Posts Tagged: Latinos
Hispanic or Latino?
Quite regularly I get asked, “What’s the right word, Hispanic or Latino?” In truth, there is no right word. Group labels, like beauty, are in the eye of the beholder. Group labels – in fact, all labels – are mainly verbal conveniences. They emerge; they change and they disappear.
This brings me back to the Hispanic or Latino label. Some of us prefer only one or the other. Alternately, for some of us (myself included), either word is fine. Others prefer a national origin label (but also don’t mind Hispanic or Latino, either), and yet others like just being called American.
My father, who grew up in Guadalajara, was a proud Mexican and a proud American. He used both of those labels to describe himself. But he never referred to himself as either a Hispanic or a Latino, that is, until around the end of the 1960’s, when he became more deeply involved in politics and began working closely with people of other Latin American extractions.
Soon after the federal government decided upon the term Hispanic. Since then, with this official backing, Hispanic seems to have gained the upper hand in public discourse. For example, newly-formed umbrella organizations are generally adopting the word Hispanic in their name, although many still use Latino and some even use other terms, including the combo Hispanic-Latino. Question No. 8 of the 2010 Census presented both options, asking, “Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?”
But if the Hispanic term has gained the current upper hand, Latino lives on. And so do Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Guatemalan, Colombian, and the rest. We’ve become increasingly comfortable using both an umbrella term and a specific origin term as complementary parts of our identity.
If we want to split hairs – and we academics are professionals at doing so – we could point out a nuanced difference.
Technically, Latino should include Brazilians (but not Spaniards), while Hispanic should include Spaniards (but not Portuguese-speaking Brazilians). However, for the most part, Hispanic and Latino seem to be used interchangeably for our community. Yet, particularly due to the growing number of intermarriage offspring, determining precisely who belongs to our community is becoming much trickier.
So don’t bother asking anybody which is the right word for my people. You’ll probably just get a personal preference, no matter how passionately or authoritatively it is expressed.
For most of us, whether you use Latino or Hispanic isn’t that big a deal. Just recognize that we are and that I am.
Source: Published originally on Univision Hispanic Insights Blog as “Hispanic or Latino” by Dr. Carlos Cortés, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of California, Riverside, February 19, 2013.
Older Latinos want blogs and smart phones
In the last 20 years the marketing industry keeps talking about Hispanic youth as the promised land of opportunity. No question that Latinos are fundamentally characterized by their youth because their median age is 10 years younger than that of the overall US population. Still, there are older Latinos, and surprisingly they are a fast growing subpopulation of people 50 and over in the United States. That is not hard to understand since everyone ages and Hispanics are the fastest growing cultural group in the United States.
Florida State University DMS Insights Multicultural Marketing Research Project of 2011 suggests that there is ample opportunity to capitalize on 50 plus, Latinos because their aspirations are high.
For example, among those who are online who do not currently have a blog, one can see that those who prefer to communicate in Spanish are more likely than anyone else to say they are planning to have a blog within the next year, and those 50 and older are the most ambitious in this respect than anyone else in their age group.
Another example is the aspiration to have a smart phone. 50+ Latinos who prefer to communicate in Spanish are more likely than anyone else to say they are planning to have a smart phone within the next year.
These older Hispanics are likely to be very interested in furthering their communication with others and marketers should facilitate this aspiration. Now, the reason why Hispanics who prefer English are less aspirational is because they already have these technologies. Now it is the turn of their Spanish speaking counterparts.
Source: Marketing Trends in a New Multicultural Society, blog by Felipe Korzenny. “Older Latinos: An Underestimated Marketing Opportunity” ,July 29, 2011.
Older Latinos
Nearly half of New Generation Latinos want more bilingual/bicultural content
Recent research findings from The Maximo Report, a new study co-sponsored by Tr3s, and conducted by Motivo Insights and the New Generation Latino Consortium (NGLC) uncovers insights into the growing young, bicultural Latino.
The report looks at New Generation Latinos (NGLs): 14-34 year old Latinos, both U.S. and foreign-borns that have lived in the U.S. for 15 years or more.
The report reveals nearly 50 percent of NGLs seek more bilingual/bicultural programming and over 30 percent look for ‘mainstream’ English-only content. NGLs hunger for more bi-lingual, bi-cultural programming, specifically content where “they are the star,” “their lives, entertainment interests and issues are authentically represented,” and “their American and Latino sides meet.”
Some key findings
- NGLs are language neutral regarding TV content, but do want to see themselves and their dual culture lifestyle in the U.S. represented.
- NGLs are mashing up aspects of different cultures to fuel the growth of the “Urban Latino” movement. They organically mix traditional Latino values with those of today’s hip-hop influenced urban culture to create new urban Latino expressions.
- The U.S. recession affects today’s consumers, regardless of race or ethnicity. However, many NGLs feel they are better equipped to deal with today’s recession compared to Caucasians. This is mostly due to culturally based realities that give NGLs a slightly different perspective on finances.
- Word-of-mouth is a vital tool that NGLs use to discover new brands and products, and the majority of them have learned of a new brand or product via social media.
- For NGLs, peer-to-peer recommendations are highly valued and sought after. Whether it be in-person or virtual, NGLs are leveraging their vast social networks to spread the word (positive or negative) about brands.
- NGLs are blending the Latino and “mainstream” American aspects of their identity routinely and frequently. In fact, more than 7 of 10 NGLs think that seeing an English language commercial on Spanish language TV is a good thing.
- Cultural representation in ads is very important to today’s NGL. They want to see themselves reflected in marketing that targets them, but it’s not an “all Latino or nothing” solution.
- The bi-cultural experience that NGLs encounter helps shape how they view their role in U.S. society. They have a different “value set” than their Caucasian counterparts that gives them unique attitudes and opinions on education, their career, finances, and much more.
