According to corporate consultant AlixPartners, Mexico has leapfrogged China to be ranked as the cheapest country in the world for companies looking to manufacture products for the U.S. market. India is now No. 2, followed by China and then Brazil. In fact, Mexico’s cost advantages and has become so cheap that even Chinese companies are moving there to capitalize on the trade advantages that come from geographic proximity.

When it comes to global manufacturing, Mexico is quickly emerging as the “new” China.

According to corporate consultant AlixPartners, Mexico has leapfrogged China to be ranked as the cheapest country in the world for companies looking to manufacture products for the U.S. market. India is now No. 2, followed by China and then Brazil.

In fact, Mexico’s cost advantages and has become so cheap that even Chinese companies are moving there to capitalize on the trade advantages that come from geographic proximity.

The influx of Chinese manufacturers began early in the decade, as China-based firms in the cellular telephone, television, textile and automobile sectors began to establish maquiladora operations in Mexico. By 2005, there were 20-25 Chinese manufacturers operating in such Mexican states Chihuahua, Tamaulipas and Baja.

The investments were generally small, but the operations had managed to create nearly 4,000 jobs, Enrique Castro Septien, president of the Consejo Nacional de la Industria Maquiladora de Exportacion (CNIME), told the SourceMex news portal in a 2005 interview.

China’s push into Mexico became more concentrated, with China-based automakers Zhongxing Automobile Co., First Automotive Works (in partnership with Mexican retail/media heavyweight Grupo Salinas), Geely Automobile Holdings (PINK: GELYF) and ChangAn Automobile Group Co. Ltd. (the Chinese partner of Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) andSuzuki Motor Corp.), all announced plans to place automaking factoriesin Mexico.

Not all the plans would come to fruition. But Geely’s plan called for a three-phase project that would ultimately involve a $270 million investment and have a total annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles. ChangAn wants to churn out 50,000 vehicles a year. Both companies are taking these steps with the ultimate goal of selling cars to U.S. consumers.

Mexico’s allure as a production site that can serve the U.S. market isn’t limited to China-based suitors. U.S. companies are increasingly realizing that Mexico is a better option than China. Analysts are calling it “nearshoring” or “reverse globalization.” But the reality is this: With wages on the rise in China, ongoing worries about whipsaw energy and commodity prices, and a dollar-yuan relationship that’s destined to get much uglier before it has a chance of improving, manufacturers with an eye on the American market are increasingly realizing that Mexico trumps China in virtually every equation the producers run.

“China was like a recent graduate, hitting the job market for the first time and willing to work for next to nothing,” Mexico-manufacturing consultant German Dominguez told the Christian Science Monitor in an interview last year. But now China is experiencing “the perfect storm … it’s making Mexico – a country that had been the ugly duckling when it came to costs – look a lot better.”

The real eye opener was a 2008 speculative frenzy that sent crude oil prices up to a record level in excess of $147 a barrel – an escalation that caused shipping prices to soar. Suddenly, the labor cost advantage China enjoyed wasn’t enough to overcome the costs of shipping finished goods thousands of miles from Asia to North America. And that reality kick-started the concept of “nearshoring,” concluded an investment research report by Canadian investment bank CIBC World Markets Inc. (NYSE: CM)

“In a world of triple-digit oil prices, distance costs money,” the CIBC research analysts wrote. “And while trade liberalization and technology may have flattened the world, rising transport prices will once again make it rounder.”

Indeed, four factors are at work here.

