What Identity means to Latinos in America

June 7, 2012 By

As a language translation agency, we’re intrigued by cultural identity studies, particularly among those cultures whose languages we translate. Recent research conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center shows that even though American Latinos are united by a common heritage language, they are divided on cultural labels. In fact, 69% of those polled say they do not share a common culture among other Latinos/Hispanics.

Some interesting findings:

Hispanic vs. Latino: 51% of those polled had no preference on the term, however when the preference is expressed, “Hispanic” comes in at 33% over “Latino” at 14%.

Cultural identity – not as clear cut as some might think: 51% say that most often they use their family’s country of origin to describe their identity. That includes such terms as “Mexican” or “Cuban” or “Dominican,” for example.

Regarding language: 38% of all respondents identify as Spanish-dominant, 38% are bilingual and 24% are English-dominant. Among those born in the United States, 51% are English-dominant.

- 87% believe English language skills are essential for successful life in the U.S.

- 95% believe preserving Spanish language skills for future generations is important

What does this all mean to us? The U.S. Census predicts that Latinos will be the largest minority population by 2050, and Spanish will continue to be a major language in this country. It’s going to be increasingly important for businesses to prepare for an even greater influx of this demographic, that, if not bound by cultural identity, is bound by a common heritage language.

Here’s a great article from HispanicBusiness.com that summarizes the lengthy study.

Filed Under: Demographics, Latino Culture, Spanish, Workplace diversity Tagged With: , , ,

Spanish census form hopes to boost Hispanic population count

October 1, 2009 By

The census form will be published in Spanish and English for the first time, reports the AP. Many communities are counting on resources from Uncle Sam to fund local projects, and federal aid will be based on the 2010 census. Every person counted matters.

As we’ve seen before, both documented and undocumented residents (and other hard-to-reach populations) are wary of the count, and distrustful of the government after seeing immigration raids and deportations. But community outreach groups are doing everything they can to get all residents recognized.

One of those ways is publishing and distributing the census forms in Spanish.

“If the government is reaching out to you in a language you understand, it helps build trust,” said Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. “I think the community has become really sensitive to political developments, and the census is the next step in this movement that we’re seeing of civic engagement in the Latino community.”

The forms will be automatically mailed to households in areas where more than a fifth of the population is reported to speak Spanish as a primary language. Other languages are available upon request. The AP reports,

Latino advocates hope the bilingual forms will help show their strength in numbers to underscore their growing political influence and garner more in federal funds that are determined by population.

But the question remains: will this effort help promote the census to under-served groups, or will distrust of the government by Hispanic residents continue to prevent communities from receiving the resources they need?

Read the full AP article here.

Filed Under: Demographics, Language Policy, Politics Tagged With:

Telemundo soap hero is census worker in creative outreach effort for 2010 population count

August 26, 2009 By

Every penny counts in this down economy, and every person does, too—the 2010 U.S. census will determine where money is allocated (from a pot of $400 billion in federal aid) based on community population counts. Undocumented immigrants and other hard-to-reach populations in the Chicago area and elsewhere have become the target of some creative census awareness outreach measures.

Telemundo, for example, has written in a main character on the Spanish-language soap “Mas sabe el diablo” (“The Devil Knows Best”) who’s a census worker.

Federal authorities have stepped up arrests of illegal immigrants, leading to worries that those residents will remain underground rather than report their presence to a federal census worker. Hence, the soap plot line, in which an unwed mother takes a census job and in the process educates her family — and immigrant viewers — about the government count.

“We’re going wherever the viewers are, even though you’re combining something that’s a little different with the steamy telenovela,” network spokeswoman Michelle Alban said.

Cook County, IL has already seen the hit from undercounting in the 2000 census: a consulting firm estimated that the county will have lost $200 million by the end of this decade. Researchers estimate that the states will lose about $12,000 in federal funds per uncounted person over the next decade.

Local community groups and churches are brainstorming about to reach out to underrepresented groups. At Rogers Park Community Council, members suggested census awareness T-shirts, street murals and multilingual mailers.

“This is not a joke,” Elizabeth Vitell, the council’s executive director, told fellow participants. “This is a chance to do something where we will see results in our communities for years to come.”

Read the full article in the Chicago Tribune here.

Filed Under: Chicago, Demographics, Immigration in the US, Politics Tagged With:
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