It’s Official: Mexicans Take Over New York City

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In yet another sign that Mexicans are indeed taking over the Big Apple, a trajinera has been spotted in and around Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

See? We, mexicans, don’t only want our carnitas here, we also want to move around in our traditional means of transportation.

Well, actually, the trajinera thing is a piece of moving art that is part of this year’s Celebrate Mexico Now Festival. Never seen one in real life? Here is your chance, newyorkers!

Photo: Stolen from the Web site of the Queens Museum

Hispanic marketing according to Jencarlos Canela

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There is nothing more refreshing than spending some time with a 23-year-old U.S.-born Latino and hear his take on Hispanic media and marketing… Oh, and if such a 23-year-old is terribly good looking, well, all the better.

On Tuesday, I was lucky to moderate a panel featuring Mr. Canela and Post Foods senior director of marketing Tony Shurman.

The session focused on a Post Foods’ Hispanic marketing promotion featuring Mr. Canela as the spokesperson of Honey Bunches of Oats cereal.

When I asked Canela (a star of Telemundo telenovela Más sabe el diablo) about the content on Hispanic television, he simply said it isn’t “quite there yet.”

“Why do telenovelas have to be so… so… so… dramatic?” he asked.

And that was not all. While Shurman informed us the Jencarlos Canela campaign far exceeded the company expectations; the young kid said that was at least half the sales boost was owed to his mother.

“I got home and I was like, ‘Mom, what is this?’ There were cereal boxes all over the place…I asked her, ‘What are you going to do with all these cereal boxes?’

Click here to read a complete write up of my panel.

Southwest Crew Will Sing ‘Cielito Lindo’ to Show Respect, Appreciation for U.S. Hispanics

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You gotta give it to corporate marketers for their continuing efforts to lure Hispanics to whatever it is they sell.

Take Southwest Airlines which is kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month by inviting everyone to come together on September 16th and sing Cielito lindo.

Yes, that is correct. On Friday, Sept. 16 Southwest flight attendants and crew will lead passengers in flight, at airport gates and airport ticket counters to join in and sing along. Per a press release sent out today by the airline’s Hispanic ad agency, Dieste:

“This is the way Southwest Airlines, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, found to show their respect and appreciation for the Hispanic community.” 

I don’t know you, but this blogger will feel respected -and very much appreciated- if she were to get cheaper tickets and less stripping and frisking at the airports.

I’m just sayin’ ….

New Mexico Unable to Beat ‘Regular Mexico’ in Cooking World’s Largest Taco

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Mayor Jackie McKinney tosses diced tomatoes on what state officials are calling the "world's largest Navajo taco" in Gallup, N.M.

This blogger has absolutely no idea what a “navajo taco” is but residents of Gallup, N.M. got a taste of it this past weekend, when the city attempted to enter the World Records of Guiness by cooking a colossal one. According to the local press:

The taco, which was more than 10 feet in diameter, used 150 pieces of fry bread, 65 pounds of ground beef, 65 pounds of beans, 50 pounds of lettuce, 90 pounds of cheese, and more than 30 pounds of green chile.

Sorry, my friends, but the title-holder of world’s largest taco still belongs to Mexico, according to the Guinness Book of World Records itself. That cheese- and meat-filled concoction, which was prepared by the city of Mexicali in March 2003, weighed in at 1,654 pounds.

Ajúa!

Columbia or Colombia? That Is the Question…

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After years of living in the U.S. and hearing such wonderful things about Columbian stars, Columbian telenovelas or the Columbian economy, I made the wise decision to move close to the neighborhood. Alas, all I found there was a bunch of young people carrying books, going up and down some stairs and looking quite anxious about something.

Then I realized there was yet another Columbia, one that apparently is farther away, but promises to be a bit more fun.

Colombia, it seems, is actually a country in South America (whoa!) so this blogger is determined to give that one a chance.

My sources tell me I will not be able to find Queso “columbiano,” over there, but I think I’ll manage. [You cannot have your queso and eat it too, right?]

All this to say: This blog will be on vacation for a while, though I promise to check back real soon and let you know if the other Colombia was worth the wait.

‘Captain Mexico’ Kicks Hitler’s Ass. Shields Himself With Huge Sombrero

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First it was Burger King and its now infamous Texican Whopper. Then came Cadbury Schweppes with its mariachi-shaped flu protection device. And now Jimmy Kimmel is pissing off some touchy Mexicans with Captain Mexico, starring -who else?- Kimmel’s sidekick Guillermo, a native of Zacatecas.

Captain Mexico kicks Hitler’s ass and shields himself with a huge sombrero, because, really, what else was he going to protect himself with?

Watch, enjoy and let the madness begin.

Otro hat tip al manito, que parece que sólo me da hat tips de sombrerazos

 

Understanding the $71-Billion ‘Multicultural Tourist’

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I just learned today that when Latinos and African-Americans travel we contribute to some huge, rapidly growing market known as “multicultural tourism.”

At least that is according to Kim Hunter, the CEO of  Lagrant Communications, a P.R. and marketing firm.  As Mr. Hunter informs us, “African-American and Hispanic traveling behaviors have steadily been on the rise.”

But that is not all. Some research (somewhere) also shows that:

“Hispanics were also willing to spend $71 billion in traveling.”

This, I guess, is mostly because when it comes to our vacation, we are a very willful bunch.

But if marketers really, really want to take advantage of such an important market, they’d better start by understanding that we do not travel like everybody else. No, señor: While both, African Americans and Hispanics want to go somewhere “they will be accepted,” African-Americans travel with their churches, while Hispanics travel with their children.

[I suppose this leaves non-Hispanic whites making the pilgrimage to Cancún, childless and mostly willing to get wasted on bad tequila shots.]

DNC Launches Spanish-language TV Spot. Could Use Some Spanish-language Copy Editing

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The Democratic National Committee (NDC) on Friday launched its first Spanish-language TV spot, featuring President Obama and the Democratic Party as the only ones out there who protect the interests of Latino families in the U.S.

So far so good. But while it bluntly attacks the Republicans for slashing Medicare, it also blasts them for supporting the bajadas of the taxes… Bajadas?!!!

This blogger applauds DNC’s efforts and bluntly offers them help with their Spanish copy: Would you guys mind doing a little editing before airing stuff? Digo, yo.