con-tinue to target areas with high density of youngsters who are of school age, but not in school, in the Pilsen neighborhood alone, data suggests there are as many as 2000 people that could benefit from our Charter Schools.”

In addition to the tangible fi-nancial support from both the public and private sector, the accolades given to Instituto have come from the

White House with their “Champion of Change” Award in 2011. Additional awards included, Affiliate of the Year, by the National Council of La Raza and the Recognition Award by the U.S. Department of Labor.

“The key is to do the right things, the right way and the right outcomes w i l l follow”, says

Salgado. “By doing so we have been able to garner additional resources in spite of a contracting economy. The most important thing is to be present and attentive to the community and reach out to the outside world and build bridges by making the proper con-nections. You can do a lot of things incredibly well when you work incred-ibly well with others and stay focused on the results”

Salgado loves what he does

and each day when he wakes up he delights in thinking of the things he must do to continue to work on his passion. He has chosen a career that has helped countless people succeed. In his commencement address Salgado shared some of his innermost thoughts:

“Do what stirs your spirit and soul. You might not fully comprehend where you will end up, but the journey will be rewarding and the pay, not always in dollars, will be immense.”

Such philosophical and profound thoughts run deep in his psyche in spite of his harried schedule running a huge organization, raising a young family and being involved in countless Boards. He is one of six children and proud son of Mr. Daniel Salgado Sr. and Mrs. Carmen Salgado. His three older

sisters helped guide him in a direction that would pay

off dividends well beyond the family’s domain. The influence of

his older brother Daniel has been key to the solidification of the values and beliefs taught to them by their parents and grandparents. His key mantra is to be a good husband and a good father. The rest, as he puts it, falls in place naturally.

Society is fortunate to have the likes of Dr. Juan Salgado in its midst. He is an inspiration to all, young and old. Que Viva! Congratulates and applauds his efforts.

Humble Beginnings, Unparalleled Results: A Success Story Instituto del Progreso Latino-- Chicago, ILby the Que Viva! Indiana Staff

El construir puentes ha sido a lo que Juan Salgado se ha dedicado en su vida. Se crió en el suburbio sureño de Chicago de Calumet Park, IL. Por medio de una serie de experiencias de la vida , su enfoque durante la mayor parte de su vida adulta , ha sido la de ayudar a la sociedad el resolver algunos de sus problemas . Cuando era chico al jugar fútbol americano y el béisbol su preocupa-ción se centraba en el optimizar su capacidad atlética y alcanzar sus metas personales deportivas. Al lograr más conocimientos en base a la orientación de muchos mentores y entrenadores , desarrolló una pasión que le ha servido como plataforma para el éxito .

Al ganarse su título universita-rio y al estar matriculado en la Il-linois Wesleyan University, Salgado tuvo algunas epifanías sobre varias preguntas elementales que tenía el acerca de su identidad. Tenía una facilidad natural, a través de sus muchos atributos personales , de abrir las puertas hacia el éxito. A través del estudio de la economía , en la cual se graduó con su licencia-tura , y al proceder al obtener un título de maestría en Planificación Urbana de la Universidad de Illinois, Salgado obtuvo algunas respuestas a sus preguntas y posteriormente con su mente experta pudo orquestar el crecimiento monumental con grandes acontecimientos dentro del Instituto del Progreso Latino en Chicago, IL “Instituto “ .

Salgado se integro al esta orga-nización en el año 2001 como director ejecutivo y en 2008 fue ascendido a Presidente y CEO. En mayo de 2013 el presento el discurso de graduación

en su alma mater , la Universidad de Illinois Wesleyan en el cual se le otorgo un doctorado honoris causa .

Como embajadora de la orga-nización , reconoce que el rendimiento es la clave. Con recursos limitados , el Instituto fue fundado en 1977 en un antiguo motel en la ciudad de Chicago. Bajo el liderazgo de Salgado , en el año 2010 se pudo construir un hermoso edificio de acero y cristal de tres pisos. Alberga la Aca-demia Instituto Ciencias de la Salud y el Instituto Academia de Liderazgo de Justicia , además de la principal organización -- El Instituto del Pro-greso Latino .

Dignatarios , desde el gober-nador Pat Quinn , el congresista Luis Gutiérrez, Anita Alvarez La Procu-radora del Estado de Cook County y el alcalde Rahm Emmanuel son sólo algunos ejemplos de las personas que han sido invitadas ya sea para finali-zar las leyes o para compartir otros logros significativos con la comunidad.

“ La misión del Instituto es ayudar a que las personas a tengan acceso a una movilidad social ascendente “ , dice Salgado , “Nuestro objetivo es catalizar la participación plena en esta sociedad de Estados Unidos a través de la educación, la formación y el empleo . “ Las cinco áreas clave sobra las cuales el Instituto se centra son: El desarrollo de la fuerza laboral , la educación básica para los adultos , el desarrollo de la juventud ,la preparación para la ciudada-nía y las escuelas charter . Más del ochenta por ciento de sus 10 millones de dólares anuales de presupuesto proviene principalmente de fuentes federales, estatales y municipales .

“ Cuando la economía está en mal estado , las fuentes de financiación estan muy atentas y monitorean con mucho cuidado la eficacia cada dólar que aportan. “

Salgado menciona que las leyes promulgadas para reducir la deser-ción escolar y las tasas promulgadas para que se puedan re alistar estos individuos de “edad escolar” sólo se pueden ejecutar en los sistemas con la capacidad de lograr dichos resultados. A través de la estructura

Humildes comienzos , resultados sin precedentes : Una historia de éxito Instituto del Progreso Latino - Chicago, ILpor el Personal de ¡Que Viva!

