Our means of communication have improved dramatically due to the advancement of technology. Writing hand-written letters evolved into sending emails; speaking over the phone turned to texting and the use of social networks has increased. Latinos are now more involved in social media than ever before. Fifty-two percent of Latinos online are using Facebook and 18 percent of Latinos online are using Twitter, according to Latinos in Social Media (LATISM). Those numbers prove that Latinos - whether they use the technology to connect with family and friends or to promote their business - are actively communicating socially both online and off. It was through this discovery that LATISM was born. LATISM is the largest organization for Latino professionals engaged in social media dedicated to advancing social, civic and economic status of the Latino community.

“The organization was created to empower and educate Latinos online and in real life. We have also found that we’re helping corporations and businesses connect with the Latino community,” said Elma Placeres Dieppa, Director of LATISM for the Chicago chapter.

LATISM is committed to reaching out to the nation’s largest growing minority group in the country, including the over 134,000 members to provide accurate information on issues that are important to the community. Dieppa states that social media is important because it is a good way of connecting with people. “Statistics show that Latinos are [adapting] to social media,” she said.

This year, LATISM has chosen Chicago for its largest, fully bilingual event of the year. The LATISM conference will be held from Nov. 9-11 at Navy Pier, one of Chicago’s most distinguished attractions. With Latinos representing a large portion of the city’s population, for Elianne Ramos, Vice-Chair of Communications and Public Relations for LATISM, it was the ideal place to host the conference.