Mexico’s “Fab Four”

• The U.S.-Mexico Connection: There’s no question that China’s role in the post-financial-crisis world economy will continue to grow in importance. But contrary to the conventional wisdom, U.S. firms still export three times as much to Mexico as they do to China. Mexico gets 75% of its foreign direct investment from the United States, and sends 85% of its exports back across U.S. borders. As China’s cost and currency advantages dissipate, the fact that the United States and Mexico are right next to one another makes it logical to keep the factories in this hemisphere – if for no other reason that to shorten the supply chain and to hold down shipping costs. This is particularly important for companies like Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Whirlpool Corp. (NYSE:WHR) and even the beleaguered auto parts maker Delphi Corp. (PINK: DPHIQ) which are involved in just-in-time manufacturing that requires parts be delivered only as fast as they are needed.
• The Lost Cost Advantage: A decade or more ago, in any discussion of manufactured product costs, Asia was hands-down the low-cost producer. That’s a given no more. Recent reports – including the analysis by AlixPartners – show that Asia’s production costs are 15% or 20% higher than they were just four years ago. A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report from March reaches the same conclusion. Compensation costs in East Asia – a region that includes China but excludes Japan – rose from 32% of U.S. wages in 2002 to 43% in 2007, the most recent statistics available. And since wages are advancing at a rate of 8% to 9% a year, and many types of taxes are escalating, too, East Asia’s overall costs have no doubt escalated even more in the two years since the BLS figures were reported.
• The Creeping Currency Crisis: For the past few years, U.S. elected officials and corporate executives alike have groused that China keeps its currency artificially low to boost its exports, while also reducing U.S. imports. The U.S. trade deficit with China has soared, growing by $20.2 billion in August alone to reach $143 billion so far this year. The currency debate will be part of the discussion when U.S. President Barack Obama visits Chinastarting Monday. Because China’s yuan has strengthened so much, goods made in China may not be the bargain they once were. Those currency crosscurrents aren’t a problem with the U.S. and Mexico, however. As of Monday, the dollar was down about 15% from its March 2009 high. At the same time, however, the Mexican peso had dropped 20% versus the dollar. So while the yuan was getting stronger as the dollar got cheaper, the peso was getting even cheaper versus the dollar.
• Trade Alliance Central: Everyone’s familiar with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).  But not everyone understands the impact that NAFTA has had. It isn’t just window-dressing: Mexico’s trade with the United States and Canada has tripled since NAFTA was enacted in 1994. What’s more, Mexico has 12 free-trade agreements that involve more than 40 countries – more than any other country and enough to cover more than 90% of the country’s foreign trade. Its goods can be exported – duty-free – to the United States, Canada, the European Union, most of Central and Latin America, and to Japan.

In the global scheme of things, what I am telling you here probably won’t be a game-changer when it comes to China. That country is an economic juggernaut and is a market that U.S. investors cannot afford to ignore.  Given China’s emerging strength and its increasingly dominant financial position, it’s going to have its own consumer markets to service for decades to come.

Two Profit Play Candidates

From a regional standpoint, these developments all show that we’re in the earliest stages of what could be an even-closer Mexican/American relationship – enhancing the existing trade partnership in ways that benefit companies on both sides of the border (even companies that hail from other parts of the world).

In the meantime, we’ll be watching for signs of a resurgent Mexican manufacturing industry that’s ultimately driven by Chinese companies – because we know the American companies doing business with them will enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Since this is an early stage opportunity best for investors capable of stomaching some serious volatility, we’ll be watching for those Mexican companies likely to benefit from the capital that’s being newly deployed in their backyard.

Two of my favorite choices include:

• Wal Mart de Mexico SAB de CV (OTC ADR: WMMVY): Also known as “Walmex,” this retailer has all the advantages of investing in its U.S. counterpart – albeit with a couple of twists. Walmex’s third-quarter profits were up 18% and the company just started accepting bank deposits, a service that should boost store traffic. And while the U.S. retail market is highly saturated – which limits growth opportunities – there are still plenty of places to build Walmex stores south of the border. After all, somebody has to sell products to all those thousands of workers likely to be involved in the growing maquiladora sector.
• Coca-Cola FEMSA SAB de CV (NYSE ADR: KOF): Things truly do go better with Coke – especially higher wages and an improved lifestyle. According toReuters, Mexicans now consume more Coca-Cola beverages per capita than any other nation in the world. The company just posted a 25% jump in its third-quarter net earnings, aided by a strong 21% jump in revenue. Coca-Cola FEMSA continues to experience strong growth from its Oxxo convenience stores, and strong beer sales, too. And all three product groups are logical beneficiaries of strong maquiladora development and the growing incomes and rising family wealth that will translate into higher consumer spending in the immediately surrounding areas.

