Para leer este artículo en español clic >>>Consejos para Viajes de Fin de Año

By AnaMaria Bech

With the holiday season fast approaching, prepare for the busy airport traffic. If you’re flying from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, airlines recommend that passengers arrive at least 2 hours before their domestic flight departure. The earlier you arrive, the more you can enjoy the airport’s great restaurants, bars, and store options.

The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport ranked number three Best Large Airport in USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The airport ranked high on the list, thanks to its spacious, modern terminal with more than 40 food and drink options, including local favorites like Café du Monde, Emeril’s Table, Leah’s Kitchen, and Bar Sazerac. Additionally, the airport offers free internet, in-seat charging, and live music in the Jazz Garden, making waiting at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport much more pleasant.

We hope the following tips make your Christmas and New Year trips more enjoyable. Happy Holidays!

Valuable tips for Holiday travel:

1. Use the MyTSA App to check the average TSA security line times when traveling. Airlines recommend arriving at least 2 hours before your domestic flight departure, but airport traffic may be unusual during the holidays, so be prepared and arrive earlier.

2. Reserve airport parking in any of the four parking facilities at least 24 hours before your travel online at park.flymsy.com to guarantee parking in your preferred parking facility. Valet parking is also available and offers a premium option for those wanting a higher level of service.

3. Take advantage of the MSY Guest Pass, which is free and allows you to go through security and spend more time with family and friends traveling through the airport. To get the MSY Guest Pass, register online at flymsy.com/msy-guest-pass at least 24 hours in advance. You can pick up your MSY Guest Pass at the Customer Service desk on the first floor between doors 2 and 3, and you must present an official ID. The same travel rules apply to go through the TSA security line.

4. Consider the new nonstop flights with Air Canada and Breeze for your next trip. Air Canada recently announced its direct flight from New Orleans to Montreal, while Breeze Airlines added Ft. Myers as a direct flight destination to Florida.

By Valeria Ali, The Idea Village

The U.S. Latino entrepreneurial community is strong and rapidly growing.

While Latinos are starting small businesses at a faster rate than any other group there is still a noticeable gap in the number of startups founded by Latinx entrepreneurs.

Startups and small businesses look similar in the early stages, but as the founder(s) grows the company past the ideation stage they have significantly different paths towards growth. Small businesses typically grow slowly and organically and are focused on serving a small or local customer base; on the other hand, the goal of a startup founder is to sell their innovative product/service to larger markets and often utilize technology, investment money, and teams to rapidly grow and hopefully exit their company. (The term “exit” is startup lingo that simply means when a company is acquired, often for BIG money– which is a total win for the founder… did someone say generational wealth?!).

For example, consider someone with an idea for selling a skincare product: if the entrepreneur's goal is to establish a local brick-and-mortar store and cater primarily to the local community, the small business model is the best choice. However, if the same entrepreneur aspires to have their product stocked and sold in retail stores nationwide and/or internationally, then a startup business model becomes the better option.

Here’s another example of a startup model: CNN Business reported on Edrizio De La Cruz, Dominican-born founder who moved to New York City in the ‘90s. Like many U.S. Latinos, Edrizio recalled fondly that his father sent money back to his mother in his home country. In 2013, during his graduate program tenure, he founded Regalii, a tech startup that helps people remotely pay bills of family and friends in other countries. He went on to secure $6 million in venture capital. Ten years later, he “exited” Regalii when he sold his company to Mastercard.

Building a successful startup is no easy feat, according to data  9 out of 10 startups fail. And raising capital can be challenging. Only 1% of venture funding goes to Latino entrepreneurs, according to a report done by LatinxVC. However, as Latinos, we are instilled (personally, I think from birth) with an entrepreneurial-minded spirit that is essential for becoming a startup founder. Building a startup takes “Ganas!” – and I know you have that.

If you have ever had a business idea or desired to be an entrepreneur, but never considered the option to turn that idea into a high-growth startup, now is the time. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Massive Opportunity in the Latino Market

This goes without saying, but the U.S.’s demographic landscape is not what it used to be ten years ago. According to PEW Research Center, Hispanics now make up approximately 19% of the population (that’s 62.5 million Hispanics, representing diverse nationalities), with no sign of slowing down. A recent study by Axios New Orleans reported that the number of Hispanic residents in the city of New Orleans alone grew 102.6% (between 2000 and 2022) to more than 120,000 people, and that’s not to mention Jefferson Parish's growing Latino community. This is a strong signal that there is a market of people that have challenges and needs that can be solved through your business ideas. Which leads me to the next point:

1. By Latinos for Latinos

If you were anything like me – growing up with two immigrant parents, being a first-generation American, bilingual, living between cultures, and having family in the Americas – then you know that our U.S. Hispanic community has needs and challenges that are still unmet. To this day, I struggle to identify with brands that align with my values, speak to my needs, and truly address my challenges as a Latina. We need more startups founded by Latinos for Latinos because we can best identify what our needs are, and we are more likely to have the solutions for them!

