When he was growing up in Queens, Jorge Cano-Moreno used to make his money airbrushing denim jackets in his basement and selling them to the hip-hop and heavy metal scenes. Today, he said he uses the same street smarts and business savvy as co-founder and publisher of Urban Latino Magazine.

In a lecture co-sponsored by La LUCHA and the Black Communications Society, Moreno told his story of success and detailed some of the obstacles he faced. As the son of Colombian immigrants, he talked about the role he and other first-generation children played in helping their parents navigate through their new surroundings.

“If you grow up first generation, every piece of mail that comes into the house, you’re reading it to your parents,” Moreno said. “You feel like they’re your kids sometimes in terms of information.”

After graduating from New York’s High School for Art and Design, Moreno bounced between internships with high profile firms such as Grey Advertising, a stint in the Army and a string of odd jobs needed to support his family. Through it all, he nurtured his creative instincts and eventually became well-known on the urban and Latino art scenes while doing promotional work at clubs and hosting underground art shows. It was here that he met Rodrigo Salazar, co-founder of Urban Latino, and actor John Leguizamo, who appeared on the magazine’s first cover.

Since then, Urban Latino has expanded into several new ventures. Moreno and Salazar recently rolled out Urban Latino TV on network affiliates in urban markets across the country. Plans are also in the works for a new publication, University Latino, targeting Latino college students. When the magazine hits campuses in 2004, it will feature a special college-planning CD-ROM, designed specifically for Latino students.

Moreno said that although Latinos currently make up 12.3 percent of the media market and command only 2 percent of advertising dollars, these figures are increasing. Moreno’s talent lies in his ability to see the trends that advertisers don’t yet recognize, said Cecilia Durazo, a junior broadcast journalism and political science major.

“He’s really tapped into a market that a lot of advertisers don’t understand,” Durazo said. “He really understands how important [Latinos] are going to become.”

Urban Latino’s new projects are motivated by more than just money. Moreno said he continues to look for ways to keep the magazine’s voice and message fresh as it enters its seventh year of publication.

“All I’ve ever wanted to do with everything we’ve ever done is keep it hot,” Moreno said.

Students in attendance praised Moreno for returning to his roots in order to encourage students from a similar background to pursue their dreams.

“It was really inspiring. It’s really nice to see that people are coming back to encourage us,” said Monica Casillas, a junior speech communications and Spanish major. “You could relate to everything that he was saying.”

Published on February 25, 2003 at 12:00 pm