Power Lunch
The 2006 PODER Forum recently took place in Miami, drawing political, business and cultural heavy weights from North and South America, and beyond. The daylong PODER magazine event focused on the tension between the momentum of globalization and the grip of restrictions in trade, commerce and immigration. Distinguished attendees included former Walt Disney CEO Michael Eisner, ex-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, U.S. Immigration Services head Emilio Gonzalez, U.S. Undersecretary for Public Affairs Karen Hughes, New York Times Editorial Board member Carolyn Curiel, and Televisa CEO Emilio Azcarraga Jean.

Big in Korea
In 97 pages Joachim de Posada zeroed in on a key success principle in his book Don’t Eat the Marshmallow … Yet! De Posada drew from a Stanford University study in which kids were given a marshmallow and told they would receive a second, if they could hold out for 15 minutes before eating it. Researchers found that the kids able to patiently resist eating the first marshmallow did better later in life. For his efforts, de Posada’s book reportedly climbed to the top of Korea’s bestseller list and caused a buzz here in the U.S.

Hispanic Watchdog
The first consumer advocacy group on behalf of Hispanics in the U.S. was born. The U.S. Hispanic Advocacy Association (USHAA) plans to leverage Hispanic economic muscle to provide advocacy, benefits and information to its members. The group’s launch was jointly spearheaded by the New York State Federation of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (NYSFHCC), the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey (LLANJ) and other groups. The USHAA, modeled after the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), tapped prominent attorney Luis J. Diaz as its first president.

“It may not translate well into English, but I would rather be the head of a mouse than the tail of a lion. I want to always stay true to my roots, to where I came from.”

Reggaetón artist Raymon Ayala, a.k.a. Daddy Yankee, on staying grounded to his inner-city Puerto Rican origins.
Daily Variety

“We shouldn’t romanticize the old parties… They were not democratic, and they were patronage-driven. They were tied to the economic elite old order, and they were simply not up to the task of adapting.”

Senior Director of Policy at the America Society-Council of the Americas, on the recent losses endured by traditional political parties throughout Latin American as voters favor populist left-leaning movements.
The New York Times

“Wrong. It’s 2006 and Mexico City is still only 20 million. Thirty-five million Mexicans may have come to the United States. That’s what they’re thinking of.”

Andy Rooney, on Dan Rather’s prediction 20 years ago that Mexico City’s population would soar to 35 million by this time.
60 Minutes

Sunshine Lawyer
Francisco “Frank” Angones, was named the 2007 president-elect of the Florida Bar. He is the first Cuban- American to hold the post. Angones is co-founder of the Miami firm Angones, McClure & Garcia, P.A, for which he practices civil trial, personal injury, commercial torts and insurance litigation. He is past president of the Dade County Bar Association, and the Cuban-American Bar Association. Angones has been a member of the Florida Bar Board of Governors. He will be sworn in as Florida Bar president in June 2007.

Paradise Lost?
Following a $740 million budget shortfall, Puerto Rico Gov. Aníbal Acevedo Vila closed 43 government agencies and all public schools, sending home over 95,000 government workers. The governor was locked in a two-year budget stalemate with the island’s opposition-led legislature. The governor and legislature have wrangled over a proposed first-time island sales tax, and a levy on big businesses, to cover government operating costs. Thousands of demonstrators subsequently led protests outside the governor’s house and at press time, union leaders threatened a general strike if a solution was not found.

Taking it to the Streets Pro-immigrant rallies once again grabbed headlines from coast to coast, even as the U.S. government cracked down on business owners who hire undocumented workers. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the hiring of so-called “illegal” workers could be construed as a form of organized crime, and the U.S. government would use some of the same methods to counteract such practices as it uses to fight the mob. Despite the crackdown, many undocumented immigrants participated in a nationwide work boycott on May 1 in support of a means of obtaining legal status. Recent data estimate the population of undocumented U.S. workers at 11 million.

Jock Shock
The departure of shock jock Howard Stern for satellite radio quickly revealed the power of Spanish-language radio humming along just below the radar. Following Stern’s absence, Spanish-language radio swept ratings in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, the nation’s top markets. In New York, Spanish Broadcasting System’s El Vacilón de la Mañana on WSKQ-FM and featuring host Louis Jimenez, emerged the leader. In Chicago, Univision Radio’s El Show del Pistolero y Memin on WOJO-FM with host Rafael Pulido surpassed the competition. And in Los Angeles, Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo on Univision Radio’s KSCA-FM also snared top morning ratings.

High Spirits

The Alma Awards show was held in Los Angeles, honoring Latinos in the entertainment industry. Hosted this year by Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria, the show presented special tributes to Marc Anthony, who received the Celia Cruz Award for Excellence in Music, and Andy Garcia who took home the Anthony Quinn Award for Excellence in Motion Pictures. As the West Wing enters its last season, it took the prize for best television series, while Jimmy Smits, who plays Congressman Matthew Santos on the program, received the award for best actor in a series. The Alma Awards is the creation of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S.

The Reel Thing
The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) held its seventh annual convention in Long Beach, California. The event drew a variety of television and film professionals, from actors to producers. This year, honorees included David Valdes, who most recently produced The Assassination of Jesse James; Imagen Awards founder and executive producer Helen Hernandez; Moctesuma Esparza, who produced such gems as The Milagro Beanfield War and is the founder of Maya Cinemas; Rodrigo Garcia who recently directed Nine Lives; and Marilyn Agrelo director Mad Hot Ballroom.