1. New Resources for Hispanic Startups

 Over the last few years, the number of national investment groups and organizations focused on Hispanic entrepreneurs has increased. Examples include The Google for Startups Latino Fund which helps Latino-led startups in the United States secure funding and receive ongoing Google mentorship and product support. Techeria provides Latino and Latina professionals with the resources and support they need to excel in the tech industry. L'Attitude Ventures is a purpose led venture fund that invests exclusively in early-stage US Businesses helmed and owned by Latinos with significant growth potential achievable through technology. Even more can be found here:  7 VCs and Organizations Helping Latino Entrepreneurs - Hispanic Executive.

4. Startups Create Wealth

“Success for a startup approximately equals getting bought,” shared Paul Graham, co-founder of the influential startup accelerator and seed capital firm Y Combinator. When you are building a startup, the goal for many founders is to build something as fast as possible (think 3-6 years), and then to sell the company for thousands, millions, or a billion plus in return. And yep, just to call it out, when your startup gets bought out or “acquired” (more startup lingo), the money goes straight to you, your investors, and your stakeholders. 

The opportunity to build startups by Latinos for Latinos is vast. By thinking “startup” for your business idea, you could potentially help address the challenges and needs of the growing U.S. Latino community, make a greater impact on society and possibly create generational wealth faster than a small business ever could. There are plenty of startup support resources out there: if you are in school, check out if there are entrepreneurship or innovation departments that you can get involved in! If you are in the Gulf South area, The Idea Village (where I work!) is a non-profit that supports startup founders at every stage, and El Centro is a great organization that focuses specifically on supporting Spanish speaking entrepreneurs. Now that we're done talking business here, let's celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 the best way we know how: con mucho comunidad, comida, y fiesta!

The terms “Hispanic” “Latino” or “Latinx” are used interchangeably for this population in this written piece.

Para artículo en español clic aquí: ¡Esto es Bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S

By Axel Lola Rosa

I have the privilege of being a first-generation Latino in New Orleans. I get the best of every type of bean here. On Mondays, we have our traditional red beans and rice; on any other day, we have arroz y frijoles (Honduran rice and beans cooked by my mom). Since 2012, I’ve worked with tourists in the French Quarter and surrounding areas and even lived out of state. I proudly say I was born at Charity and raised in Metairie to Honduran Immigrants. I emphasize the Honduran part to make it known that a solid Honduran presence in New Orleans dates back to the early 1900’s. 

Growing up here, I noticed at a young age that the media talked about Honduras or its surrounding countries only if there was a Hurricane or something very wrong; go figure. I also noticed that Miami was “referred to” as Cuban, Texas as Mexican, and New York as Puerto Rican because of each city’s history with those countries. So why hasn’t anyone discussed the connection between New Orleans and Honduras? 

When you hear the words Banana Republic, you think of the multi-million dollar clothing brand owned by Gap, Inc., Right? But did you know that the Banana Republic is a real thing? Like about, you guessed it, BANANAS, B-A-N... How did it begin the history and relationship between the cities of New Orleans and Honduras? To be clear, I’m only discussing the “Banana” part and not the “Republic” part. 

Since New Orleans has a well-established port, it all began with popular produce brands that we’ve most likely all had in our kitchen: Chiquita, formerly known as the United Fruit Company, and the Standard Food Company, were based in New Orleans. For decades, New Orleans has imported and distributed Cavendish Bananas from Central America to all over the U.S. In the early 20th Century, these two companies created close ties, specifically with Honduras. Eventually, these companies bought land for plantations. They hired Hondurans as dockyard workers who decided to stay in New Orleans, making our city an entry point for Hondurans migrating to the U.S. Aside from the employment opportunities, many chose to settle in this region due to the heavy influence of Catholic culture. Some sent their children to Catholic Schools in New Orleans, and many stayed upon completing their studies. Besides Honduras itself, by 1962, New Orleans had the world’s largest population of Hondurans.

Over time, the population expanded further out of the city and into surrounding areas such as Kenner and the Westbank. According to NOLA.com, in 2010, Jefferson Parish had the fourth-largest Honduran population by county in the United States. In 2021, The Data Center analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau data from the American Community Survey 2021 reported that 36% of the Hispanic Origin in Jefferson Parish identified as Honduran, 21% in Orleans, and 32% in the Metro Area within an estimated 1.1 million Hispanics of Honduran origin living in the United States. Overall, according to brcitykey.com, Hispanics make up 7% of the population in Louisiana. Most recently, Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng mentioned in an interview that about 63,000 Hispanics make up 18% of the people in Jefferson Parish.  

Today, we see the influence of Honduras everywhere in our local community. We see cars with Honduras stickers or flags and find imported Honduran products. We see Honduran-owned and branded businesses. We enjoy frequent events featuring native Honduran bands like La Banda Blanca or Los Rolands. Even events honoring the Virgin of Suyapa, the Patron Saint of Honduras, occur at Divine Mercy Church in Kenner. These influences have maintained Honduran traditions that have helped shape not only the Latino Community in this city but also New Orleans itself.