Catalina was born in Colombia and was raised in Miami. She’s made a career in modeling and TV commercials for major brands, but her

Catalina and Dayanara Torres

passion is set on acting. Some of you may remember her from the CW’s “Watch Over Me” where she played the sexy villain Sasha, alongside Dayanara Torres. She’s also been in smaller movies such as “Spin” alongside Shalim (Charytin’s son) and Fernando Carrillo and has also finished shooting a movie with Ving Rhames, Steven Bauer (Scarface), and Hemky Madera (Weeds) set to release in 2012.

Working in advertising in New York City and knowing the growth and flux of the Hispanic market in the U.S. has meant

Catalina with the cast of "Spin"

opportunities for Latinos across all categories. Here I was seeing the impact first hand, as my sister was finally in a movie that may hit the big screen in a few cities and is already On Demand (via Time Warner channel 1000). I obviously had a ton of questions for her. Here’s my conversation with her as she’s getting her hair and makeup done for the red carpet…

Cata (as I like to call her), how much fun was it to shoot alongside Denise Richards?

On the set of "Cougars, Inc" with Denise Richards

I had a blast! The entire cast was great. Denise is very nice and down-to-earth, she’s also very funny. I also had a great time ad-libbing with Chris Murphy (Eddie Murphy’s son), he’s got great energy and while off-set he’s quite and tranquil; on-set he completely transforms and really comes to life.

Your character in this movie is loud, extroverted and has a heavy accent. Being a bilingual/bicultural Latina that speaks English without an accent, did it bother you to have to portray the stereotypical Latina that has an accent on the big screen?

To be honest women such as Sofia Vergara, Penelope Cruz, and Salma Hayek have worked very hard to open these doors for me. I’m an actress that plays characters and Dominica (my character) is this woman…not a stereotype but a testament to all of those women out there who live in the states and have an accent. I came across women like this all of my life growing up in Miami so I wouldn’t consider them a stereotype but a part of our Latino mix in the U.S. Think about it, if I wouldn’t have played her somebody else would have and I’m just blessed to have gotten the part!

Do you think with the amount of Latinos influencing America, roles for Latinos in Hollywood will begin to change even more?

Cougars, Inc Red Carpet Premiere (L to R) Graham Larson, Kathryn Morris, Kyle Gallner, Ashton Larsen, and Catalina

Sure! I think we’ve been seeing that evolution happen already. We now have women like Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez, America Ferrera and Eva Mendes playing women on the small and big screen, not playing Latinas with an accent. They just happen to be Latinas adding a whole new dimension, talent and exotic look to Hollywood.

How hard has it been to break into Hollywood as a Latina?

Don’t get me wrong it hasn’t been easy. I still remember the words one of my acting coaches told me once when I first got to LA “Catalina, beautiful woman in Hollywood don’t play girl next door roles.” I was grateful that he put in that category of beautiful woman but now that just means I have to work even harder to not get type-casted because as we all know, there are many more girl next door roles in Hollywood than lead roles. The best part of all is that I have an amazing family that is an incredible support team – they all keep me positive and looking ahead.

Also, Hollywood is getting much more open-minded, I remember only a few years back I wouldn’t even get a second-call back because my last name was Rodriguez.

Have you thought about changing it?

Yeah I won’t lie, it’s crossed my mind. But at the same time why would I want to change what differentiates me?

After a few hours of more chat, Cata is ready to put on her dress and leaves us with this…

Catalina on the cover of "Cougars, Inc" - she's wearing the red dress

To all the Latinas going after their dream all I have to say is don’t give up! I don’t mean to sound like a cliche, b ut if you really want it than go for it regardless of what anyone says but get good at it – you need to master your craft. I do that everyday and feel great about myself knowing I am doing everything I can to achieve my dream…the worst thing that can happen is asking yourself in the future ‘what if’ or having any regrets for not being proactive.

I feel good about this chat and can only be proud of my sister. Regardless of whether she is playing a stereotype or not she’s rolling with the punches and beginning to make a name for herself. I can only imagine what Hollywood will look like in the year 2050 when Latinos are supposed to represent a projected 29% of the population. In the mean time, I’m excited for what is ahead and the doors we Latinos are paving for ourselves here in the U.S. everyday.

PS: You can follow Catalina Rodriguez on twitter @crodriguez1227 and on facebook: catalina rodriguez

Inside, you’ll find 126 pages full of  inspiring short articles and advice written by a group of 17 Latina women, including myself (and 1 Latino).

