I’ve always felt looked down on, simply because my brown skin represents immigration. You see, I belong to the fastest growing minority group -- a group that isn’t always welcomed, but has always been worth hiring because of their cheap labor.

Suddenly Latinos are more than just cheap labor.

I recently watched a report by MSNBC called “We the People” about the 45 million Latinos in the United States. The report shows that companies are desperate to get a piece of the $1 trillion we spend. After hearing that report, I felt a sense of pride and I had a huge grin on my face. It was about time companies realized that we are an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to fixing our economy.

The report also mentions that more and more companies are changing their marketing strategies in order to satisfy the needs of Latinos. For example, when Boy Scouts of America recruits, it eliminates the middle person by speaking Spanish as a way to connect with Latino families. Seems like being bilingual is the hippest thing in the market, even M&Ms are trying to get a piece of it. They are selling candy with the colors of the Mexican flag. Wal-Mart commercials target the concept of family that appeals to Latinos by using “Para su Familia, de todo Corazon. Siempre." For your family, from the heart. Always. Even Fruit of the Loom is getting famous Latino faces to sell clothes. Whatever the strategy might be, one thing is constant; Latinos are the ones to get.

But wait, is that the kind of attention we want? How can those strategies help us? Let’s get it straight, Big companies are trying to get more money from us in an economy where many Latinos aren’t earning as much, which means those companies will have to try twice as hard.

After the report soaked in, I was mad, because now we are becoming the next chumps in a long line of American consumerism. But I guess that’s capitalism.
 

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