Deterred by immigration laws and the lackluster economy, the population growth of Hispanics and Asians in the United States has slowed unexpectedly, causing the government to push back estimates on when minorities will become the majority by as much as a decade. Newly released census data being also showed that fewer Hispanics are migrating to suburbs and newly emerging immigrant areas in the Southeast, including Arkansas, Tennessee and Georgia. Instead, Hispanics are staying in traditional gateway locations such as California.  (more…)

In the “What Latinas Want” research conducted by Meredith Hispanic Ventures and Telemundo Group, 81% of respondents said they are either the main decision-maker or make decisions with their spouse. The key factors determining their success in life were education, being fluent in English as well in Spanish, and often owning a business. Latinas are optimistic and self-confident, with 66% describing themselves as “someone who can do it all,” compared with 53% of non-Hispanic women. The ethnographies in this study also revealed refrigerators and pantries packed with both Latin and mainstream products, as these women prepare some of the same foods they grew up with but add new ones. ”She’s really mixing it up with American and Hispanic recipes, in spices, side dishes and how people eat at home,” said Ms. Gaviria, VP at Meredith Hispanic Ventures. “It’s really fusion cuisine. For [companies such as] Nestle, Kraft and Unilever, that’s actionable for them.” ”She’s the chief household officer, and she’s making all the decisions, from finances to food,” said Jacqueline Hernandez, chief operating officer of Telemundo. “She has a new-found self-identity. She’s very ambitious, and wants to have more than her mother.”  (more…)

People who are bicultural and speak two languages may unconsciously change their personality when they switch languages, according to a new U.S. study. Researchers studied groups of Hispanic women, all of whom were bilingual, but with varying degrees of cultural identification. They found significant changes in self perception or “frame-shifting” in bicultural participants — women who participate in both Latino and Anglo culture.  The researchers said the women classified themselves and the women they observed in advertising as more assertive when they spoke Spanish than when they spoke English. While frame-shifting has been studied before, they said this research found that people who are bicultural switched frames more quickly and easily than people who are bilingual but living in one culture. (more…)

“Conocimiento habla pero sabiduría escucha” – Jimi Hendrix