Source: Keith Fitz-Gerald is the chief investment strategist forMoney Morning and The Money Map Report.

Chilean-inspired tee to benefit disaster relief

new “Condorito Fuerza Chile!” t-shirt to show support and provide financial assistance for disaster relief in Chile.

“As a U.S. company that represents the best of Latin American brands and Latin-influenced products, we also have a responsibility to support what’s happening in this region of our world, and reach out to help,” said Dean Schwartz, President of SOBO Concepts. “Our thoughts are with the Chilean people, and this t-shirt is just a small gesture of support and financial assistance for those suffering from the devastation.”

SOBO and Surropa will donate all profits from the sale of the Condorito Fuerza Chile t-shirt to the Red Cross in support of relief efforts in Chile.

SOBO was inspired to create a relevant t-shirt that conveys both the emotion and hope of Chile’s tragic situation, and Condorito was a natural fit. Created by Chilean cartoonist René Rios, Condorito is a beloved Latin American cartoon character already featured on limited-edition designs at Surropa.com through SOBO’s license. On the t-shirt, Condorito holds the Chilean flag above the words Fuerza Chile, or “stay strong, Chile,” a phrase often heard in the aftermath of the country’s natural disaster. The shirt is available in men’s and women’s designs and sizes, and retails for $24.95 USD.

Earlier this year, SOBO created a t-shirt to support relief efforts in Haiti featuring the phrase, “Through the tears, we are with you,” a line from a popular Haitian song. The shirt is also available for men and women on Surropa.com, and all profits are being donated to Yele.org. “Our ‘Through the tears we are with you’ was in response to Haiti’s unimaginable tragedy, and our desire and responsibility to help,” said Schwartz.

About Surropa.com

Surropa.com is the ultimate online shopping destination for fashion apparel and merchandise from top Latin American brands and designers. Surropa offers an assortment of contemporary designs including t-shirts, hoodies, art and trendsetting products inspired by Latin American style and culture. Follow Surropa on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter or check out our blog.

About SOBO Concepts

SOBO Concepts LLC is an apparel and e-commerce company based in Miami, FL. SOBO Concepts “creates the style” for brands by designing custom apparel and merchandise for sale or promotional use. With a full range of services from product design and development to ecommerce solutions including sourcing, warehousing, distribution and customer service, SOBO Concepts makes it easy for companies to extend their brand and revenue potential.

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Media contact: Kristin Seigworth, Kristin@soboconcepts.com, 888-513-6245, c: 920-602-2307

Saturday's Chile earthquake was so powerful that it likely shifted an Earth axis and shortened the length of a day, NASA announced Monday.

stronger than never. However, we need your help this time for the little ones. That´s why, I kindly ask you, to help Chile, whether you are doing it through an organization or not.

I´m in Region del Bio-Bio right now, and my people is suffering. Specially the kids at our Child Care Facility, named CONIN CHILLAN. (www.conin.cl <http://www.conin.cl> )

We need lots of diapers, any kind of diapers, as much as you can. They don´t have a steady service or electricity or water, they have some tough areas and slums surrounding the child care facility, and they are running out of diapers for the kids.

You can ship that from the US, or everywhere, labeling your package for Chilean Customs as:

Humanitarian Help PRIVATE DONATION – NO COMMERCIAL VALUE
Chile Earthquake

Address:

José María Caro 565.
Pobl. Vicente Pérez Rosales
Tel: (+56-42) 423220
chillan@conin.cl
ZIP: 3780000

If you need some assistance in order of how to proceed, please don´t hesitate to contact me.

