According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011 American Community Survey 28.8% of California residents primarily speak Spanish at home, ranking CA third behind Texas and New Mexico. Spanish speakers grew steadily, up from 28.1% in 2008 when California still ranked second behind Texas. The Hispanic population may not have spiked as predicted (yet) because the economic downturn and still youthful demographic, but Spanish speakers were influential in 2012 in more ways than one.

Leading up to the 2012 presidential election the Hispanic “vote” was touted as the prize that would decide the election. Well, the numbers are in and “Latinos had such a strong turnout that it lifted them to 10 percent of voters nationwide, an increase from 6 percent in 2000″. Hispanic voters showed up to the polls, despite the fact that Spanish language advertising was less prevalent than anticipated.  “The total advertising spent in 10 key states on local Spanish-language media outlets in 2012 was $22.8 million, or 6.2 percent of the total spent on advertising by the Obama and Romney campaigns in those states.”

Greene & Hemly is looking for an:
- Assistant packing house manager
- Packing house mechanic
- Assistant orchard manager.

Assistant Packing House Manager
Greene & Hemly is looking for an assistant manager for a packing house in the Sacramento/Stockton area. Must be flexible and energetic with the ability to supervise a wide range of people under high production volume conditions. Must be able to work unpredictable hours, including nights and weekends and be comfortable with computers. Basic Spanish a must, but fluency not required. Basic mechanical skills needed but expertise not required. This is a full-time position.

Packing House Mechanic
Looking for a packing house shift mechanic in the Sacramento/Stockton area for equipment maintenance, repair, and fabrication. Must be able to troubleshoot under high production conditions. Must be able to work unpredictable hours, including nights and weekends. Basic Spanish a plus. This is a full-time position.

Assistant Orchard Manager
Looking for an assistant manager for orchards in the Sacramento/Stockton area. This position will coordinate equipment and personnel and be responsible for orchard safety. Tasks include sprays, pruning, tree training, irrigation and weather monitoring. Must be able to work early and late hours, including weekends. Basic Spanish a must, but does not have to be completely fluent. Basic mechanical skills needed but expertise not required. Must have a valid California driver’s license. This is a full-time position.

All interested parties please contact Virginia at 916-775-1379 or Virginia@greeneandhemly.com .

While working on the translation of the Governor’s State of the State speech, I was reminded of one of the proudest moments in my life that also gave birth to one of my most salient missed opportunities. While accepting the BusinessWoman of the Year Award in 2011 from the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce I never gave the speech I prepared.

Call it a “rookie mistake” or “preggo brain”; it was an opportunity that doesn’t come around often so I’ve decided better late than never! In my defense, there were technical difficulties that threw a wrench in the order of things. The video highlighting yours truly was supposed to play before I got on stage, but began playing just as I walked up. So my official excuse is “technical difficulties”.

With appreciation to all that made me who I am today, here is my speech:

Thank you! My name is Monica Nainsztein Rodríguez and I am the proud founder of SpanishOne Translations where we fuse the power of your message with an impeccable translation.

I am very grateful to Steve Gándola with the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for nominating me and EVER so grateful to the CHCC for this honor: It has been a privilege to serve you and your members as a preferred vendor for the past 2 years. Quick shameless plug: Did you know a member of any Hispanic Chamber in California is eligible for our discounted translation services in over 100 languages? That’s the majority of you sitting here today!

These kinds of partnerships are what allowed me to become Businesswoman of the Year, along with a sprinkling of long nights, of course. There’s a little something else behind my success too: that is “chutzpah”, “picardía”, mischievousness. Your innate talent probably goes by a different name, but I’ve learned you have to give of your own person and personality in order to stand out. If you’re shy, let your sparse sincerity be your appeal. Rest assured, there is something special about you and the way you conduct business, find it and you might be on this stage next year.

I will share something not many of you know about me:
For years I didn’t take my husband’s name, I went by Monica Nainsztein. It fit perfectly when I was working with Hollywood a lot. Let’s face it, a last name like “Nainsztein” sure came in handy in the film industry. Fast forward to 2008 when I founded – and FUNDED – SpanishOne. I was repeatedly asked if I spoke Spanish and got tired of my own joke that “English was my FIFTH language”. So I finally decided it was time to introduce myself as Monica Nainsztein Rodríguez – I RReally RRRolled my Rs. Nobody doubted again.

So, from the owner of SpanishOne Translations, thank you for this honor: “My name is Monica Nainsztein Rodríguez (with a strong Spanish accent): You killed my father, prepare to die!” (*)

(*) The Princess Bride is my husband’s favorite movie and I hope one day it will be one of my daughter, Isabel’s, too.

Since Monica is in her native Argentina this week, it is fitting to share one of the many English blunders she encountered.

A picture really is worth a thousand words, or in this case just two. Just seeing a cigarette with a red slash through it will resonate the phrase “No Smoking” for most Americans. The image really saves this literal translation from being ineffective in connecting to the English audience.