¡QUE VIVA! | november 20138

del Instituto , los resultados concretos se han logrado para que asi pueda mejor prepararse la comunidad para participar en la sociedad. Un ejemplo ha sido el programa de licenciatura

para enfermeras. “ Hemos ayudado a personas ya sea con una educación limitada , o que están desempleadas o que ganan menos de $ 10 por hora a poder graduarse de nuestro programa de enfermería el poder obtener empleo ganando hasta $24 por hora .” Es este nivel de éxito que ha provocado que al menos una

empresa de consultoría de gestión el invertir recursos financieros para que el Instituto facilite el intercambio de métodos y conocimientos a otras instituciones de enseñanza a través

del pais.

“Iniciamos el programa con solo 40 niños en nuestra Academia de Jus-ticia y Liderazgo y logramos crecerlo poco a poco a lo largo del tiempo a un total de 250 “ , dice Salgado , “la calidad de nuestro trabajo nos lo reconoció el sistema de Escuelas

Públicas de Chicago. “Nos premiaron con un gran apoyo y el potencial del poder construir 15 escuelas Charter adicionales. “ Salgado señala que el Instituto optara por construir solo 4

o 5 escuelas a corto plazo, cada una ayudando a aproximada-mente 250 estudiantes. “vamos a seguir dirigiéndonos hacia las áreas con alta densidad de jóvenes de edad escolar sin estar en la escuela. Solo en el barrio de Pilsen, los datos sugieren que hay algunas 2.000 personas que podrían beneficiarse de las Es-cuelas Charter “ .

Además del apoyo financiero , tanto del sector público como del sector privado, los galardones otorgados a Instituto han venido de la Casa Blanca con el premio “ Campeón del Cambio “ en el 2011. Otros premios incluyen , Afiliado del Año, por el Consejo Nacional de La Raza y el Premio de Reconocimiento por parte del Departamento de Trabajo de Estados Unidos .

“ La clave está en el hecho de hacer bien las cosas, en manera correcta y los resultados correc-tos seguirán “ , dice Salgado. “ Al seguir esta disciplina hemos podido reunir recursos adiciona-les a pesar de que la economía se ha contraído. Lo más importante

es el estar presente y ser atento hacia a la comunidad para lograr llegar al mundo exterior y tender puentes para hacer las conexiones adecuadas . Se pueden hacer muchas cosas increíbles cuando uno trabaja increíblemente bien con los demás y se mantiene un enorme enfoque en los resultados.”

Humildes comienzos , resultados sin precedentes : Una historia de éxito Instituto del Progreso Latino - Chicago, ILpor el Personal de ¡Que Viva!

A Salgado le encanta lo que hace al diario y cada día que se despierta se deleita en planificar las cosas que debe hacer para seguir trabajando en lo que lo apasiona. Él escogió una carrera cual ha ayudado a innumerables personas el poder lograr el éxito . Durante su discurso de graduación en Illinois Wesleyan University, Salgado compartió algunos de sus pensamientos más íntimos :

“ Haz lo que despierta el espíritu y el alma . Quizás no comprenderás plenamente dónde vas a llegar , pero el viaje será gratificante y la recompensa , no siempre en dólares , será inmensa. “

Tales pensamientos filosóficos y profundos están muy anclados en su mente, a pesar de manejar una agenda apretada para liderar una gran organización y criar a una joven familia además de participar en un sin fin de Juntas directivas . El es uno de los seis hijos de Don Daniel Salgado Sr. y la Sra. Carmen Salgado. Sus tres hermanas mayores le ayudaron a orientarse para que pudiera mane-

jarse exitosamente fuera del dominio de la familia. La influencia de su hermano mayor, Daniel ha sido clave para la solidificación de los valores y las creencias que aprendieron de sus padres y abuelos. Su mantra clave es ser un buen marido y un buen padre

. El resto, como él dice, cae natural-mente en su lugar.

La sociedad tiene la suerte de tener a un hombre como el Dr. Juan Salgado en su seno. Él es una inspi-ración para todos , los jóvenes y los no tan jóvenes . Que Viva ! le felicita y le aplaude a todos sus esfuerzos.

Over the last five years, the number of students enrolled in K-12 schools has gone up by 1.6 percent, and to keep up with that growth, the country would have needed to hire an additional 132,000 teachers,

according to analysis from the Eco-nomic Policy Institute. But instead, over that period the U.S. slashed 258,000 jobs in local education, a group mostly made up of teachers (although one that also includes

counselors, administration, and aides). That leaves the country with a deficit of 389,000 educators.

“A ‘teacher gap’ of this magni-tude means not only larger class sizes, but also fewer teacher aides, fewer extracurricular activities, and a narrower curriculum for our chil-dren,” EPI’s Heidi Shierholz writes in the report. It also notes that the gap between hired staff and student needs is probably even wider, given that the number of children living in poverty increased over that period, which would mean an increased need in support services. The U.S. just hit a record in the number of homeless students in its schools, and in 17 states the majority of students are now poor.

Teacher layoffs have been a significant part of the trend in declining public sector payrolls during the recession and recovery. The government has shed 657,000 jobs over that period. That decline stands in sharp contrast to the Bush years and other recovery periods after recessions. If these jobs hadn’t been lost, the unemployment rate would likely be at least a full point lower. These severe losses haven’t just been an inevitable consequence of the financial collapse; they have been fueled by the drive to austerity and deficit cutting during a weak economy.

American Schools Are Missing389,000 Teachers

BY BRYCE COVERT | OCTOBER 25, 2013

CREDIT: AP

CREDIT: EPI

Techies Urge Kidsto Learn Code

March 18, 2013Schools across America teach all sorts of

languages: French, Latin, Spanish, even Chinese. However, there’s one language that 9 out of 10 schools don’t teach: coding, or the language of computers.

Writing in code instructs a computer to do certain tasks and functions. Computer programming com-mands are the basis for how websites are built, video games are created, software is developed and more.

Now, pioneers of technology have come together with celebrities to stress the importance of learning to code. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Bill Gates of Microsoft, Jack Dorsey of Twitter and other tech innovators have collaborated to create Code.org, which provides programming classes for students.

