Are there ‘White’ Hispanics?

At the heart of Hispanic Marketing Communication lies a fundamental question: what does it mean to be “Hispanic”? The term is problematic for those attempting to define and understand this very heterogeneous group. The terms Hispanics use to identify themselves are important. More important, however, is an understanding of why they choose these definitions. Marketers must recognize how Hispanics define themselves in order to understand their consumer behaviors.

Asking Hispanics to define themselves by skin color as a basis for race is inaccurate. The Hispanic population comes from various areas and countries with different ethnic backgrounds including white, African, Asian and indigenous populations. Hispanics sometimes define themselves on the basis of skin color. However, their terms indicating various shades of brown are not given as choices on Census reports. Federico Subervi and Diana Rios hypothesize that on the 2000 Census “most Latinos ended up indicating that their race was ‘white’ because the forms did not offer the option to indicate brown, or shades of brown.” 1

When asked to describe themselves, nearly half of the Hispanic population polled in the 2000 Census marked “some other race,” according to a recent Pew Hispanic Center report.2 (Respondents were given the choices white, black, Asian, American Indian, Pacific Islander or “some other race” to choose from). The Pew Hispanic Center study aimed to make sense of this reply. The goal of the study was to determine in which terms Hispanics define themselves and more importantly, what these terms signify.

The Pew Hispanic Center report reveals that the boxes checked in the Census poll are not just a question of skin color. A Hispanic who marks “white” on a Census poll does so for many reasons. Factors such as economic status, mastery of the English language, length of stay in the United States, place of birth and citizenship all affect how “white” or how “other” a Hispanic person feels. The report states that “Hispanics who identified themselves as white have higher levels of education and income and greater degrees of civic enfranchisement than those who pick the some other race category.” In addition, “among immigrants from the same country, those who have become U.S. citizens identify themselves as white more often than those who are not U.S. citizens.”3

“Whiteness” is not only a skin color. For Hispanics, it measures importance, success, and indicates that they have been accepted into mainstream society. By defining themselves as “white”, Hispanics express that they have come to the United States (or were born here) and have succeeded. It is also an indicator that they feel somewhat a part of the dominant American culture. Hispanics come to the United States in order to achieve, and often their models of success are the non-Hispanic whites they work for. As Hispanics earn more money in the United States and become more educated, they are more likely to define themselves as “white.”4

The entire concept of labels is tricky because Hispanics will define themselves differently in different situations. A Hispanic may define him/herself as Hispanic, Latino, white or a member of his/her place of origin depending on who asks. Therefore, the label is not as important as what it signifies.5 As Korzenny points out, we define ourselves socially. This means that Hispanics may have many reference groups who shape their identities including Hispanics, other minorities and non-Hispanic whites. No group is mutually exclusive of the others. A Hispanic may have black, white and Hispanic reference groups at the same time. These groups influence our personalities, our beliefs, and our consumer habits. An awareness of these reference group and their influence is essential to “effective Hispanic segmentation and targeting.”6 This should always be kept in mind when approaching the Hispanic market. All Hispanics won’t see themselves reflected in an advertisement solely because the model is Hispanic. In fact, some may respond more positively to models of other groups, if they perceive these models as being more similar to themselves.

What can a marketer gain from these insights? First, that the Hispanic market is made up of a very diverse group of people. An awareness of Hispanic diversity will aid the marketer in specifying which audiences could be potential targets for a particular product. Just as social class, sex, age, income, and country of origin affect consumer decisions, so does perceived ethnicity. Who we are is influenced by who we believe we are. Hispanics who define themselves as “white” are very different from those who define themselves to be of “some other race.”

Second, marketers should take into account what Hispanics are really saying when they define themselves as white. Are they distancing themselves from poorer, less educated Hispanics? Are they trying to assimilate into white mainstream culture? The answers to these questions heavily influence which products can be successful and how they should be marketed. Hispanics who see themselves as white may not want to be targeted as different, foreign people. They may shy away from very “Hispanic” products and advertisements because they might not see themselves represented. In fact, some of the more successful Hispanics may be able to relate more to mainstream marketing communication than to the Hispanic versions.

On the other hand, what are Hispanics trying to express when they define themselves as Hispanic, Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, or some other group? Are they only speaking of their skin color? Or are they expressing pride in their ethnicity and heritage? Hispanics, especially those who chose “some other race,” still feel very connected to their countries of origin. Marketing communications targeted at this audience must make Hispanics feel accepted, even in their difference. It must not pressure them to be white or mainstream, because that isn’t their desire. One good example of this approach is Enlace-Macy’s West Vida, Estilo y Sabor Latino campaign. This campaign aimed to attract Hispanic female clients to Macy’s stores by utilizing Latino celebrities and events focusing on Latino culture and lifestyle. Using a bilingual and bicultural approach, the campaign showed Hispanic females that Macy’s celebrated their differences and their culture.7

Again, understanding how Hispanics feel about their identity and heritage will determine which models are best used in advertising and marketing campaigns. Some market strategies will focus on celebrating Hispanic culture and roots while others will try to make Hispanics feel accepted and part of a larger group that contains people of all ethnicities. Most important is an understanding of which strategy best suits each subgroup of Hispanic consumers.

By Holly McGavock
Master’s Candidate, Integrated Marketing Communication
Florida State University
hm****@*su.edu

This article was created for a class of Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University

1. Subervi, Federico and Rios, Diana. “Latino Identity and Situational Latinidad”. Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations. Edited by Del Valle, Elena. Poyeen Publishing, 2005.
2. Tafoya, Sonya. Shades of Belonging. Pew Hispanic Center. Retrieved September 16, 2005 from the Pew Hispanic Center web site : http://pewhispanic.org/files/execsum/35.pdf .

3. Tafoya, Sonya. Shades of Belonging. Pew Hispanic Center.
4. Tafoya, Sonya. Shades of Belonging. Pew Hispanic Center.
5. Korzenny and Korzenny, Hispanic Marketing: A Cultural Perspective. Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann, 2005.
6. Korzenny and Korzenny, Hispanic Marketing: A Cultural Perspective.
7. Korzenny and Korzenny, Hispanic Marketing: A Cultural Perspective