Francisco Campos-Lopez
Filmmaker
carteludo@gmail.com

Phone: +56 42 274559
Mobile: +56 9 7 423 0398

Photo source: National Geographic

Papatel Launches Free Phone Service Nationwide for US Hispanics

Papatel, a new long-distance service that allows customers to call anywhere across the globe for free, today announced that it has launched nationwide after experiencing exponential growth during its test phase. In less than one year, Papatel has garnered more than 80,000 customers who use the service to call loved ones back home at no cost. The service is easy-to-use and takes less than five minutes to join, by logging on to www.papatel.com or calling 1-(866) PAPATEL.

Enrique Baiz, Founder and President of Papatel, commented; “many of us have families abroad, and keeping in touch with them internationally can be very costly. Particularly in this difficult economic climate, Papatel makes it free and easy to keep in touch with loved ones.”

It is so easy. Users establish an account by simply providing basic information including the numbers they will be calling from to make their long-distance calls (whether it be from the cell phone or landline) and they can start using Papatel immediately, with no strings attached. The registration, which takes less than five-minutes, is strictly confidential and the information is never shared with any other entity.

The free service is made possible through an innovative model in which advertisers place ads at the beginning of the calls and after long segments of conversation. Every week, users can acquire 1,000 free points, which allows users to call loved ones in Argentina or Mexico and talk up to 1.5 hours for free. Each time customers listen to an advertisement, they earn points, which provides them with more free long-distance minutes. Consumers can also hear weather reports or their horoscopes if they choose to.

In addition, Papatel offers users Papatel+, which is the company’s prepaid service that provides long distance rates with absolutely no advertisements. Rates to call anywhere around the world start as low as $.01. And, unlike other prepaid phone services, the balance never expires, and there are no hidden fees.

“It is the best deal a user can get for free international calls every week with no strings attached, and our prepaid and pinless international program is truly the top long-distance service in the market today,” added Baiz. “We want potential customers to know Papatel is committed to our promise, that is to offer completely free long distance service always.”

Today, Papatel has nearly 10 patents for this innovative technology, making it the world’s only free long distance service that does not require internet use. For more information or to register for the service, visit www.papatel.com, or call (866) PAPATEL.

About Papatel

Papatel is the world’s first non-internet based free phone service. Based in Miami, FL, the company currently has over 80,000 users in its first year of operation, and is rapidly expanding nationwide. For more information, visit www.papatel.com.

SOURCE Papatel

Claudia Goffan

Here is the article:

The children of Hispanic immigrants tend to be born healthy and start life on an intellectual par with other American children, but by the age of 2 they begin to lag in linguistic and cognitive skills, a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, shows.

Hispanic Immigrants’ Children Fall Behind Peers Early, Study Finds

The study highlights a paradox that has bedeviled educators and Hispanic families for some time. By and large, mothers from Latin American countries take care of their health during their pregnancies and give birth to robust children, but those children fall behind their peers in mental development by the time they reach grade school, and the gap tends to widen as they get older.

The new Berkeley study suggests the shortfall may start even before the children enter preschool, supporting calls in Washington to spend more on programs that coach parents to stimulate their children with books, drills and games earlier in their lives.

“Our results show a very significant gap even at age 3,” said Bruce Fuller, one of the study’s authors and a professor of education at Berkeley. “If we don’t attack this disparity early on, these kids are headed quickly for a pretty dismal future in elementary school.”

Professor Fuller said blacks and poor whites also lagged behind the curve, suggesting that poverty remained a factor in predicting how well a young mind develops. But the drop-off in the cognitive scores of Hispanic toddlers, especially those from Mexican backgrounds, was steeper than for other groups and could not be explained by economic status alone, he said.

One possible explanation is that a high percentage of Mexican and Latin American immigrant mothers have less formal schooling than the average American mother, white or black, the study’s authors said. These mothers also tend to have more children than middle-class American families, which means the toddlers get less one-on-one attention from their parents.

“The reading activities, educational games and performing the ABCs for Grandma — so often witnessed in middle-class homes — are less consistently seen in poor Latino households,” Professor Fuller said.