Code.org encourages students to take free online coding classes and to push their schools to offer lessons to help students learn skills they’ll need for

the modern, technology-driven workforce.

Cool to be a nerd

Code.org also hopes to combat the old “computer nerd” stereotype. It argues that almost every career

field has already been changed by technology, and people with all sorts of interests can benefit from learning code.

Music, news, entertainment, health and medi-cine, banking, graphic design, fashion, science and race car driving are just a few of the industries that rely heavily on computer programming.

Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and basketball star Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat have taken classes in coding. Bosh was a member of the “Wiz Kids” club at school and faced teasing from his peers because of it. His response to bullies? “Man, I don’t care – I think it’s cool, and you know, I’m learning a lot.” Bosh went on to study computer programming in college before leaving for the NBA.

Will.i.am is learning code now, and can’t believe he waited so long. “Here we are, 2013. We all

depend on technology – to communicate, to bank, for information – and none of us know how to read and write code.”

An artist for Valve, the company behind video games like “Half-Life” and “Portal”, thinks learning

to code is just like learning to read, and argues that “you don’t have to be a genius to code!”

“Addition. Subtraction. That’s about it,” says Bill Gates.

In a tough job market, coders find employment

The founders of Code.org also have a selfish motive: they have lots of jobs to fill, and not enough job applicants who know how to code. Computer programmers are highly sought after, so finding a job that pays well is no problem for those who know programming languages.

Companies often try to lure and keep coders with perks like top-notch chefs in the dining halls and game rooms with video games and ping-pong tables. Code.org hopes that students will see that

learning to code can help them achieve their career goals and master the skills needed to work in a fast-paced technological world, and maybe even skateboard down the hallways at work.

– Compiled by Elise Garofalo for NewsHour Extra

Do you feel as if you are drowning in bad news? Welcome to the club.

And not just generic bad news but the kind of bad news that makes you question whether we, as a nation, have the smarts, the wherewithal, the old-fashioned grit to solve our problems.

One of the most alarming items on a long list of woes is that while the rest of the world’s kids seem to be getting smarter, our kids don’t. Right now, in fact, it looks as if we are on track to be one of the only developed countries to have smaller percentages of young people graduate from high school and college than their parents’ generation.

This just piles on to all the other bad stuff that we hear about schools and education, which I am not going to repeat. You’ve heard it already -- our top kids can kind of pant along behind the rest of the world but the rest of our kids are woefully behind.

But why?

Journalist Amanda Ripley wanted to understand that question and has written an engaging book that invites us to join her on the journey she fol-lowed to get answers: The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way (Simon and Schuster).

She began by asking the experts -- kids.

The problem with talking with kids, though, is that their limited life experience means they can’t always make assessments about how different

schools could be.

So Ripley did something rather clever. She sought out kids with ex-periences that allowed them to have

a point of comparison -- exchange students. She surveyed large numbers of American high school students who went abroad and foreign students who studied here, then closely followed the experiences of three students -- a Pennsylvanian who went to Poland, an Oklahoman who went to Finland and a Minnesotan who went to South Korea.

She chose those countries because Finland and South Korea show up as top of the world and Poland has dramatically improved in a relatively short time despite a high rate of child

poverty. She chose students who are clearly bright, curious and interested in the world.

So what did they see?

They saw places where everyone understands that education is impor-tant, and organizes schools around that

Grappling With the Question: Why Isn’t America Number 1?By Karin Chenoweth PUBLISHED 08/22/2013 | Writer-in-residence at The Education Trust

PHOTO CREDIT IvanWalsh.com

fact in ways that are palpable every day.

For example Kim, the Oklaho-man who went to Finland, saw that students respected teachers for their

knowledge and expertise and

matched them in seriousness and focus. Students there know that every one of their teachers has had to sweat out being accepted to highly selective teaching programs the way American students have to sweat out being ac-cepted to MIT. Prospective teachers then have to go through intensive training and student teaching. Back

in Oklahoma, Kim’s algebra teacher had majored in physical education at a university that accepts pretty much all-comers. All the kids knew his main job was coaching football; teaching

math was what he had to do in order to coach.

Tom, the Pennsylvanian who went to Poland, saw teachers read test grades out loud to the class and never saw anyone get the equivalent of an A. Back in Pennsylvania he would have been stunned not to get As for much lower-level work than he saw being done in Poland. And teachers would

never have revealed grades publicly -- in the United States grades are con-sidered private; low grades shameful. In Poland, struggle and failure seemed to be acknowledged as a normal part of learning.

I’m not going to talk about South Korea -- there’s such a thing as taking a good thing way too far, and South Korea seems to have done it. If you ever start thinking that American kids are under too much pressure because they take a couple of standardized tests a year, you might want to read about the strain South Korean kids are under. But one thing -- Eric found the math classes much less boring than math classes back in Minnesota.

All these observations simply raise more questions, and Ripley allows us to follow her as she goes to experts in South Korea, Poland, Finland and the United States to get answers about teacher preparation, national standards and assessment that raise yet more questions about what the purpose of education is, what national policies are most effective and what obligations schools have to kids and kids have to schools. The intellectual journey that we travel with Ripley has profound implications for Americans as we con-sider what to do to improve education.

This isn’t the book to read if you want your pet policies or proposals to be bolstered. But if you are curious why the richest nation in the history of the world can’t seem to get its educational act together, this is a very readable way to enter into the subject.

