The following is a guest blog post by Jessica Gray. Jessica is currently attending the University of Southern California where she is completing her Master’s degree in Public Policy. She is one of 68 Fellows chosen nationally for the Coro Fellows Program where she is currently serving a 4 week internship stay at impreMedia.
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A growing number of Young Latino Americans identify with both Hispanic and American cultures equally, according to the recently released “Gen YLA” study conducted by the Telemundo Communications Group. The study focused on the current state of Young Latino Americans and tracked trends within the population. YLAs are defined as individuals, ages 18-34, who reside in the United States and whose birth place is in Latin America.
The Gen YLA study revealed that 37% of Young Latino Americans consider themselves equally American and Hispanic, and are able to participate in both cultures with ease. Overall, YLAs reported having no language barriers, and prefer to speak Spanish with their family (55%), English at school (79%), and English at work (74%). The GEN YLAs report found that 87% of YLAs “Cannot live without their mobile devices”, 94% have internet access at home, and 84% have high-speed internet access at home. In order to better connect with their customers, this research is of special interest to marketers seeking to reach the Hispanic market through new media such as the internet and mobile device platforms.
The demographic trends detailed in this study reveal the changing preferences of this rapidly growing population. U.S. Census data for2010 reveals that the Hispanic population between 20-34 years of age has doubled in at least five states since the last Census, and is currently estimated at 12 million nationwide. Based on trends drawn from Census data, the YLA population is forecasted to increase to 30 million by 2050, making Young Latino Americans one of the nation’s fastest growing populations.
Sources:
Editorial Staff. ” Telemundo Study: More than a Third of Young Latinos Identify as both Hispanic and American – Portada.” Hispanic Marketing and Advertising News and Resources – Portada. N.p., 15 Feb. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. http://www.portada-online.com/article.aspx?aid=7573
Martinez, Laura. Multichannel. “Telemundo Targets ‘Generation YLA’ – 2011-02-16 03:05:38 | Multichannel News.” Cable Television News, Broadcast, Syndication, Programming & Local TV | Multichannel News. N.p., 15 Feb. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. http://www.multichannel.com/article/464016-Telemundo_Targets_Generation_YLA_.php?rssid=20212
Definitely a market segment to watch- as the YLA population becomes more integrated and more educated, their purchasing power will increase dramatically, creating profitable opportunity for all types of marketers.
Powerful, insightful data here. What implications does this have for the 2046 California governor’s race?
This is a provocative piece that raises an additional thought:
What is the definition of “American”?
As populations globally relocate outside of their national boundaries (and have done so for centuries), what is national identity? Does that national identity reflect cultural identity? There is an enormous gray-area around who is actually an American. Considering the historical background of the United States, I would claim that the plethora of peoples and cultures within the United States defines the nation. I believe that the diversity of the population’s origins can create a crossroads of diversity and innovation. What differentiates an American from being defined as a global citizen?
This is an interesting study. I wonder what impact cultural assimilation has, if any, on the new generation and whether they are identifying as both Hispanic and American due to cultural loss and change in identity after immigration. The study should venture into what generation this group of young Latinos come from (first, second, third) and whether parental education and increased access increases the likelihood of whether young people are more likely to identify with American values.
Otherwise, this is informative and an interesting study to apply to today’s societal debate over Latinos and their patriotism to this country.
I’m an Oglala Lakota Sioux tribal member. People need to really think deeply about how we treat all humans. Americans are diverse and come from all over the world and from every continent.
intriguing stuff. i’m curious about the degree to which language is not a barrier for YLAs. i’d also love to know what their changing preferences are