Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Is Formed

A group of Orange County Latinos, saying they hope to serve as a liaison between business and the growing Latino community, Tuesday announced forming the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

“We recognize that the business community has never been able to reach out there and do something with Orange County’s Spanish-speaking community. We want to help build that bridge,” said Manuel Pena, an insurance agent and member of the new chamber’s board of directors.

The group will hold its first luncheon June 18 at the Revere House Restaurant in Tustin, said Fred V. Munoz, a Santa Ana attorney and chamber president.

The chamber reflects “the emergence and growth of Hispanic-owned businesses in the county,” Munoz said, and “the significant presence (of Latinos) in America’s business community.”

Latinos number 334,300, or about 15% of the county’s total population, according to a 1985 estimate by the Orange County Forecast and Analysis Center.

The new chamber hopes to serve as a liaison for major advertisers and corporations to the Latino community, Pena said.

Last year, he said, Proctor and Gamble Co. spent $8 million and Philip Morris Inc. spent about $7.5 million to reach the Latino market, Pena said.

U.S. companies that year spent $400 million on bilingual advertising, more than double the amount spent in 1982, Pena said.

In the United States, Pena said, Latinos comprise a $134-billion annual consumer market.

Ramon Curiel, a private education consultant and chamber board member, said: “Historically, our biggest problem has been figuring out how to reach people (Latinos). Hopefully, we will be able to do something about that.”

The 11-member board of directors also includes Ray Rangel, Santa Ana clothing businessman; Angel Bade, county employee; Sal Sarmiento, Santa Ana attorney; Luis Gaona travel agency executive; Frank Palmer, Santa Ana accountant; David Scarsborough, Santa Ana businessman; Carol Vargas, investment executive; Rudy Montejano, Santa Ana attorney, and Arturo Franz, hospital executive.