Grappling With the Question: Why Isn’t America Number 1?By Karin Chenoweth PUBLISHED 08/22/2013 | Writer-in-residence at The Education Trust

PHOTO CREDIT IvanWalsh.com

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DiegoMorales

DiegoMorales

Words are mere tools used in an attempt to describe Diego Morales’ ex-periences upon arriving in the United States at age 19 that are indicative not only of the will to create, but the greatness of a land that rewards hope, strength, courage and the desire to contribute. Morales along with his parents Dolores and Juan, in addition to his two sisters Cecilia and Eliza-beth arrived in the U.S. in August of 1999. Through the force of will and, in Morales’ eyes, divine intervention the family overcame the challenges associated with a new country, a new language, a set of conditions that in-cluded no financial or social capital as they arrived in Sellersburg, IN -- a small town 10 miles north of Louisville, KY.

Morales’ zest for life is evident. In spite of such conditions, his indomi-table spirit and personal charisma have allowed him to personally interact and learn from people like former President George W. Bush on several occasions, Dick Cheney, John Boehner, Marco Rubio and Warren Buffett. He counts current Indiana Governor Mike Pence and former Congressman Mike Sodrel from New Albany, IN as his mentors.

“I love this country and all the op-portunities it has given my family and I” says Morales “from my childhood days in my native Guatemala I knew in my heart that I would visit Wash-ington, D.C. when I saw images of it on television.”

Morales is currently the Director of Community Affairs and Relations for the office of Indiana Governor Mike Pence.

Facing the Challenges: Hard Work, Hard Study and Learning the Language

Two weeks after arriving in the U.S., Morales started his senior year in high school at Silver Creek High School in Sellersburg, IN with a de-mographic footprint of 99% + Cau-casian. His lifelong dream of visiting Washington, D.C. would become a reality as this was the destination for his high school senior trip. That trip galvanized Morales’ thirst for working in government.

2013 Chicago White Sox/Ron Vesely

A Dream Transcends Barriers

DiegoMorales

DiegoMorales

Morales’ dedication to hard work were evident during the summer prior to going off to college. He enrolled at Indiana University (IU). His parents had said to him “we will help you gain your education, but more importantly, you will have to help yourself.” During that summer he would end up working seven days a week, 16 hours daily at a factory and weekends at a grocery store. These efforts would pay for tuition and other basic needs at IU.

Political Networking: The Launch of a Career in Politics

As a sophomore in college Morales had a major political breakthrough when he met a businessman with intentions to take another run for

Congress, Mike Sodrel. Sodrel both accepted him as a volunteer and via natural progression became Morales’ mentor. During his senior year in college, Morales worked as an intern for Sodrel while earning college credit. During the internship he also avidly helped Sodrel on his campaign. Sodrel was victorious, and before long, Morales’ first job after receiving a B.S. in Communications, Political Science and Spanish would be that of a staff member for the Congressman in Washington, D.C.

Morales would eventually be pro-moted several times and eventually serve as Sodrel’s Campaign Manager based in southern Indiana, a job that came with significant responsibilities

and clout in managing the Congress-man’s travel schedule and time pri-orities. This post would allow him to meet and deal with a multitude of high ranking people and government officials.

When Congressman Sodrel tran-sitioned from Congress back to the private sector Morales was invited by then Indiana Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman to serve as Director of Latino Affairs. He would later serve as the Indiana Secretary of State’s Direc-tor of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Private Sector and Continued Education:

While working in the private sector, Morales dedicated himself to pursu-

Que Viva! Magazine Staff

¡QUE VIVA! | november 2013 19

ing advanced studies in business by earning an MBA from Purdue’s Kran-nert School of Management in West Lafayette, IN. His second MBA was a Global MBA from Tias Nimbas, in The Netherlands, ranked 20th in Europe. This program has affiliates through-out the world and Morales studied at some of these affiliates including : GISMA in Germany, Central European University in Budapest, El Instituto Panamericano de Alta Dirección de Empresa (IPADE) in Mexico, Instituto de Estudios Superiores en Direccion de Empresas (IESDE), Puebla, Mexico, Shanghai Univer-sity of Finance and Economics as well as Tsinghua Uni-versity - Beijing both in China. This additional education has given Morales a platform to further solidify his governmental affairs expertise and complement his private sector work by giving his inter-national business scope and acumen an unparalleled, multi-dimensional character.

A debt of gratitude repaid: The U.S. Military

After completing his education and establishing himself in government and the corporate world, Morales decided to show his gratitude to his new country by enlisting in the U.S. ARMY where he served as an infan-tryman for four years. Morales was honorably discharged and is a U.S. ARMY Veteran. His goal in his heart was to know he had served his country and had honored it with the promise of even paying the ultimate price if needed.

To further substantiate his loyalty to the United States, in 2008 after having earned all of his degrees and after his military service, Morales was officially sworn as a United States Citizen. From his arrival to the U.S. to this great and defining moment, less than a decade would have passed.

Corporate or Public Service:

Morales came to a crossroads in early 2012. He had to decide whether to work for a large European firm that

identified synergy with his business expertise or work for Governor Mike Pence as his Director of Community Affairs and Relations. He opted to pursue the latter recognizing the unique responsibility and once in a lifetime opportunity it provided. His previous governmental experi-ence has taken him to every county in Indiana. He considers himself an ambassador for the State of Indiana and through Rotary International and several Chambers of Commerce he has represented either the country or the State of Indiana throughout the continents including Europe, Latin

America and Asia as an American.

Path moving forward:

Morales is a conservative man and considers his path as having been guided from up above. As he acquired his Global MBA he met, fell in love and married the love of his life -- Sidonia Nicolae from Budapest, Hungary. He knows he has achieved the American Dream. He relates the story of his two sisters who have also earned their formal college educations and stay close to him trying to learn

from his example. He shares that his parents are his first role models who taught him discipline and the concept of “fight-ing the good fight”. His goal is to share with all people and especially Latinos that if there is a will, there is a way. At the same time, his goal is to respect and be the strongest of stewards to the responsibilities that have been

bestowed upon him.