I feel honored to be a part of such a talented bunch. As Angelica, the writer and creator of New Latina put it… “Read the wise and inspiring words of a make-up artist, a cook book authors, entrepreneurs, award-winning journalists, fashion experts, a psychologist, a sociologist, a finance blogger, portrait artists and so many more!”

Download your free copy and enjoy.

America is at a turning point. With the amount of unemployed people, a distrust for big companies or the “corporate ladder” and a new generation of Millennials beginning to lead the way…people are turning to doing those things that make them feel good about themselves. Not because they have to but because they want to.

Many people are making careers out of their hobbies and many are changing careers in search of a purpose.

This 2011, while it is unrealistic to ditch your job in search of what many might consider a pipe dream, try to find time to do what you love aside from your 9-5. Whether that is helping people by volunteering, writing that book or starting that blog you’ve always wanted, or perhaps teaching others a skill/talent. You will notice that while this may not make money at first it will compensate you in other ways that will make you feel great about yourself.

Don’t believe me? Even magazines like the October 2010 issue of Inc. have portrayed great stories where people are living their dream and are truly going after their passion but even more incredible…they are making a living out of it. Many believe following their dream or passion is a gutsy and risky thing done primarily by entrepreneurs.

While this may be easy advice for many focused Latinas to follow, the concern lies in the larger amount of Latinas who don’t even know what their passion actually is. Here are four tips that can guide you and get you started in finding your passion.

1.    Ask yourself, what are you really good at? Or what really excites you? Is there something that you have
secretly dreamed of but have never really pursued?

• Perhaps there is a topic you find yourself reading a lot about

2.    Find the time to bring that passion you have just identified to life. “I don’t have time” is just an excuse.

3.    Get better at it. Practice. Experiment. Volunteer somewhere to perfect it and attend seminars. Reading
books/articles on it can only make you better.

4.    Once you feel comfortable. Try to make a profit or a business out of it.  Just like Confucius once said:
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

To sum it up, there are many ways, dreams and roads open to you to fulfill your desires in creating a better life for yourself and achieve happiness. You just need to identify those signs and allow them to enter your life.

The bottom line is in your commitment to invest in yourself, your access to the necessary resources and tools, and your continued passion. As long as you have those, anything is possible!

You might say, it’s easy to target Latinos with music, food, or refranes/colloquialisms that are specific to the Latino culture. But what happens when you try to target us in our Anglo world? What are those Anglo occasions?

For example, what happens when I go to a Thai restaurant, then head out to a bar to watch some football with some friends and then catch a breakdancing battle all in one day? What world am I living then? This is exactly what I did a few weeks ago on a Sunday night and yet it’s hard for me to imagine how marketers/advertisers are supposed to reach me on such an eclectic night like that.

That’s why I see it a little bit different. When we talk about content it shouldn’t be about Anglo vs. Hispanic but about the vast amount of cultures that make up America…not Anglo but multicultural. Latinos don’t live in two worlds, they now have the option to live in multiple worlds. Just think about it, that Sunday night I lived three different worlds and cultures. I participated in Thai culture -with chopsticks and all, I participated in traditional Anglo culture with beer, football and foosball, and then I participated in breakdancing culture – along with hundreds of 16-25 year olds who shared moves I can’t possibly replicate. The greatest thing about that night is that there wasn’t one time when I was thinking as a Latina or as an Anglo. I was just being me. Enjoying every second of what New York City had to offer. Embracing life for what it is and being a part of those cultures as if they were my own.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that it was a missed opportunity when there wasn’t a single brand sponsoring the vast amount of Latinos and multicultural kids who were showing off their moves at the Kings of New York Breakdancing Battle or when 10 Latinos including myself were enjoying a delicious Thai meal together. But then again, it really wasn’t an opportunity that was missed according to brands.

As an advertiser, I am going to share with you what usually happens inside corporate America. As executives plan strategies on how to best target Latinos of various acculturation levels; large amount of studies, research and findings are bought to help with this planning process.  What usually happens is that these quantitative studies show a side of bilinguals that is usually seen on TV today…The majority of Latinos love soccer, the majority of Latina moms are stay at home or work part-time, Latinos are the first group to head out and catch the summer blockbusters…and the list goes on and on. So, unfortunately it’s not a stereotype but what they consider the facts. While some brands are beginning to open up, we need to help many other brands scratch the surface- but they need numbers to believe it and to convince those making the decisions.

