AHAA asks State Senators considering industry position in immigration debate.

Dear Honorable Senator:

I am writing on behalf of the membership of The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies ( AHAA ), which represents 98 percent of the U.S. Hispanic advertising, marketing and media firms and more than $5 billion in corporate spending to reach the Latino community in America . Given the immigration debate we are compelled to reiterate our view on the importance of immigrants as contributors to our nation’s economy.

As a trade association that currently hires some of our skilled professionals through the H-1B visa program, we have concerns under the proposed Bill’s point system where that the Government will be determining job category needs as opposed to future worker programs reflecting the needs of employers and the reality of the market. Further, other aspects of the Bill such as Sec. 419 and Sec. 421 place heavy administrative and financial burdens that would limit our industry’s ability to continue to thrive and serve our clients and our Hispanic community. Our industry is so uniquely specialized that we fear that a potential skilled employee and AHAA member firm may not find each other when the potential for agency growth is expected to continue to thrive in the coming years. And, the need for experienced Spanish-language advertising experts is unlikely to be met by a HMO-style point system that is unfamiliar with the Latino consumer market.

The Hispanic population totals nearly 42 million with spending power of more than $900 billion. In fact, Hispanic families outspend non-Hispanic families in the purchase of goods and services such as food, apparel, health and beauty products, digital cameras, long distance phone and pre-paid wireless; and those companies that are investing in marketing to these consumers are realizing tremendous gains in market share, net profits and shareholder value. Consumer spending has been fueling economic growth in America and it has been powered by the immigrant dollars that are earned and spent in the U.S. each year. This is most especially true in regions like the Southwest where the immigrant population is largest; however, we are clearly observing these dynamics evolving throughout the United States as the Hispanic population continues to disperse and expand, creating new emerging markets and fueling economic activity.

Of the nearly 12 million undocumented residents in the U.S. , an estimated 9 to 10 million are Latinos. That’s a lot of diapers, cars, food, and U.S. dollars that can be attributed to those “invisible” consumers. Immigrants are not just uneducated and poverty-stricken individuals who are denigrated by immigration opponents; many of them are highly educated with disposable income. All of them, rich or poor, legal or undocumented are our loyal customers, our industry’s livelihood, and one of the few growing market segments in the U.S. that corporate America relies upon to increase its bottom line.

We respectfully request that the Senate consider the important economic benefits of these consumers and the health of our industry in upcoming debates and votes. We ask that you work to develop a comprehensive immigration bill that preserves our thriving marketplace and the families and individuals that contribute to the country’s continued growth. We agree that legalizing the undocumented is important and we trust that you will create a sensible, achievable conduit for them to achieve citizenship while preserving families, our communities, and our nation’s security and economy.

We appreciate your consideration and recognize the importance your vote will have on the future of our nation. We believe resolution on this critical issue is near and we are confident that you will base your collective approach to this sensitive debate on the facts and best interest of America and all of its communities.

Sincerely,

Jackie Bird
Chairwoman
Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies

For more information CLICK on link below:
http://www.ahaa.org/media/immigrationupdate.htm>