The best testament to Morales’ ability to endear himself to people is a picture he took with Warren Buffet. During a recent visit to Indiana, Warren Buffett visited with Governor Pence’s staff and after some interaction with Morales, a nice rapport was built between the two men. At that time, Buffett pulled out his wallet and asked Morales to jointly hold it for a picture underscoring a symbolic gesture of respect and success. When we speak to Morales, it is evident he is one with a charisma of unique proportions.


Las palabras no son más que herra-mientas que usamos con el intento de de-scribir las experiencias de Diego Morales a su llegada a los Estados Unidos a los 19 años de edad. Estos son indicativos no sólo de la voluntad de crear, sino la grandeza

de un país que premia la esperanza , la fuerza , el coraje y el deseo de contribuir . Morales, junto con sus padres Dolores y Juan , además de sus dos hermanas Cecilia y Elizabeth llegaron a los Estados Unidos en agosto de 1999 . A través de la fuerza

de la voluntad y, según su fe, una inter-vención divina, la familia superó los retos asociados a un nuevo país , a un nuevo idioma, un conjunto de condiciones que incluirían escasos recursos financieros y sociales al llegar a Sellersburg , IN - una

POR EL PERSONAL DE ¡QUE VIVA! INDIANA

Su sueño trascendió las barreras Diego Morales

pequeña ciudad 16 kilómetros al norte de Louisville, KY .

El amor a la vida es muy evidente al llegar a conocer a Morales. A pesar de tales condiciones , su espíritu indomable y su carisma personal le han permitido interactuar personalmente y aprender de gente como el ex presidente George W. Bush en varias ocasiones , Dick Cheney , John Boehner , Marco Rubio y Warren Buffett. Él cuenta el actual Gobernador de Indiana Mike Pence y el ex congresista Mike Sodrel de New Albany , IN como sus mentores .

“ Amo a este país y todas las oportunidades que nos ha dado a mí y a mi familia”, dice Morales “ desde mi infancia en mi natal Gua-temala sabía en mi corazón que algún día visitaría a la ciudad de Washington, DC , cuando vi sus imágenes en la televisión. “

Morales es actualmente el Director de Asuntos Co-munitarios y de Relaciones dentro de la oficina del gobernador de Indiana, Mike Pence.

Dandole Cara a los desafíos : El trabajo fuerte, el estudio y el aprendizaje del idioma

A las dos semanas del haber llegado a los Estados Unidos , Morales comenzó su último año de su secundaria en la Silver Creek High School en Sellersburg , IN. La demografía de la escuela seria de más del 99% de raza blanca. Su sueño del visitar a Washington, DC se convirtió en una realidad , ya que esta ciudad fue el destino del viaje anual planeado por la escuela secundaria. Ese viaje seria el que le dio a

Morales la certeza y le cristalizo el amor hacia el campo gubernamental.

Su dedicación hacia el trabajo fue

muy evidente durante el verano antes de ingresarse a la Universidad de Indiana (IU). Sus padres le habían dicho “vamos a ayudarte a que logres tu educación, pero

con la misma importancia , tendrás que ayudarte a ti mismo . “ Durante ese verano se dedico a trabajar siete días a la semana , 16 horas al día en una fabrica durante la semana y en una tienda de comestibles los fines de semana. Estos esfuerzos le ayudarían cubrir la matrícula y otras necesidades básicas en la universidad.

La Red Política: Su lanzamiento a política

En su segundo año en la universi-dad Morales tuvo un importante avance político cuando se encontró con un hombre de negocios, Mike Sodrel, quien planeaba tomar su segundo intento hacia

el Congreso. Sodrel lo aceptó como un voluntario y mediante una progresión natural también se convirtió en mentor de Morales. Durante su último año en la universidad, Morales trabajó como pasante para Sodrel mientras que lograba créditos universitarios. Durante la pasantía también ayudó con avidez Sodrel en su

campaña . Sodrel salió vic-torioso , y después de un corto tiempo , su primer trabajo de Morales después de recibir una licenciatura en Comunicación , Cien-cias Políticas y en español sería como miembro del personal para el congre-sista en Washington , D.C.

A Morales se le pro-movió varias veces hasta que llego a ser jefe de la campana del congresista Sodrel con sede en el sur de Indiana. Este puesto le traería amplias respon-sabilidades e influencia puesto que el programaría los viajes y prioridades del congresista. Este rol también le permitiría re-unirse y tratarse con una multitud de personas de alto rango y funcionarios

del gobierno .

Cuando el congresista Sodrel hizo su transición del Congreso al sector privado fue reclutado para servirle como Direc-tor de Asuntos Latinos a la Teniente Gobernadora de Indiana Becky Skill-man de aquel entonces. Despues de este puesto le serviria al Secretario del Estado de Indiana como Director de Asuntos Intergubernamentales.

Sector Privado y el avanze de su Educación:

Al trabajar en el sector privado, Morales se dedicó a realizar estudios

avanzados en los negocios y logro obtener su MBA de Krannert School of Manage-ment de Purdue en West Lafayette , IN . Su segundo titulo fue un MBA Global de Tia’s Nimbas en Holanda, con rango una de las mejores 20 universidades de negocio en Europa. Este programa cuenta con filiales en todo el mundo y Morales estudió en algunas de estas filiales , incluyendo: GISMA en Alemania , la Universidad Central Europea (CEU) de Budapest, Hun-garia, El Instituto Panamericano de Alta Dirección de Empresa (IPADE), en México , el Instituto de Estudios Superiores en Dirección de Empresas (IESDE), en Puebla, México, la Universidad de Shanghai de Finanzas y Economía (SUFE) , así como la Universidad de Tsinghua - Beijing ambas en China. Esta educación adicional le ha dado a Morales una plataforma para consolidar aún más su experiencia en asuntos gubernamentales y a la vez com-plementa su trabajo en el sector privado dado su ámbito de negocio internacional y la visión de un personaje inigualable y multidimensional .

