1	In the News The headlines of Hispanidad. read more...
2	UPFRONT Ruben Navarrette, Jr. The changing face of the U.S. read more...
3	UPFRONT Dr. Eduardo Padrón Survival skills in the 21st century read more...

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In the news

hollywood
Pass The Popcorn
Hispanics flocked to see this summer’s blockbuster movies in unprecedented numbers, claiming an audience share nearly twice their proportion of the population. According to a study by Hispanic Media Marketing, Latinos were responsible for buying 297 million movie tickets in the past year, compared to 150 million tickets for African Americans and 115 million of all other ethnicities together. Overall, Hispanics bought 10.8 tickets per person compared to 7.9 per person for the general market.
“What’s important to note about Hispanics’ consumer habits regarding the entertainment industry is that when [they] go to the movies, the event is a whole-family affair,” says Tito Alvarez, president of Hispanic Media Marketing. “Hispanics don’t leave kids at home with babysitters — they bring them along.” As a result, their impact is impressive: Not only are more tickets purchased, but they contribute to more popcorn and drink sales in theaters. Figures were derived after reviewing Nielsen EDI box offi ce charts in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta
and San Antonio


entertainment
Glorious Honors
Never shy about using her celebrity to promote causes that are dear to her, internation al superstar Gloria Estefan will be honored next month as the 2008 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year. The first female singer to receive the award, Estefan, 51, was chosen for her philanthropic, professional and cultural accomplishments by the Latin Recording Academy, which presides over the Latin Grammys.

Estefan has been a force in the music industry for three decades, with 22 albums and more than 90 million records sold, including her most recent album, 90 Millas. When she is not making music, Estefan devotes her time to her foundation, one of the main benefactors of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, a leading research center for spinal cord injuries. Her only announced concert in the U.S. this year, an appearance at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida on October 24, will benefi t public education in South Florida, a region which has been hard-hit by funding cuts.

Estefan will be honored in Houston at a star-studded concert and tribute dinner leading up to the Latin Grammy Awards, which will be broadcast live on the Univision network on at 8 p.m. on Nov. 13.


Sports
Language Barries
The LPGA was surprised by the fi restorm of criticism it drew recently when news leaked out it was working on a policy that would require its golfers to become conversant in English by 2009 or face suspension.

The new language policy—believed to be the only such policy in a major sport—was reportedly aimed at making the players, events and sport more marketable to sponsors and the public. The LPGA Tour roster has almost 500 players, and 121 of them are from outside of the United States. Its No. 1 player, Lorena Ochoa, is Mexican. The most dominant player over the past decade, Annika Sorenstam, is Swedish. Of the players currently on the circuit, 45 are South Korean. International players have won 19 of 24 events this year—six by Ochoa, seven by Asians. Most of them are capable in English.

Still, Argentine golfer Angel Cabrera told ESPN in Spanish, “You don’t have to speak English to play golf.” Cabrera, whose lack of English profi ciency did not keep him from beating Tiger Woods to win the U.S. Open last year, joined a chorus of male players perplexed by the LPGA’s position. “I remember what [Roberto] de Vicenzo once said to me,” Cabrera said. “If you shoot under 70, everybody will understand you. If you don’t, they won’t want to talk to you, anyway.” The LPGA Tour is still working on the policy, which is expected to be delivered to players at the end of the year.


Technology
Wired Up
The growth of the U.S. Hispanic population on the Internet has accelerated faster than expected, according to a report published on Mediaweek.com. Fifty-two percent of the Hispanic population is now online, representing 23 million users. That fi gure surpasses estimates from only two years ago that predicted the Hispanic Web population wouldn’t exceed 20 million until the end of the decade.


Demographics
Catching up the Jones
For the first time, two Hispanic surnames-Garda and Rodriguez - have claimed a spot on the U.S Census Bureau's top 10 list of the most common last names in the nation.

Smith might remain at the No 1 Spot, according to Census Bureau, but the same changing demographics hat have made Hispanics into the largest minority group have also altered the roll call of surnames that make up the United States.

In terms of numbers, Smith is followed on the list by Johnson, Williams, Brown, Jones, Miller and David. But then, there they are: Garcia, at No. 8, and Rodriguez, at No 9, Wilson follows, closely edging out Martinez for No 10.
Altogether, there are 18 clearly Hispanic names in the top 100. This includes Hernandez (15), Lopez (21), Gonzalez (23), Perez (29), Sanchez (33), Ramirez (42), and Torres (50.) Others include Flores (55), Rivera (59), Gomez (68), Reyes (81), Cruz (82), Morales (90), Ortiz (94) and Gutierrez (96).

Cracking the list of top 10 names indicates the depth on the inroads of Latinos on everyday American culture, but only in a superficial way. It doesn't take into account the names that don't sound Spanish, though they are the surnames of people who identify themselves as such. For example, the Census Bureau notes in a report, 2 percent of the people whose last name is Davis describe themselves as Hispanic.


buzzwords

" I’m not done yet. God willing; this is just the beginning of a new phase. "

Veteran Actor TONY PLANA, who plays Betty’s father on ABC’s Ugly Betty and was recently recognized with a lifetime achievement award from the Imagen Awards.
Variety.

“The world is shrinking. We’ll take a good idea from anywhere.”

KEVIN REILLY, president of entertainment for the Fox network, about the increasing trend this season toward television shows that originated in other countries.
The New York Times.


"One of the great pleasures of my work is to impersonate others, to hide myself behind those guys, to fill myself with someone else."

Oscar winner JAVIER BARDEM, who recently starred in Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Columbus Dispatch

“Over time there have been moments in history that America seems less tolerant of immigrants, but I don’t believe it’s a prevailing view. That’s a minority view.”

SEN. MEL MARTINEZ (R-FL), in an interview about the release of his memoir, A Sense of Belonging: From Castro’s Cuba to the U.S. Senate.

The Miami Herald.

"Latinos will be left behind in life-saving cancer care if they’re not part of cutting edge medicine, including clinical trials. Awareness and collaboration are key in moving the community forward."

YSABEL DURON, the founder of Latinas Contra Cancer and the organizer of the first Latino Cancer Summit, held this summer in San Francisco.

Media Moves.