Latino models in short supply in Minn., casting agencies say

MINNEAPOLIS — When Paola Cardenas left Colombia for Minnesota nine years ago and began modeling, she thought the Midwest would be a quick stop before she pursued her ambitions in a place like Los Angeles, an international city that is home many Latin American immigrants.

But that changed after she married and gave birth to her son. Minnesota became home.

“Here people are really sweet,” Cardenas said recently during a photo shoot at Quad Photo in Minneapolis. “I think it’s a more relaxed market, it’s not like that high fashion.”

These days, Cardenas is in demand. Although Minnesota has long been home to the headquarters of big companies and the Twin Cities has a flourishing advertising production industry, modeling and casting companies have hit a hurdle. They say it’s very hard to find Hispanic models. That’s causing them to lose business.

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Taller de Poesía y Edición de Libros CartonerosTaller de Poesía y Edición de Libros Cartoneros

cartoneroLearn about Latin American poetry and make your own cardboard book from recycled materials. The workshop will include reading poems from Latin American authors, creative writing, cover design, illustration, and book binding. Workshop led by poet and editor Giancarlo Huapaya and coordinated by Cristian Medina.

[more]cartoneroTaller de poesía y edición artesanal de libros cartoneros. Comprensión lectora (se leerán a poetas latinoamericanos y estadounidenses), escritura creativa, diseño de tapas, técnicas de stencil, collage, compaginado, encuadernado y encolado; forman parte del proceso de este divertido y educativo taller. Recicla y edita. Realizado por el poeta, editor y gestor cultural: Giancarlo Huapaya. Coordinador: Cristian Medina

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Hispanic High School Graduates Pass Whites in Rate of College Enrollment

A record seven-in-ten (69%) Hispanic high school graduates in the class of 2012 enrolled in college that fall, two percentage points higher than the rate (67%) among their white counterparts,1 according to a Pew Research Center analysis of new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.2

This milestone is the result of a long-term increase in Hispanic college-going that accelerated with the onset of the recession in 2008 (Fry and Lopez, 2012). The rate among white high school graduates, by contrast, has declined slightly since 2008.

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