Una deuda de gratitud pagada : El Ejército de los Estados Unidos

Después de completar su educación y de establecerse en el gobierno y el mundo empresarial , Morales decidió mostrar su agradecimiento a su nuevo país por alistarse en el Ejército de Estados Unido, donde sirvió como soldado de infantería durante cuatro años. Morales se retiró con honores y es un veterano del ejército de Estados Unidos. La meta en su corazón fue del haber servido a su país con una promesa del haber pagado el precio más alto si lo fuese necesario.

Para fundamentar aún más su lealtad a los Estados Unidos , en el año 2008 después de haber logrado toda su educación y después de su servicio militar, Morales fue investido oficialmente como un ciudadano

de los Estados Unidos. Desde su llegada a los Estados Unidos a este gran definido momento menos de una década habría pasado.

El Negocio o el Servicio Público :

Morales llegó a un cruce a principios de 2012. Tenía que decidir si trabajarle a una enorme empresa europea quien vio en Morales grandes sinergias con su experiencia en los negocios o trabajarle al gobernador Mike Pence como su Director de Asuntos y Relaciones Comunitarias. Él optó por trabajarle al gobernador reconociendo que era una oportunidad única la que se le proporcionaba. Su previa experiencia gubernamental lo había llevado a todos los condados de Indiana. Él se considera un embajador del Estado de Indiana y de los Estados Unidos. Por medio de la Rotary International y otras cámaras de comercio ha representado ya sea al país o al estado de Indiana a nivel mundial a través de todos los continentes inclusive Europa , América Latina y Asia como un ciudadano norteamericano.

El Camino hacia adelante :

Morales es un hombre conservador y considera que su camino a sido guiado por la providencia. Al adquirir su MBA Global conoció, se enamoró y se casó con el amor de su vida - Sidonia Nicolae originaria de Budapest, Hungría. Él sabe que ha logrado el sueño americano. Él relata la historia de sus dos hermanas que también han logrado su educación uni-versitaria y que se mantienen cerca para continuar aprendiendo de su ejemplo. Él comparte que sus padres son sus primeros modelos de conducta y que le enseñaron la disciplina y el concepto del “ pelear la buena batalla “. Su objetivo es compartir con todas las personas y especialmente a los latinos que si hay voluntad , hay un camino. Al mismo tiempo, su objetivo es el respetar y el cumplir con todas las responsabilidades que se le han dado.

Un gran ejemplo de su capacidad de congraciarse con la gente es una foto que se tomó con el Sr. Warren Buffet. Durante una reciente visita a Indiana, El Sr. Buffett convivió con el personal del Gobernador de Pence y después de poder interactuar con Morales, ambos lograron construir una buena relación. En un dado momento, Buffett sacó su billetero y le pidió a Morales que se tomaran una fotografía mientras ambos lo sostenían. Esta foto subrayaría un gesto simbólico del respeto y hacia el mutuo éxito. Cuando se habla de Morales, se trata de una persona con un carisma de proporciones únicas.

Recipe PageRopa Vieja - Cuban Meat Stew

Directions

1. Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Season meat with adobo. Add steak to pot and cook in batches, flip-ping once, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate. Lower heat to medium. Stir in onions and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add Sofrito and garlic to pot; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Stir in 3 of cups water, tomato sauce, Sazón, beef bouillon and pep-per. Bring mixture to a boil. Return beef to pot. Lower heat to medium low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir in olives and capers. Cover pot; simmer until meat shreds easily with fork, 1 – 1½ hours, adding more water in ¼ cup measurements, if pot becomes dry.

3. Transfer meat to work surface; shred meat with two forks. Bring remaining sauce to a boil. Mix meat and cilantro into sauce. Serve with white rice.

Ingredients• 2 tbsp. GOYA® Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 2 ½ lbs. flank steak, cut in 3”x 4”pieces

• GOYA® Adobo with Pepper, to taste

• 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped (about 2½ cups)

• 1½ green bell peppers, finely chopped (about 1½ cups)

• 1 jar (6 oz.) GOYA® Sofrito

• 3 tsp. GOYA® Minced Garlic or 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 can (8 oz.) GOYA® Tomato Sauce

• 1 packet Sazón GOYA® with Coriander and Annatto

• 1 packet GOYA® Powdered Beef Bouillon

• ¼ tsp. GOYA® Ground Black Pepper

• 1 cup GOYA® Spanish Olives Stuffed with Minced Pimientos, sliced

• 1 jar (2 oz.) GOYA® Capers, drained

• 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro

• 2 cups cooked CANILLA Extra Long Grain Rice

Ropa Vieja is a main course of shredded and braised beef with plenty of healthy, tasty vegetables, like onions, peppers and olives. Our GOYA® Ropa Vieja recipe is sure to satisfy the hungriest of appetites.

Fork-Tender MeatThe key to a successful Ropa Vieja is flank steak. The reason: this type of meat is the perfect candidate for a low, slow cooking process; as the meat slowly cooks in the simmering liquid, the fat and connective tissue melt, and baste the meat from the inside out. The results: fork-tender meat that shreds effortlessly. If flank isn’t available at your market, skirt steak and chuck work great, too.

Previously I blogged about ways to grab the attention of your market; in advertising one of the most effective ways is to use guerrilla marketing techniques, that is the use of creative and unexpected images that will stop your audience in its tracks. Here the quirky and unexpected is king because it makes the viewer look again and think about what is going on. Now you have their attention. Guerrilla Marketing for small business is much more than crazy pens!

And giving the market what they expect to see, is disaster. As a small business owner you probably love your logo, after all you paid a fortune for it, but now here’s the hard news, no one cares about your logo, no matter how clever it is.a

But it is not just in advertising that Guerrilla Marketing is ef-fective, no throughout your entire marketing program Guerrilla Marketing effectively set your small business apart, thereby drawing attention to it and compelling your customers to stop and ask “what is going on.”

