“The New Balance”
This article first discusses the rising powers of other nations besides the U.S. as the U.S. influence in the world declines. Many people in the U.S. fear this as an attack on the country’s power and dominance, but Fareed Zakaria (international editor for Newsweek) explains this phenomenon as “post-Americanism” rather than anti-Americanism. This “rise of the rest,” as Zakaria calls it, has helped countries in Latin America such as Mexico and Brazil. These countries are quickly becoming global players in the industrial world.
While many have feared that this rise was motivated as a rebellion against U.S. powers, Aturo Sarukhán (Mexico’s ambassador to the U.S.) says this is a “false dichotomy.” Thomas L. Friedman claims that the U.S. has the potential to be a great nation; it simply needs to focus on “its internal challenges.” Some say Latin America would benefit from the U.S. if/when it changes this through changes in foreign relations such immigration and trade policies.
“Guatemala on the Brink”
More than 10 years after the signing of the Guatemalan peace accords, Guatemala has a new president who faces challenges of governing the country and alleviating crime and poverty in the country. President Colom has set the bar high when promising to raise the standards of living for the lower class living on less than $1 a day (about 7 million citizens). His goals for the country are great, but Eric Farnsworth questions the possibility of achieving these goals.
Guatemala’s history shows that the government has not always had the best relations with the governed. Farnsworth says this needs to change before the President Colom can move forward. He says crime needs to be delegitimized so that it is not as widespread or accepted. Along with this, it is necessary to create jobs for former participators in the drug and criminal world. Farnsworth says Guatemala could accomplish this by partnering with countries such as the U.S., Mexico and Brazil to “build a more integrated energy market, including electrical interaction and alternative fuels.” Ultimately, President Colom needs to be decisive in his policy making and take action to generate growth.
“Olvidaste tu Password?”
The author, George Munoz discusses the relevance of Spanglish in American culture today. During his childhood, he was surrounded by bilingual people and it was a rule that he could not mix the two languages. However, he argues that today “Spanglish is slowly engulfing our society; and we should not resist it.”
This relates to the advertising world because Munoz claims that advertisers are catching on to Spanglish and using it to their advantage. He says, “Advertisers have discovered that mixing the right English and Spanish words can trigger the emotional reaction advertisers are seeking with consumers.” More and more children are watching the television show, Dora the Explorer which uses Spanglish in its episodes. This may suggest that this is where advertisers should start to focus as these children grow up.
“How the Numbers Add Up”
Marketers need to watch out for the Hispanic youth population. “About 63% of Hispanics are under 34 years of age, compared to 37% of non-Hispanics.” Hispanics make up 21% of the total population segment age 17 and under. Although Hispanics represent a relatively large portion of the youth population, they are less prevalent in the 65 and over segment (92% are non-Latinos in 2013). This portion of the population is not going away and will continue to impact the markets in the future. (See article for graphs)
“The Farc Files”
E-mails and written documents have come out since the death of Raul Reyes, a senior leader of the FARC guerillas, which show the relationship between the terrorist group and Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chavez. The EU and the U.S. both consider the group to be a terrorist organization, but they are trying to convince the world that they are a “belligerent force.” The e-mails show that Mr. Chavez gave $300 million to the FARC, however it is unclear if this was “a loan or for solidarity.” Many Republican leaders in the U.S. say that since these e-mails have surfaced, Venezuela should be declared a “state sponsor of terrorism.” This could force the U.S. to impose trade sanctions on the country. However, this is unlikely to occur because Venezuela supplies about 10 percent of U.S. imported oil.
“Troubled Family Values”
The Latina family structure is changing. Many more mothers are single mothers living below the poverty line. The article states: “probably for the first time, half of all Hispanic children in America were born out of wedlock.” Some blame America for this problem, but the article claims it is the “combination of American inner-city norms and traditional Latina attitudes.” The machismo attitude of many of the young men usually means that they do not use condoms while the women are generally uneducated about birth control.
Another problem facing Hispanic families in the U.S. is the extended family. This could be due to issues such as language barriers as many of the children learn English while their grandparents speak Spanish and only a little English. Traditionally, Latinas believe that grandparents should stay with them as they get older and not send them to nursing homes, but this could change in the future. It is still unclear whether Latinas will work through these challenges or succeed in blending the two cultures.
