A hyphen has never wielded as much power as it does today. The combination of immigration and high birth rates has propelled the U.S. Hispanic population to 45 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, May 1, 2008. The hyphen separates two worlds of influence within a single individual – Mexican-American, Cuban-American, Colombian-American, etc. How do you market to this hyphenated Hispanic? When does an immigrant become eligible or obligated to use a hyphen to identify his or her position in the U.S.?
These are certainly interesting questions, but the most important question is what can we learn from the hyphenated second, third, or even fourth generation Hispanic living in the U.S.?
In fact, you can learn a lot from the hyphen. A simple hyphen can often help measure the level of Spanish-language proficiency, brand familiarity, American pop culture immersion, income, or even political affiliation. Of course, it takes a bit more than spotting a hyphen to arrive at these conclusions, but this indicator can teach us a great deal about Hispanic markets. Many unfamiliar with the degrees of separation between recently arrived Mexicans and people of Mexican descent who have never actually lived in Mexico, erroneously lump all into a convenient Mexican-American category, but doesn’t take into consideration the reality of the young U.S born-Hispanic (look another hyphen) who is tied to both their culture and their parents, giving rise to the third culture segment.
These Hispanics are on a quest to find themselves. They are on an ever evolving quest to define their identity and place in the world. This quest also manifests sometimes in conflicts in the family, with U.S.-raised children adopting the customs and values of this country which often collide with their parents’ rooted values. As a result, we find that young Hispanics decide to project their identity depending on their environment. A recent study, by Mun2, an English-language, Hispanic-theme cable network, found that nearly 60 percent of young Hispanics project a combination of their Hispanic and American culture, depending on whether they are – at home, with Hispanic friends, with American friends, at school, partying at a clubs, or working.
At the heart of the quest for identity is how they choose to express themselves. This “new way” has in some places given rise to the desire to preserve and celebrate Hispanic culture, expressed in demonstrations of cultural pride such as Reggaeton, Spanish lingo T-Shirts, or even the use of Spanish outside of the home for emotion and emphasis. So next time you see a hyphen recognize that it represents a cultural reality and a way of life for millions of Americans.