It’s time we as Latinos start to show the influence we have in America. It’s time we unite and use social media (from twitter, to facebook to our blogs) to our advantage. So that every time we post a video, share a link or upload a picture we share with others what we are truly into beyond the norm. This way we can start to teach advertisers but most importantly clients/brands that we do more than the stereotypes and we can start to open their minds to our many eclectic and diverse worlds.

So, let’s start here. What are you into? I have opened a facebook account so we can share what we do beyond the stereotypes… LatinasyPunto on facebook.

We ended up sleeping over night in the little town of Greenport and realized that everywhere we visited – the small shops, boutiques and even ice cream stores had bilingual signage.

I was very curious about this as I knew this was a very ‘white’ part of America. But I quickly realized that most of the meals I was eating, the sheets I was sleeping in and even the wine I had been drinking was created in large part to the amazing contribution, service and hard work of the Latinos in the area.

Bilingual menu in "Flavors" Dessert Cafe (Image by Fidel Sciortino)

Who would have ever thought that Greenport with population of about 3,950 has almost 20% of Hispanics? (read more about their population increase) Their presence is so apparent that even signs in the streets and even menus in the restaurants cater to them.  In fact, the local dessert cafe “Flavors” has their entire menu in both English and Spanish.

When I asked the owner the reason for this, he said very matter-of-factly and with a smile on his face; “we need to cater to the people that come here, there are a lot of Hispanics.”

In the kitchens most restaurants had Latinos cooking delicious dishes for all of the town’s guests.

So even when I visited a Lingerie Boutique called “Intimate Secrets” it wasn’t surprising to see that the owner and store attendant was Mireya Torres; a hard-working woman and mother who is very proud to have her own business by providing beautiful lingerie from Colombia to all of her guests.

Mireya Torres owner of "Intimate Secrets" (Image by Fidel Sciortino)

This isn’t just happening in Greenport. According to a report created by the University of New Hampshire, “the Hispanic population is dispersing rapidly — though selectively — from traditional gateway cities in the Southwest, not only to surrounding suburbs, but also rapidly in many rural parts of Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, North Carolina, and Georgia.” We have now gone beyond cities like LA, Miami, Chicago and Dallas, where we once considered to be the ‘traditional’ places to find Hispanics.

So, next time you drive by a town in the middle of ‘white’ America…you may have to rethink how ‘white’ that town really is because Hispanics as we all now know are trekking new places and discovering new land in search of better opportunities and in turn changing and influencing America as they go.

What cities have you visited that weren’t so Hispanic a few years ago? Share your story.

• Bilinguals often intermingle their languages (Spanglish), not out of laziness or lack of ability, but in a natural quest for optimal self-expression and understanding
• Bilingual brains are fitter. Using two languages throughout life delays the onset of dementia symptoms by an average of four years
• Bilingualism enhances attention and cognitive control in kids and adults
• Bilinguals are better at learning additional languages, if those languages bear little resemblance to the ones they already know

That’s when it hit me! Wow, this very reputable magazine is pretty much saying that if you are bilingual you are special (in a good way) and that we think and perceive things very differently than those who don’t think, act or live in two languages. Have I been taking for granted this special ability? Have I been living life knowing that yes, I do live two different languages and sometimes felt one language described something better than in English, like the word “tierno” could never be communicated in English with the same feeling and intention as it does in Spanish- the word “endearing” or “sweet” just doesn’t sound the same. Perhaps you’ve never taken this special ability for granted but have you stopped to think how important we really are?

That’s when I went ahead and did some more digging to find out how unique we really are in America and found out that in fact – in the U.S. there are more than 55 million bilinguals and when it comes to U.S. Hispanics, 70% of us are bilingual. These are very interesting facts given that almost everyone who is from another country can be bilingual if they just learn English when they get here. Yet from research I’ve conducted, many of those people who are bilingual feel less than those who speak one language. They feel they can’t accomplish everything they would like to even though they studied in their own country. They feel they can only do things in the hospitality, fast food, cleaning arenas or anywhere that gives them a break. Is it fear? Beyond documentation or immigration status, what else is keeping a lot of these people from succeeding? Is it a lack of role models or a push to be steered in the right path?

Whatever it is I just want to let you know with this blog post that regardless of what you do…whether it’s blue collar or white collar the fact that you are bilingual definitely gives you an edge. You automatically have exposure to two languages, two cultures, two meanings, and definitions for what is around you. It gives you power that others can’t understand. It gives you one more bullet point in your resume.

Don’t ever take it for granted and instead push yourself like I am everyday after that article to use your bilingualism to make yourself better in everything you do.