The study is based on data collected on 8,114 infants born in 2001 and tracked through the first two years of life by the National Center for Education Statistics. The findings will be published this week in Maternal and Child Health Journal, and a companion report will appear this fall in the medical journal Pediatrics.

The analysis showed that at 9 to 15 months, Hispanic and white children performed equally on tests of basic cognitive skills, like understanding their mother’s speech and using words and gestures. But from 24 to 36 months, the Hispanic children fell about six months behind their white peers on measures like word comprehension, more complex speech and working with their mothers on simple tasks.

The study comes as the Obama administration has been pushing for more money to help prepare infants and toddlers for school. In September, the House passed an initiative that would channel $8 billion over eight years to states with plans to improve programs serving young children.

In addition, the economic stimulus package included $3 billion for Head Start preschools and for the Early Head Start program, which helps young parents stimulate their children’s mental development.

Eugene Garcia, an education professor at Arizona State University, said the Berkeley-led study confirmed findings by others that the children of Hispanic immigrants, for reasons that remain unclear, tend to fall behind white students by as much as a grade level by the third grade.

“It seems like what might be the most helpful with Latino kids is early intervention,” Dr. Garcia said.

Carmen Rodriguez, the director of the Columbia University Head Start in New York City, said there was a waiting list of parents, most of them Hispanic, who want to take Early Head Start classes with their children.

Dr. Rodriguez said the study’s findings might reflect a surge in interest in early childhood education on the part of middle-class Americans, rather than any deficiency in the immigrant homes.

“Any low-income toddler is disadvantaged if they don’t get this kind of stimulation,” she said.

Source: The New York Times – By James McKinley Jr.

Dia de la Raza - Columbus Day

The date of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas is celebrated in many countries in Latin America, although not in Brazil, (and in some Latino communities in the United States) as the Día de la Raza (“day of the race”), commemorating the first encounters of Europeans and Native Americans. The day was first celebrated in Argentina in 1917, Venezuela in 1921, Chile in 1922, and Mexico in 1928. The day was also celebrated under this title in Spain until 1957, when it was changed to the Día de la Hispanidad (“Hispanity Day”), and in Venezuela until 2002, when it was changed to the Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) by President Hugo Chavez. Día de la Raza in many countries is seen as a counter to Columbus Day. It is used to resist the arrival of Europeans to the Americas and is used to celebrate the native races.

In the U.S. Dia de la Raza has served as a time of mobilization for pan-ethnic Latino activists, particularly in the 1960s. Since then, La Raza has served as a periodic rallying cry for Hispanic activists. The first Hispanic March on Washington occurred on Columbus Day in 1996. The name has remained in the largest Hispanic social justice organization, the National Council of La Raza.

]]> http://hispanic-marketing.com/blog/hispanic-marketing/latin-america-hispanic-marketing/dia-de-la-raza-columbus-day/feed/ 3 http://hispanic-marketing.com/blog/hispanic-marketing/latin-america-hispanic-marketing/between-here-and-there-how-attached-are-latino-immigrants-to-their-native-country/ http://hispanic-marketing.com/blog/hispanic-marketing/latin-america-hispanic-marketing/between-here-and-there-how-attached-are-latino-immigrants-to-their-native-country/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:06:14 +0000 Target Latino http://hispanic-marketing.com/blog/?p=666

How Attached Are Latino Immigrants to Their Native Country?

Most Latino immigrants maintain some kind of connection to their native country by sending remittances, traveling back or telephoning relatives, but the extent of their attachment varies considerably. Only one-in-ten (9%) do all three of these so-called transnational activities; these immigrants can be considered highly attached to their home country. A much larger minority (28%) of foreign-born Latinos is involved in none of these activities and can be considered to have a low level of engagement with the country of origin. Most Latino immigrants (63%) show moderate attachment to their home country; they engage in one or two of these activities.

