Ms. Navarrete said the omission robbed audiences of the image of a Hispanic professional who helped her husband re-emerge from his mental illness.

The firm was founded by Jesús Chavarría in 1979, and publishes business and political news stories oriented toward Hispanic professionals and entrepreneurs.

And while the newest immigrants take many manual-labor jobs, there are a growing number of Hispanic professionals working in fields like the law, health care and real estate.

The students rarely spend time with black and Hispanic professionals, and so emulate the speech, mannerisms and dress of people who have dropped out of mainstream society.

He offered as an example programs to encourage successful black and Hispanic professionals to serve as role models for children.

NSHP was created after Reyna started her own business and realized the lack of empowering organizations for Hispanic professionals.

The organization also publishes Hispanic Professional News, a newsletter focusing on the goals and workplace challenges of Hispanic professionals.

But Jorge Reyes Montblanc, another board member, argued that a growing number of affluent black and Hispanic professionals have trouble finding apartments in Harlem.

Still, nearly all of those interviewed at the convention said that black and Hispanic professionals were being disproportionately affected in corporate cutbacks.

The rest - black, white and Hispanic young professionals secure in the information economy - wouldn't have dreamed of it.