In Riverside Park South you see a lot of white people, laying in their blankets, others roller blade while others walk their dogs. If they are hungry they either pull it from their picnic baskets or order it from the nearby food stand where a burger and fries goes for $10.

Then all of a sudden a few miles up everything changes…the aromas and ambiance are completely different. The minute I can smell grilled meat I know I have entered Riverside Park North. Wow, what a difference. “Lloraras” by Oscar De Leon is playing on one side, while mangoes with salt and lemon and fried empanadas are being sold in a cart on another side. You don’t see groups of 3 or 4 people; with Hispanics 10 to 15 is about right. But most importantly everyone has a grill.

Hispanics at Riverside Park North

And that’s when I ask myself, “Do the majority of Hispanics actually have picnics?” I’m talking about picnics without a grill? Is it even an option to go to a park and not have meat or chorizo or chicken?

The more I think about it, the more I realize that growing up in Miami the only reason I ever went to a park was to have a BBQ to celebrate a birthday, a holiday or to get together with family and friends…otherwise we could just get together at home. Perhaps the only time my parents didn’t have a BBQ is when we were at the beach, that’s when it was completely reasonable to have sandwiches, snacks and sodas.  So it doesn’t come as a surprise when a Mintel report confirms that Hispanics, 65% of them, are significantly more likely than any other ethnicity to use charcoal grills, especially when it comes to a variety of outdoor activities.

It’s always fun to go on bike rides and be able see blatant cultural differences like this one. But what makes me even happier is that I can relate to both. Personally, I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying picnics while listening to the symphony at Central Park or while enjoying a beautiful New York City day with my husband; just the two of us having great conversation while lying on a blanket and staring at the sky.  On the other hand, I can immediately relate to the tumultuous amount of family and friends gathered around a grill while dancing to salsa or merengue tunes I’ve grown up with. And while these are two completely different worlds it’s great to know that I can choose when I want to celebrate either of the two experiences and that I have a place in NYC to enjoy them both.

So do you picnic, barbecue, or do both?

I’m Colombian and while I can’t be anymore proud of the tremendous success and cross-over appeal Shakira has had over the past few years; I am even more proud at the exposure and good name she’s given all Colombians around the globe. And yet, I still have a love-hate relationship with her.

Let’s start with the love. She’s extremely talented as a singer songwriter, she can definitely move her hips like no other…she even taught Beyonce how to shake it. As a human being, her philanthropy is to be admired.  The park she created in Medellin, Colombia called “Parque de lo Pies Descalzos” (Barefoot Park) named after her first album, is a fabulous way of helping locals as well as tourists enjoy an oasis in the middle of the city; where you can simply kick off your shoes and relax! She was even a part of the ‘one goal’ program during this past World Cup with the Waka Waka song where she supported the cause to have education for all.

So, why would I even dare to have a love-hate relationship with an artist that is obviously amazing?

I understand there is a lot of pressure for Hispanic artists trying to breakthrough to the Anglo market; especially with competition like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Beyonce…and the likes. That’s why it was only natural for Shakira to show the world how a Latina moves her hips in order to stand out.

And, believe me when she did it in “Hips Don’t Lie” and with Alejandro Sanz in “La Tortura” the world was pretty mesmerized. Not only did she look sexy, she had changed her look from black hair to red hair to becoming this blonde bomb shell.  So far so good. I was excited about her career and was pretty clear as to what her strategy was to cater to a heavy pop culture, lollipop music type of audience.

From 2001 to 2006 Shakira established herself by giving us enough hip shaking, sexy moving, mud dancing, snake like moves (where her chest and shoulders move without moving her hips), and outfits that don’t go further than bikini tops and tight leather pants.

So, when it was known that Shakira was coming out with a new album in 2009, I was excited to see how she would re-invent herself in order to stay fresh and new. Now, with her “She Wolf” album, Shakira has taken her sexuality to a whole new level by dancing inside cages, humping speakers at concerts and making semi orgasmic sounds. And, while this may help her sell millions of records, I wonder if she’s ever asked herself if she’s taken this too far?

I don’t want to hate for the sake of hating. I just expect more from the intelligent, highly intellectual, don’t have to sell-my-body for you to like my music type of woman that I once knew. I miss the substance she used to give me with her music. And it seems I’m not the only one that feels this way, as I hear the “she sold out” comment a lot more now than ever before.

So, now I ask you. Has her ambition sold her out to the millions of fans who helped sky rocket her career and have been patient with her while she ‘makes’ it in the general market?