Latino immigrants who have been in the U.S. for decades and those who arrived as children are less connected than those who arrived more recently or migrated as adults. There are also significant differences by country of origin, with Colombians and Dominicans maintaining more active connections than Mexicans, and with Cubans having the least contact.

Whether Latino immigrants maintain active, moderate or limited connections is an important marker of their attitudes toward the U.S., their native country and their own lives as migrants. Those with the highest levels of engagement have deeper attachments to their country of origin than immigrants whose connections are less robust. They also have more favorable views of their native country in comparisons with the U.S. Nonetheless, a clear majority of even these immigrants see their future in the U.S. rather than in the countries from which they come.

Most Latino immigrants reveal moderate levels of engagement with the home country–both in the extent of their transnational activities and in their attitudes. They maintain some connections to the country of their birth through such activities as sending money or phoning regularly. And their opinions blend optimism about life in the U.S. and positive evaluations of some aspects of American society (notably political traditions) with less favorable comparisons to their native land on other aspects (such as morals). Their attachments and identities are a mix of views that might be expected of people navigating an emotional terrain that encompasses two nations. That mix differs in several important respects, with people who have been in the U.S. longer being more ready than recent arrivals to declare this country their homeland and to describe themselves as Americans.

The Pew Hispanic Center’s 2006 National Survey of Latinos collected data on a variety of transnational activities and a wide range of attitudes and beliefs. This report is based on a new analysis of that survey data, which for the first time examines the extent to which Latino immigrants with different characteristics maintain connections to their native lands and assesses how different levels of transnational activities are associated with an immigrant’s views on key subjects. The analysis thus explores the question of whether maintaining connections to a country of origin is associated with more positive or negative views of the U.S., a greater or lesser sense of attachment to this country and a stronger or weaker sense of identity as an American.

Source: Pew Hispanic Center – Roger Waldinger, University of California, Los Angeles

When the younger Gonzalez’s grandparents emigrated from Mexico around 1910, they initially planned on returning, he said at the debut of Historias, a project of StoryCorps, a nonprofit oral history group that records stories of everyday Americans.

“I want to talk about how my father sought that more complete assimilation and the obstacles he had to face and his generation’s contribution to allowing me to do what I do today,” Gonzalez said.

StoryCorps officially launched Historias, which will be archived at the Library of Congress, at a ceremony that featured talks by, among others, House members of Latino descent.

Speakers praised the project and StoryCorps’ past efforts, saying that the stories of everyday people preserve the American experience and that the new initiative offers the often-ignored Latino community a chance to participate.

“We believe that much of what we have contributed and what we continue to contribute — if it is found in whatever history, oral or otherwise — is a footnote,” Gonzalez said. “I think this goes a long way to remedy that situation.”

Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., spoke about how two recent projects on World War II — Ken Burns’ documentary “The War” and Tom Brokaw’s book “The Greatest Generation” — did not include much about Latinos, a trend that Becerra has noticed since he was young.

“I think Historias does something very important for us: It tells us who we are,” Becerra said.

Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., spoke of how his immigrant father responded to a friend’s comment that he was lucky to have successful children.

“My father, in the most wonderful broken English, said, ‘I busted my back to get lucky,’” Serrano said.

It is necessary to gather the stories of as many everyday Latinos as possible, Gonzalez said.

“An untold history makes for an incomplete history and thus an incomplete lesson,” he said.

“It’s a lesson for all of us, for those who have been here for many years to appreciate the contribution made by others, but also for the new arrivals because there will always be new arrivals in this country,” Gonzalez said after the event. “I think it’s going to be a source of inspiration, and lessons will be learned that will benefit all Americans.”

Recordings for Historias will take place in more than 20 cities across America during the next year.

The project will record oral histories in Texas, starting with Austin and Houston in November, Brownsville in May and San Antonio in June.

Those interested in participating in the project can call StoryCorps at (800) 850-4406.

By Drew Joseph – Hearst Newspapers

Target Latino thanks the Latino Nutrition Coalition and Oldways for allowing us to publish this important information for dissemination within our community. Let’s hope that we all work together for the betterment of our nutrition and that of our children.

