The Mysterious Ways of Acculturation.

In 1961, Nelia found herself seeking shelter in a third cousin’s Miami hotel where she ate canned food once a day so that her children could eat three times a day. She found herself dutifully cleaning houses to help feed her family. Within a month of her arrival in the United States, Nelia, along with her husband, two sons, and father-in-law packed up what little they had and moved from Miami to Belle Glade, Florida. It was in this sleepy sugar mill town that Nelia sat next to a window and cried every single day for six months while her suitcase lay next to her unpacked. In an interview that I conducted with Nelia, she relayed to me the story of her struggle in the United States and her initial assumption that she could return to her world of cotillions and leisure within months. The year is 2007 and Nelia is still living in the United States.

One thing is for sure: Nelia never assimilated. Although she learned English in her native country of Cuba, she never took classes in the United States to improve her language skills. Instead she chose to live a parallel life to the Anglos in her community by “separating” from the American culture. According to Korzenny and Korzenny, authors of Hispanic Marketing: A Cultural Perspective “those who value their culture and do not care for the second culture tend to ‘separate’” (133). Nelia explained to me that she did not understand the American culture and although she greatly respected them they were not like her.
Much like the American notion of the separation of church and state, to Nelia, there is a strong notion of the differences between her people and the “americanos”.

Nelia has been married to Jose for almost 60 years. Unlike Nelia, Jose attended high school at a military academy in New York and, therefore, had prior experience living in the United States. Also unlike Nelia, Jose did not “separate”. Instead, Jose integrated himself into the American culture. While he is extremely proud of being Cuban, he is also thrilled to be an American citizen. He worked menial jobs in the beginning despite having been a wealthy businessman in his own country of origin. He willingly returned to school despite already having obtained a university degree from La Universidad de La Habana. He believed wholeheartedly in the American dream and eventually became a comptroller for Paramount Pictures in New York City. Jose votes in every election, keeps up with the latest technologies, and reads and writes fluently in English. Jose chose to integrate. According to Korzenny & Korzenny, “people who integrate, “wish to preserve their culture and also relate to the second culture” (133).

Nelia and Jose also differ in relation to the products that they buy and the media that they watch/read. While Nelia prefers to read such Spanish language media as Hola, Vandidades and Diario Las Americas, Jose can be found reading the Orlando Sentinel and the various biographies of American politicians and military leaders. In regards to television, Nelia strictly watches Univision while Jose watches both Spanish language and English language television. Additionally, Jose surfs the internet and visits both Spanish and English language sites. Consequently, their household receives a cornucopia of different media messages. In regards to who actually makes the purchasing decisions, marketers have quite a challenge on their hands, or do they?

As is the case with many traditional households, Hispanic or otherwise, Nelia and Jose split their purchasing decisions depending on who is the master of a particular domain. Electronically, Jose is the master of his domain. Since Jose watches and reads both Spanish and English language media he can keep up with the latest technology trends. When the time comes to buy a new electronic gadget or a television, Jose makes the final decision.

In regards to matters of the hearth, Nelia is the master of her domain. If you open her cabinets at home you will find the following brands: Oil of Olay, Mistolín, and Glade air refresher. It might seem that each of these products was purchased due to their respective performances as an anti-aging cream, a cleaner, and an air refresher, however, that is not necessarily the case. Glade, which is produced by S.C. Johnson & Son is as American as apple pie when it comes to brands. Their marketers have cleverly begun labeling their products in Spanish. When Nelia walks down the grocery store aisle, her language, which is displayed on the front of the bottle, grabs her attention more than the jasmines that appear on a competitor’s bottle. Mistolín, is a cleaning product that is made by a Puerto Rican company. This brand is extra enticing to Nelia because not only is the verbiage on the product prominently displayed in Spanish but the name of the product sounds distinctly Spanish as well. The final product, Oil of Olay, is a brand that, although American, was widely used in Cuba prior to the Cuban Revolution. Consequently, it is a brand that sparks a sense of familiarity within Nelia despite the fact that it is not a “Hispanic” product. Additionally, Nelia is loyal to this brand because, like many Hispanics, she remains loyal to certain brands that have either “delivered” in the past or have always been apart of her life experience.

“Enculturation is the learning of a first culture” (Korzenny & Korzenny 132). It is difficult if not impossible to erase who you are in relation to where you came from. However, this does not mean that you cannot, in the words of Gustavo Perez-Firmat, live your life “on the hyphen”. Marketers should take note of this fact and refine their understanding of their Hispanic target according to their level of acculturation. Additionally, marketers should avoid assumptions or stereotypes of the relationship between Hispanics and the U.S. culture (Korzenny & Korzenny 149). They need to understand that two Hispanics such as Nelia and Jose can come from the same culture, speak the same language, share almost identical experiences, and yet still be at very different levels of acculturation. Hispanics are like snowflakes, ninguno es igual.

By Tatiana Fernández
Multicultural Marketing Communication
Student
Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication
Florida State University