June 30, 2011

From the Bookshelves: Everyday Injustice: Latino Professionals and Racism by Maria Chavez



Everyday Injustice: Latino Professionals and Racism by Maria Chavez

As members of the fastest-growing demographic group in America, Latinos are increasingly represented in the professional class, but they continue to face significant racism. Everyday Injustice introduces readers to the challenges facing Latino professionals today. Examining the experiences of many of the most privileged members of the largest racial and ethnic community in the United States, Maria Chávez provides important insights into the challenges facing racialized groups, particularly Latinos, in the United States. Her study looks at Latino lawyers in depth, weaving powerful personal stories and interview excerpts with a broader analysis of survey research and focus groups. The book examines racial framing in America, the role of language and culture among Latino professionals, the role of Latinos in the workplace, their level of civic participation, and the important role that education plays in improving their experiences. One chapter discusses the unique challenges that Latinas face in the workplace as both women and people of color. The findings outlined in Everyday Injustice suggest that despite considerable success in overcoming educational, economic, and class barriers, Latino professionals still experience marginalization. A powerful illustration of racism and inequality in America.

Here is an essay by the author previewing the book, including three stories.  Download Chavez_LatinoLawyersLivinglavidaAmericana[1]

Mary Umberger On Real Estate

July 1, 2011

 

“Our baby is a little ugly,” Oscar Gonzales said, expressing disappointment with his own real estate industry for what he perceives as underserving, or even ignoring, Hispanic consumers.

“What our industry hasn’t done is look at what the customer wants,” he said

Gonzales is the managing partner of the Gonzales Group, a Sugar Land, Texas-based consulting firm that specializes in working with real estate and financial services companies to better understand multicultural marketing. Before founding that company, he worked with several Realtor associations.

He spoke at the recent conference of the National Association of Real Estate Editors in San Antonio, and in a separate interview, about the growing Hispanic market and its potential influence on housing.

Q: How large is this slice of the real estate market?

A: The Hispanic population has been growing by 11/2 percent every five years and it’s now about 51 million people, or about 15 percent of the overall population, or at least very close to what census says. What’s important to note is it’s a young population that’s entering the workforce and will have a significant influence on the real estate industry.

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals has predicted they’ll make up 40 percent of first-time homebuyers in 2012, but I think that number is high. I think you’ll see in the next five years the number will increase, but they’re not quite there yet. A lot of them aren’t in the home-buying pipeline and clearly could benefit from guidance on how the home-buying process here works.

Q: Such as?

A: Fundamentally, Hispanics are debt-averse. It’s not part of their culture; it’s a cash economy. Some of the countries that they come from, the lending institutions cannot be trusted.

So they may be lending-averse and banking-averse. Educating them on the process of credit history and credit scores, as fundamental as it is to you and me, it’s something they have to be educated about.

Q: But you think housing is missing an opportunity?

A: The banking industry is light-years ahead of the real estate industry in accommodating it. Real estate is finding that their customer base has changed and what they’re doing isn’t necessarily working.

Q: Some examples?

A: I remember one homebuilder who put a lot of effort into promoting a Cinco de Mayo sale. But it turned out that most of their customer base was Guatemalan. Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican celebration.

Or the builder in the Carolinas who painted his houses very bright colors (under the presumption that the hues would appeal to a growing Hispanic population nearby). No, they said, not really. What we want are neutral colors and a layout that will accommodate our families.

Q: What does appeal to Hispanic buyers?

A: Well, first, like everybody else, they want a place where their children can go to good schools. But there are some features that can be singled out that are starting to show up in what some builders are offering.

One thing is open floor plans that will accommodate the family coming together.

Front porches can be important. In some communities, the visiting and entertaining happens on the front porch of the home.

Americans are used to having a deck in the back for entertaining. But some homebuilders are pulling the house back further on the lot to make more room for the front porch.

There’s also a demand for multigenerational housing … to accommodate the grandparents. They will house their parents in their later years. The nursing home is taboo in our culture.

Gas ranges. Try cooking tortillas on an electric stove — it will drive you nuts. Little things like that can make a difference.

Q: Is it fair to make such generalizations about a group that has so many subgroups? Is there a risk in oversimplifying the buying preferences of Mexicans, Cubans, Guatemalans and others?

A: Our research with focus groups found that most of them were happy with the traditional American home. They want their children to grow up in the community, just like everyone else.

housingnews@comcast.net

New U.S. Marshal for N.J. is first Latino to serve in that role

BY HERB JACKSON

WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT

The former second-in-command of the State Police was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday to be United States marshal for New Jersey.

Juan Mattos. Jr. of Monroe Township, is the first Latino to serve in the post.

Mattos had a 35-year career with the State Police, including stints as commandant of the State Police Academy and deputy superintendent of operations. Mattos, 56, retired last year as a lieutenant colonel and was working as an agent in the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office when President Obama nominated him in March.

The U.S. Marshals Service provides security in courthouses, searches for fugitives, protects witnesses and judges, manages and sells seized assets, and serves writs and court orders. There are 27 deputies based in Newark, Trenton and Camden, plus affiliated local police assigned to task forces.

Mattos will earn $155,500 in the post, and also will continue to collect his state pension of nearly $94,000 a year.

The nomination ended an impasse that had U.S. Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez, both D-N.J., supporting other candidates for the position. The office has been run by an acting marshal since August 2010, when James T. Plousis, a holdover from the George W. Bush administration, became chairman of the State Parole Board in Governor Christie’s administration.

The Senate confirmed Mattos by unanimous consent.

“It is disappointing that it took so long to fill this important position, but Mr. Mattos has had a distinguished career in law enforcement in New Jersey and will be a strong leader of our U.S. Marshal’s office,” Lautenberg said.

Menendez also praised Mattos’ experience.

“The people of New Jersey need someone like him who is whip-smart, aggressive and aimed toward justice,” Menendez said.

E-mail: jackson@northjersey.com Blog: northjersey.com/herbjackson

By Michael Lopez

It’s been a good year for Latino reality singers. Just a few weeks after Scotty McCreery (who’s part Puerto Rican) won American Idol, Javier Colon walked away with first place honors on The Voice. Colon, who’s part Dominican and part Puerto Rican, seemed thrilled with the victory.

“What do U say as your first tweet after winning The Voice? U say Thank U! To my fans who voted their asses off 4 me. YOU made the difference,” Javier posted last night.

And just listening to Colon belt out tunes like “Stitch By Stitch” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” it’s clear the fans made the right choice. Javier fought hard for his win though, narrowly beating The Voice’‘ other big contender, Dia Frampton.

In the end, Colon walked away with a $100,000 check and a new recording contract. All of the fellow judges seemed elated with Javier’s win and over 10 million fans tuned in to NBC to watch the big finale.

When it was all over, the judges took the stage and promised to return for The Voice season two this winter. Coach Christina Aguilera seemed a bit emotional as the episode wound down, exclaiming to her fellow Voice stars,

“You’ve felt like the big brothers I’ve never had.”