What do you think, has she sold out?

But in a time when the unemployment rate is higher than ever with more than 14 million Americans without a job, I wonder if this Labor Day holiday has the same significance and effect than it used to a few years ago?

When it comes specifically to Hispanics, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics we are the ethnicity that is mostly affected by unemployment with a 12% unemployment rate after Blacks.

And while this may seem alarming it can’t discount the rest of Hispanics in the U.S. that make this country what it is today.  Through hard work and dedication Hispanics have truly impacted many of the professions that are at the core of this country. And they run the gamut from blue collar to white collar where we are represented in every corner of this country; from construction to hospitality, from food services to banking, from marketing to politics.

That is why this blog post is less about focusing on the sad state of affairs that this Great Recession has brought on to us but rather on a celebratory effort to thank the hard work of Hispanics.

While this might not be the easiest times to go after our dreams, we (Hispanics) are known for being resourceful “recursivos” and therefore won’t lose sight of our optimism that ensures there is light at the end of this tunnel.

So regardless of your employment status, this weekend symbolically celebrates your hard work whether at home, or at the office or place of work. And for that I say, Happy Labor Day.

Eating is a culture in itself – full of rituals, behaviors and mannerisms that are unique to every city or even town and that’s what makes it fascinating. You can really learn about culture, history, and people’s behaviors through their food.

In fact, most of the cities I have ever visited remind me of some kind of delicious meal, or treat I had while there. For example the most delicious hot chocolate and beignets was in the winter of ’01 in New Orleans, the best conch salad was in the Bahamas, and the first time I tried turtle was in Cuba.  And that’s pretty much what I did in both Vietnam and the Philippines.

Luckily in Vietnam my husband and I had the chance of exploring that country like the locals do, with the help of two great friends who live there. From restaurants to street kiosks we tried all kinds of delicious meals, from Pho (noodle soup) to Ga nuong sa (grilled chicken with lemongrass). All the ingredients like coriander, mint, lots of herbs, and ginger made the dishes seem very fresh and healthy.

Just by eating a variety of dishes in just one week I was able to learn more about the history of Vietnam than if I tried to communicate with the non-English speaking locals. For example, I learned all about the French influence that still exists with their bahn mi sandwiches and even flan as they once conquered Vietnam before it became a communist country.

Having a meal on little seats and chairs

I also learned a ton about people. In Vietnam for example, it’s custom to sit in small tables and chairs when having a meal. I’m talking about the little chairs that kindergartners use in school.

Everything is fresh and organic

They use chopsticks, they squat in the street or anywhere even when eating but mostly when they want to rest. Plates are more like small bowls and treats belong in a stick.

I tried squid on a stick which they call the bubble gum of Vietnam because of its rubbery texture. I had shrimp on a stick and the usual beef and chicken.

You want it on a stick, you got it!

Noodles are also a huge part of Vietnamese dishes and that’s why you can have them in every width- from the thickest to the thinnest and in a variety of ingredients such as rice, vermicelli and even egg. What I liked the most was the communal way of eating where a variety of dishes are ordered with the purpose of being shared.

In the Philippines on the other hand, eating is a completely different experience. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, food is eaten with a fork and spoon and even sometimes with your hands.

mmm...banana cue

No chopsticks, like in Vietnam. In this country the Spanish influence is what’s evident…they have meriendas, carne and puerco (just like in Spanish, some provinces such as Bicol have more words in Spanish than in Tagalog) and they obviously eat everything with rice.

Treats on a stick are also common such as banana cues (which is literally a fried banana on a skewer), squid, and fish are others. Some of my favorite dishes are pancit (moist noodles with any protein – chicken, beef, pork, shrimp), turron (fried banana wrapped in a spring roll type wrap and topped with brown sugar) and ube ice cream (pronounced ooh bay) which is purple ice cream derived from the taro plant…mmmm so good.

I miss you UBE!

I also really enjoyed the kaldereta (stew in a delicious sauce with beef, pork or goat).In Colombia I love eating green mango with salt and lemon so it was really easy to become addicted to green mango with shrimp paste called

mango with shrimp paste

bagoong alamang. Yes, it might sound odd…but because the shrimp paste is salty, it is delicious and serves the same purpose that salt and lemon do!

It’s amazing how food is such a universal language – even more than music, food doesn’t need actual words or lyrics to be understood…you just open your mouth and the look of happiness speaks more than a thousand words could ever accomplish!