—————-

BOSTON, September 15, 2009 – In celebration of Latino Nutrition Month from September 15 through October 15, Oldways and the Latino Nutrition Coalition (LNC) have released Latino Living – A Guide to Better Health Through Traditional Food and Active Lifestyles – for both consumers and health professionals.

“Latino Living was originally designed for health professionals and dietitians, but it is so user friendly and simple that it’s perfect for consumers from coast to coast,” said Sara Baer-Sinnott, Executive Vice President of Oldways.

Latin Diet Pyramid - Copyright 2009 Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust - http://www.oldwayspt.org/

For Consumers, the kit offers:

• A 7-day Healthy Latino Meal Plan, with recipes and grocery list.
• A bilingual Latino Lifestyle Calendar, featuring a tip-a-day for following the healthy Latin American diet.
• New, illustrated, bilingual Latin American Diet Pyramid, with basic guidelines to help plan daily meals.

The following in both English and Spanish:

• A list of Latin American super foods
• Kitchen Strategies: time savers and smart swaps
• Tip for Kids: cooking, lunches and snacks
• Tips on how to exercise with your family

For Health Professionals and RDs, the kit offers:

• All of the above, PLUS
• Statistics concerning obesity, nutrition, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer rates occurring in the Latino American population.
• A detailed explanation of the Latin American Diet Pyramid, along with basic guidelines that help plan daily meals.
• Weekly Goal Tracking and 24-Hour Recall Sheets.

Consumers, health professionals and RDs can request this free resource (on CD-Rom or online) by emailing or calling Adriene Worthington (aworthington@oldwayspt.org, 617-896-4876.

Coinciding with National Hispanic Heritage Month, Latino Nutrition Month will introduce consumers to a variety of ways to cook, eat and enjoy the Latino diet pattern. The introduction of an updated Latin American Diet Pyramid will stress the importance of putting plant foods such as fruits, veggies, grains (mostly whole), nuts and peanuts, beans and spices at the core of one’s diet. Additionally, consumers can enter Oldways/LNC’s Latin American Diet Recipe Contest (see below) to win a variety of prizes.

See what else is happening during Latino Nutrition Month on the Oldways and LNC websites. These programs include:

1. An updated Camino Mágico, a downloadable, bi-lingual supermarket shopping guide to help Latino shoppers make healthy choices among the endless food options available at supermarkets today.

2. Latin American Diet Recipe Contest featured on the Oldways and LNC websites and on the Official Oldways Table Blog. Consumers should submit a recipe that uses at least two Latin American Diet products (list is featured on the Oldways Table Blog).  Winners will be drawn at the end of the month, and announced on our websites.  Prizes include wonderful Latino food products, autographed copies of our widely-praised book, The Oldways Table, chock-full of wonderful recipes and short essays about food and wine experiences, and the new poster of the Latin American Diet Pyramid.

3. A 2′ X 3′ poster with an updated illustration of the Latin American Diet Pyramid will be available at The Oldways Store on September 21, 2009.

Links:

Find Oldways on Twitter – OldwaysPT

Find the LNC on Twitter – LatinoNutrition

Oldways on Facebook – Become a Fan!

The Official Oldways Blog – The Oldways Table

About Oldways and the Latino Nutrition Coalition

Oldways is an internationally-respected non-profit, changing the way people eat through practical and positive programs grounded in science, traditions, and delicious foods and drinks.  The Latino Nutrition Coalition is an Oldways program inspiring Latinos to improve and maintain their health through traditional foods and active lifestyles. LNC members include: General Mills; Herdez; Splenda; La Moderna; Mission Foods; National Watermelon Promotion Board; The Peanut Institute; Soyfoods Association of North America; Splenda  Sweetener Products; United States Potato Board; and Wisconsin Milk  Marketing Board.  You can learn more at www.oldwayspt.org and www.latinonutrition.org.

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