The numbers are overwhelming.

The Latino population in California has grown by a factor of ten since 1950, and now comprises 32 percent of the state's 33.8 million people. Between 1990 and 2000, Latinos accounted for three-fourths of the state's population growth. Their numbers will triple by 2050, outpacing the growth of all other minority groups according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Accent on the Bottom Line

Established in 1976 as a private nonprofit organization, the Latin Business Association in Los Angeles is the country's largest Latino business group by virtue of total active membership and overall outreach to Latino business owners. The primary purpose of the LBA is to grow Latino-owned businesses by generating opportunities that impact the bottom line, providing educational workshops, and formulating effective advocacy programs.

"Our mission is to be the fastest and most effective aligner of business opportunities in the marketplace," states Gladys Hurtado, LBA spokesperson. "In fact, I spoke recently with an official from Argentina who was very interested and impressed with the power of the Latino population in California and the value of bilingual skills."

More and more companies are seeking bilingual employees, as they recognize the growing purchasing power of Latinos, who spent $653.6 million last year in California alone (tops in the nation). Hurtado claims the Hispanic population in the state is doubling each year and that half of the people between the ages of 18-49 are Hispanic. It's no wonder that bilingual candidates are finding more employment opportunities.

"One job sector that requires bilingual skills is the secretarial field . . . they are usually on the front line and must be able to talk to everyone," contends Hurtado. "On a personal note, my daughter got a traditional job in the bank, then took classes to learn Spanish. Now she is the translator for the branch, although she was not hired for that job."

Positions in the healthcare field are another growing area where bilingual skills are becoming more the norm than the exception. "Nurses and other health workers must be able to communicate with the patients and their families," Hurtado emphasizes. "When anyone is in pain they need to see someone who understands and can empathize in their own language."

State Support

The Employment Development Department is acutely aware of the size and importance of the Latino workforce. Rick Rice, assistant secretary for EDD's Labor and Workforce Development, points out that California has the largest Spanish-speaking population outside of Mexico.

"Bilingual skills are becoming increasingly important in the widening workplace," he relates. "That fact is especially noticeable in Spanish-language billboards and other advertising throughout the state. We have to serve all the community."

Rice feels it is important for Hispanic workers to understand what their rights and obligations are. "Our departments have gone out the way to produce materials in every language spoken in California, and there are so many. Spanish is number one."

"The makeup of the state legislature is a good indication of the growing clout of the Latino community," Rice asserts. "I'm a native Californian and when I was a school kid in the '60s, I visited the Capitol. There were only two Latinos in the House and the Senate combined, and now the Latino Caucus has swelled to 24 - nine in the house and 15 in the senate."

One of the more high-profile examples is Cruz Bustamante, who rose from the fields of the Central Valley to become the first Latino Assembly Speaker in California before being elected Lieutenant Governor. The current Assembly Speaker, Fabian N£¤ez, came from the San Diego barrio and was the first "freshman" legislator ever elected speaker.

"That indicates the value of Latino participation in our government," Rice says. "And I think we are just beginning to see the tremendous power of California's Latinos."

National Recognition

The Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives recently opened an exposition on the lives of 25 outstanding Hispanic men and women in the US.

"We made this exposition so that Latinos can understand the contribution to their country," notes Anna Escobedo Cabralla, director of the Smithsonian Center. "The Latino experience is the US experience. It is about perseverance, dedication to work, commitment, dreams and strong family values."

The exposition includes profiles of politicians, businessmen, artists, writers, activists, anthropologists, scientists, journalists, military doctors and paramedics, athletes, intellectuals, and even an astronaut.

"What we want to show young people is that there are many ways of fulfilling their dreams," notes the project's director Henry Estrada. It's important to show them the philosophy of how [those people] did it. Working hard was obviously a shared trait, as many of them achieved their success without ever attending college.

These websites specialize in career and job-search assistance for Latino and bilingual workers:

• LatPro.com - Bills itself as "the essential job board for Hispanic and bilingual professionals." This website is an employment source for Spanish/English and Portuguese/English bilinguals. Includes newsletters, links to network organizations, job searching, and calendar of events.
• Saludos.com - The website of Saludos Hispanos Magazine facilitates matching bilingual (English/Spanish) college graduates with employers. Search jobs, post resumes and explore careers and links to other resources in the "Career Pavilion."
• MuyBueno.net - Promotes and informs Bay Area Latino professionals about business, cultural, community, and educational events. The website features job listings, networking events such as social mixers, educational/professional seminars, and links to other Latino websites.
• HispanicOnline.com - Website owned by the Hispanic Publishing Group offers news, resources and entertainment options of interest to Latinos. Click on "Links," then "Career" for a list of employment-related websites.