- NGLs are seeking out “in-culture.” Just like they live much of their daily lives, NGLs want to have media and programming options that reflect the various aspects of their identity, regardless of language. In fact, when asked which type of content they want more of, “in-culture” content was #1.
Source: NGLC & Motivo Insights, “The Maximo Report” 2011, June 22, 2011
Otorgan 4.8 millones para la lucha contra la obesidad infantil
La profesora de UC Davis, Adela de la Torre, experta nacional en asuntos de salud de chicanos y latinos, recibió una beca federal de 4.8 millones de dólares, por cinco años, para descubrir la mejor manera de ayudar a la niñez de origen mexicano en California a mantener un peso saludable.
El estudio, titulado Niños Sanos, Familia Sana se llevará a cabo en los poblados de Firebaugh y San Joaquín del Valle Central.
“Más de cuatro de cada diez niños nacidos de padres de origen mexicano sufren de sobrepeso u obesidad, y por lo tanto se enfrentan a un alto riesgo de contraer diabetes temprana, alta presión sanguínea y enfermedades del corazón”, señaló de la Torre. “Somos muy afortunados de haber recibido un apoyo sin precedentes por parte de los miembros de la comunidad para enfrentar esta situación, y así poder construir un entorno más saludable en Firebaugh y San Joaquín”.
“Esperamos que éste sea sólo el inicio de una serie de proyectos colaborativos a largo plazo para enfrentar asuntos de importancia abordados por nuestra junta comunitaria asesora”.
Como parte del estudio de UC Davis "Niños Sanos, Familia Sana", 400 niños de Firebaugh y sus familias recibirán herramientas prácticas, educación e incentivos para ayudarles a adoptar dietas más sanas y hacer suficiente ejercicio físico.
Las actividades del programa en Firebaugh incluyen:
- Vales mensuales de 25 dólares que pueden usar para comprar frutas y verduras en supermercados participantes
- Noches familiares que incluyen educación para padres sobre las necesidades alimenticias y actividad física de los niños
- Instrucción sobre nutrición y actividad física en el salón de clases para los niños
- Dos exámenes físicos al año para monitorear el índice de grasa corporal, el grosor de los pliegues cutáneos y la circunferencia de la cintura
- Un proyecto comunitario con murales y carteles que promuevan hábitos alimenticios saludables y una vida activa
En San Joaquín, un número similar de niños recibirán exámenes de salud. Además, se les ofrecerá a los padres talleres con temas sobre Cómo apoyar a sus hijos en la escuela y Estrategias para ayudar a su hijo a prepararse para la universidad. Sin embargo, el grupo de San Joaquín no recibirá la intervención más intensa. (Después de que ambos poblados acordaron participar en el estudio, un sorteo determinó que Firebaugh sería el grupo de intervención y San Joaquín, el grupo de control. Al final del estudio, los investigadores de UC Davis analizarán los resultados para determinar cuáles son las estrategias que funcionan mejor.
“Este estudio de intervención será el primero en su clase en la nación para niños latinos de entre 3 a 8 años de edad, y esperamos que nos ayude a identificar qué es lo que realmente funciona a la hora de mantener hábitos alimenticios saludables y actividad física entre las familias latinas con hijos jóvenes”, dijo de la Torre.
Lucia Kaiser, especialista de Extensión Cooperativa en el Departamento de Nutrición de UC Davis y co investigadora en el estudio "Niños Sanos, Familia Sana", mencionó: “Este proyecto representa una fascinante oportunidad para crear un equipo multidisciplinario de científicos sociales y otros profesionales de la Universidad de California para trabajar conjuntamente con una comunidad marginada con el fin de abordar un apremiante problema de salud: la obesidad infantil”.
Results of 'Generation YLA' study
The "GenYLA" study looks at the current state of Young Latino Americans (YLAS), ages 18-34, and one of the fastest growing and increasingly important segments of the population. The research was conducted by the Telemundo Communications Group.
Some of the study key findings include:
- YLAS are highly maintaining their culture and heritage while still embracing their American Lifestyle.
- YLAS love being bi-cultural. More than one third of YLAS self-identified themselves as both Hispanic and American, identifying with both cultures equally the same. At the other end of the spectrum, only 2 percent felt more American than Hispanic. YLAS are in the midst of a retro-acculturation explosion. Because of the YLAS strong pride in their homeland and country of origin, this generation is re-discovering their heritage and is experiencing a Latino re-awakening. YLAS are going from George…to Jorge.
- For YLAS it is easy to toggle in and out of both the Hispanic and American cultures.
- YLAS live in a cultural fluid environment. YLAS best describe their closest group of friends an EQUAL mix of Latino and American,
- YLAS have no language boundaries or barriers.
- YLAS language mobility greatly depends on the place or situation they are in - they are chameleons in their space - they control it and they like it! At home, where the TVs are on, and with family - a larger percent choose to speak Spanish (39 percent at home, 55 percent with family); while at work (74 percent) and school (79 percent) the preference was English. Last but not least, among their friends, YLAs practice a mix of ‘Spanglish’.
- YLAS are the always-connected generation.
- YLAS are multi-taskers. YLAS are always consuming high levels of anything technological: 94 percent have access to the Internet at home; 84 percent have high-speed internet; and 87 percent stream video content, with another 73 percent that listen to music on the internet. Laptop ownership has taken precedence over desktop, with 73 percent that own a PC or a Mac.
- With a huge strength in mobile usage, a high percent (87 percent) of YLAS cannot live without it. YLAS are great multi-taskers as many of the activities they focus on are also centered among an online environment.
Source: Portada, “Telemundo Study: More than a Third of Young Latinos Identify as both Hispanic and American,” February 15, 2011.