That is what Walter Dailey is talking about when he says Guerrilla

Marketing is about maximum impact for minimal effort. But much of what he talks about has little to do with advertising. Getting yourself known as an expert and sharing with an industry group or local newspaper your expertise is Guerrilla Marketing in action.

For example, consider Harry, a financial advisor, in the Boston area. Harry has become an expert in helping families through the arduous process of ap-plying for the US Veter-ans Administration Aid and Attendance Assis-tance Program. I know firsthand how difficult that process is, Harry walked me through it patiently providing care and concern every step of the way.

Now guess what? Harry was the perfect Guerrilla Marketer. By providing unexpected service, at no cost, he sets himself up to manage the assets that may be involved in the process. Perfect Guerrilla Marketing.

Share your Guerrilla Marketing successes!

Guerrilla Marketing for Small Business is More Than Crazy Pens

By Michael Sobus | Published: August 16, 2012

http://nextlevelbizdv.com

As a small-business owner, it can be hard to find the time to do the sorts of activities that help tone the brain’s innovation muscles -- activities like committing to a six-month course of study; making it to weekly networking meetings at your local business club or engaging in nightly journaling and tinkering. These activities take up a lot of time. But you don’t need a lot of time to keep your creative muscle working.

It’s possible to boost your brain power constantly and on-the-go, by incorporating brain-boosting and creativity increasing activities into your daily routine.

Here are three activities I recommend to busy entrepreneurs:

1. Give your ideas a home. There are simple tools that make noticing and collecting fresh ideas and inspiration easy when you are out and about, reading newspapers and magazines or surfing the web. From the low-tech pad and pen to Evernote, a capturing software available on iPhone, Mac, PC, mobile phones, and Firefox, simply jotting down ideas wherever you are gives your inspiration a place to live. Software like Evernote syncs these notes to your other devices. Similarly, Backpack is a “to-do list” application with a lot of flexibility that makes capturing data and thoughts easy. A dashboard widget lets you see Backpack items on your desktop. Give yourself 30 minutes to an hour each week to review what you’ve collected and you might be surprised by what ideas you’ve come up with.

2. Travel by foot. We all need to go places during the day. Why not make one trip on foot, if possible? Research shows that even a 20-minute stroll can clear your head and make room for fresh ideas. Many of our most productive ideas come not while we’re trying to force them out in the office, but when we’re away from our desks. A clinical study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign showed those engaged in walking demonstrate a net increase in the efficiency of the connections within the brain’s structures. And why not make an event out of your walk? John P. Trougakos, assistant management professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough and the Rotman School of Management, recommends people take dedicated lunch breaks daily as a way to recharge not just with nutrition, but with a change of scene as well.

3. Interact with stimulating people and places. Happy hour drinks may seem like a trivial part of office culture, but it’s a great way to interact with other people in a causal, low-stress setting. If you work for yourself, you might even consider setting up your own happy hour where you visit a local cafe or bar (don’t drink too much) around 5 or 6 p.m. for 45 minutes or an hour with the sole purpose of engaging with others. A Harvard-based study suggests that sharing information about ourselves fires up the pleasure centers of our brains.More brain activity means more creativity!

The author is an Entrepreneur contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.Debra Kaye is a brand and culture strategist and partner at Lucule, a New York-based innovation consulting firm. She is author of the book, Red Thread Thinking (McGraw-Hill, 2013).

3 Ways to Keep Your Creative Juices Flowing When You’re Always Busy

by debra kaye


For the last nine years, Santiago and Margarita have run a popular neighborhood eatery for home-style Latino cooking in Philadelphia. Millions of Latino-owned small businesses like theirs are playing an increasingly critical role in rebuilding local economies and bringing vibrancy back to urban and rural neighbor-hoods. Between 2002 and 2007, the number of Latino-owned small businesses grew to 2.3 million, an increase of 43.7%; non-Latino small businesses grew in number by only 14.5% in the same period. More recent studies estimate that there are now 3.2 million Latino-owned firms in the U.S. With annual revenues from these businesses projected to increase from $345 billion in 2007 to $486 billion in 2013, this trend is a promising sign for Latino entrepreneurs and their communities.

Yet while Latino-owned businesses have increased in number, when compared to non-Latino small businesses, they brought in significantly less annual revenue, and grew at a much slower rate. In 2007, average gross re-ceipts for Hispanic-owned firms had increased to $152,700 but were still far below average revenues of $490,000 for non-minority-owned firms. If Latino small business starts are ac-celerating, why aren’t revenues keeping pace?

Many Latinos -- particularly immigrants -- live outside of the mainstream financial system, and for those that are unbanked or underbanked, it is more difficult to access the

necessary capital to grow a business. A lack of familiarity with the legal system, local and tax codes and standard accounting practices can leave entrepreneurs vulnerable to unanticipat-ed costs, scams and unfair business dealings. Limited English proficiency can magnify these challenges for an entrepreneur.

Santiago and Margarita turned to FINANTA, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution that has supported entrepreneurs in Philadelphia for more than 17 years. FINANTA provides business development assistance and financing solutions in a way that is conscious of its clients’ business requirements, as well as cultural and language barriers. FINANTA helped Santiago and Margarita to strengthen their business practices and eventually made a $90,000 loan to the couple for business ex-pansion. The lesson is clear: culturally-relevant business development assistance, paired with access to appropriate capital empowers Latino small business owners to make smart business decisions and expand their business.

A growing number of mayors are taking action to replicate such experiences. In San Antonio, Mayor Julian Castro recognized the importance of small business in a city that is over 63% Hispanic when he recently launched Café Com-merce, a multi-year $1 million commitment to the delivery of small business development services.

Building on this innovative work, the Asset Building Policy Network, a coalition of the na-tion’s preeminent civil rights and asset building organizations together with Citi, is launching a program aimed at strengthening small busi-ness development programs that support pre-dominately Latino communities. With funding from the Citi Foundation, NALCAB - National Association for Latino Community Asset Build-ers - will document the most effective practices to reduce barriers to growth, unlock access to capital and integrate small business owners into the financial mainstream. This pilot is part of Inversiones, NALCAB’s national initiative to support Latino entrepreneurship, which was recognized as a Clinton Global Initiative Com-mitment to America in 2012.

