Hispanic Adult Millennials: Trusting Fewer, Marrying Later, and Still Speaking Spanish [INSIGHT]

  Tr3s’s 2012 study, Hispanic Adult Millennials Living the Next Normal: Age of Uncertainty, revealed that for Hispanic Adult Millennials, life is an exercise in risk assessment. They’re cautious with good reason: just as they were entering adulthood, the 2008 economic crisis put a damper on their bright future plans. Jobs became harder to come by – especially dream jobs – and leaving Mom and Dad’s house to live independently turned out to be not that easy. While they still hope to move out of their parents’ houses and get married, those timelines have been pushed back. For now, many are looking inward – sticking close to people they are certain they trust, fulfilling life goals before starting families of their own, and keeping up traditions like speaking Spanish at home.

Here are few of Tr3s’s key findings about Hispanic Adult Millennials and their current life choices:

Circles of trust are getting smaller. In the past, Hispanic young adults’ trust circles included their families, kids, romantic partners, doctors, good friends, business/community leaders, teachers, priests, and well-known brands. Today, it’s all about true blood – close family members, kids, and maybe (but not necessarily) their romantic partners.

Marriage is taking a hit. Hispanic Adult Millennials value marriage highly, but they see it as risky both economically and emotionally. As a result, the marriage rate for Hispanics 18 to 29 decreased nearly 30% from 2008 to 2012 (with just 24% married in 2012). They do want to get married someday – but they’re in no rush. Before getting married, Hispanic Adult Millennials want to have money in the bank, some personal goals like a career and financial stability knocked off the list, and a sense that they really can trust their partner. Some feel that finding someone worth leaving their parents for is tough.

Spanish isn’t going away. Nearly 9 out of 10 Hispanic Adult Millennials who still live with their parents speak mostly Spanish at home – and virtually all in this group believe it’s important to teach kids Spanish. Among those who have moved out and started their own families, Spanish is the main language in almost 8 out of 10 households. Of this group, 9 out of 10 say it’s important to teach kids Spanish. The main reason they cite for wanting their kids to know both languages is career opportunity. While many Hispanic Adult Millennials speak English in their everyday lives in the outside world, Spanish remains the language of the home (and the heart) for them.

Source: Tr3s 2012 “Hispanic Adult Millennials Living the Next Normal: Age of Uncertainty”