NALCAB will publish the results of this pilot to provide new guidelines and practical advice for the growing number of non-profit organiza-tions and cities that want to support the growth of Latino businesses at the neighborhood level. It will also provide specific policy recommenda-tions for state and federal officials to effectively harness the economic potential of Latino businesses.

Latino unemployment is at 9.0%, 1.8 percent higher than the national average. Now is the time to test new ideas that will unlock the full economic potential of Latino entrepreneurs and create the jobs our economy needs.

This is a guest post, first published on The Huffington Post, taken from a series of blog-eds from members of the Asset Building Policy Network, which includes NCLR. Bob Annibale and Noel Poyo discuss why so many Latino small businesses struggle to grow – and what can be done about it.

About the Asset Building Policy NetworkThe Asset Building Policy Network (ABPN) is a national coalition that collectively advances savings and asset building policy at the federal level, builds national capacity of the network’s members, and bolsters long-term financial security for low- and moderate-income communities of color. ABPN members include: Center for American Progress, Citi, Corporation for Enterprise Development, National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders, National Council for La Raza, National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, National Urban League and PolicyLink.

Realizing the Potential ofLATIno SMALL BUSINESS

By Bob Annibale and Noel A. Poyo | 11/07/2013

¡QUE VIVA! | november 2013 29

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This weekend, top leaders in China plan to focus on a whole host of reforms, ranging from initiatives to open up the nation’s economy to addressing challenges such as corrup-tion, environmental problems, and social issues. In our years of asking the Chinese questions about their views about the state of their country, here are their answers on key issues:as a very big problem by 59% in China, according to a spring 2013 Pew Research Center survey. When asked which is the issue most important for the government to address first, 53% of the Chinese public said inflation, while 26% named inequality and only 11% cited unem-ployment. Inflation shot up to 3.1% in September, making it a pressing issue for China’s Communist party elite.

Corruption – Just over half of Chinese (53%) said that corrupt officials were a very big problem, according to the spring 2013 survey. The recent conviction of Bo Xilai and accounts of personal enrich-ment among former Communist leaders from China’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) make the issue even more salient. Many observers believe SOE reform will be one of the top goals of this weekend’s leadership meeting. It is estimated that 35% of business activity and 43% of profits in China result from SOEs.

Inequality – Just over half in 2013 (52%) said that the gap between the rich and the poor was a large concern, according to the

spring survey. Earlier this year, Chinese officials released an updated Gini coefficient of .474 (a measurement of inequality where 0 represents perfect equality and 1 equals maximum income inequality), down from a peak of .491 in 2008.

Many were skeptical of the accuracy of this rating, but Pew Research polling shows the number concerned about inequality has fallen

since 2008, when 72% said it was a very big problem.

Environmental issues – An increasing number of Chinese are concerned about environmental issues, as suffocating air pollution makes international headlines. In the spring 2013 survey, 47% in China said air pollution was a very big problem and 40% describe water pollution as a big concern.

Social issues – Lurking in the background of this year’s plenum are increasing con-cerns about ethnic tensions within China. Recent attacks in Beijing and Taiyuan have highlighted the issue and there have been tough questions from abroad for the Chinese government on its treatment of its own citizens. A spring Pew Research survey found that only a median of 36% across 38 countries surveyed in 2013 said the Chinese government respected the personal freedoms of its people. Furthermore, China had among the worst rankings on govern-

ment restrictions of religion, according to the Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project Government Restrictions Index.

Inflation, corruption, inequality top list of Chinese public’s concerns

By Jacob Poushter | Published: november 8, 2013

Jacob Poushter is a Research Associate at the Pew Global Attitudes Project.

Rain, what rain? God overruled Mother Nature and the parade started on time, continuing a tradition in East

Chicago that started in 1926. Only twice have the parades been cancelled, the first time due to World War II the second time out of respect to the victims and families of the tragedy of 9/11.

A communiqué from President

Vicente Fox was received by the Union Benefica Mexicana to consider cancel-ling the annual Independence Day Celebration because of 9/11. The UBM instead, led a procession from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church to Block Stadium where the Bishop of the Diocese of Gary joined more than 2000 marchers/mourners. Im-migrants without papers, American citizens of diverse ethnicities joined in

singing Amazing Grace, the National Anthem and God Bless America. To us in the UBM, the loss of monies

already invested for the festivities did not compare to the loss of lives in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. Each year, our community joins the UBM in memorials.

Flash forward, 2013, the rain

soaked the Queen’s and her Court’s beautiful gowns, umbrellas popped open among the literally thousands that lined the parade route. The only thing not sopping wet were the pride and hearts of those that paraded and its viewers.

Perennials Emilio de la Garza Post

508 and Lake County Sheriff, John Buncich’, horse riders presented our colors. Other Federal, State, County

and Local officials participated in paying their respect to the Mexican Community. Children of all ages were

seen on floats, Mariachis, Combos, CDS in abundance, all oblivious to the pelting rain.

While attendance was not equal

to last year’s festival, those that braved the weather were treated to deli-cious food and continuous music all night commem-orating Mexican Culture and the Independence of Mexico.

Today’s look at 2013’s Mexican Independence Parade and a historical perspective by Tony Barreda

Mr. Barreda is president of La Union Benefica Mexicana based in East Chicago, IN.

Today’s look at 2013’s Mexican Independence Parade and a historical perspective

“OUR HOME, OUR CHOICE”

For more information or to �le a complaint call 1-800-628-2909 or visit in.gov/icrc.

You have the choice to live in any house or apartment you can a�ord.

It’s the law. We protect it.

november 2013 queviva

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