How Guilt Affects the Lives of Hispanics.

Since a large majority of Hispanics are predominantly Catholic, guilt affects them more deeply then it would other cultures. In the Catholic religion, it is a customary habit to confess your sins to a priest when you haven’t been upholding the laws and morals of God. If you don’t confess, then these transgressions will weigh upon your conscience. Korzenny and Korzenny mention that “From the original sin to the notion that there is something wrong with the individual who transgresses, Hispanics live with a constant need to atone (187).” The Catholic religion makes up a large part of many Hispanics’ lives. When they feel they have disobeyed their religious customs by sinning, this often evokes a heavy burden of guilt for their transgressions. By confessing it gives them the sensation that they are wiping their slate clean.
In contrast to the Hispanic culture which is more guilt-ridden, there are eastern cultures like the Japanese who are known as shame cultures. This means when one person commits a sin this is reflected upon the entire group instead of solely on the individual who made the mistake. Since more people have to carry the toll for this person’s action, it is a much more embarrassing and shameful situation. While these shame cultures have more people that feel disappointed and dishonored by one person’s mistake, Hispanics feel guilt on a much more individual basis and might just keep their wrongdoings to themselves.

If Hispanic parents don’t feel they are doing enough for their children, they begin to feel a tremendous amount of guilt. The role of Hispanic mothers is to be the primary caregivers and to support their children on a more emotional level. Typically Hispanic fathers also contribute by providing the financial support and making the major decisions in the household. This situation is changing since women are more often becoming working moms. Both parents usually feel the need to provide the most they can for their children. This explains why even if the family does not have that much money, they will still find the funds to throw an extravagant “quinceñera” for their daughter’s 15th birthday, even if this means sacrificing financially in other areas. “Quinceñeras” are about as important to Hispanic families as are baptisms, first communions, and weddings. These parties serve a double purpose since not only are they a girl’s “coming-of-age party” but it is an opportunity for the entire family to celebrate and spend time together. If the parents did deprive their daughter of her “quinceñera”, they would probably feel very guilty towards themselves and most likely be embarrassed in front of the rest of the family.

Guilt is especially a major problem for Hispanic women. Many Hispanics moms feel like they cannot do enough for their family. “Hispanic mothers are in constant search for ways to reduce guilt for not doing more for their husbands and children (Korzenny and Korzenny 187).” Hispanic mothers handle a lot and usually take care of their elderly parents, children and husbands all at once. This causes a lot of stress but Hispanic women are the least likely to protest because they will suffer guilt if they complain and would prefer to suffer in silence. If in their minds they feel like they haven’t done enough for their family, they can often be weighed down with a tremendous sense of guilt.

Surprisingly, Hispanic mothers are not the only ones feeling guilty. It turns out since the late 1970s, studies have shown that Hispanic girls between ages 16 to 18 have a suicide rate twice that of non-Hispanic girls. One in five Hispanic teenagers has attempted suicide compared to one in ten non-Hispanic whites or black girls. Since many Hispanic teenagers have just moved to the United States from their Hispanic countries of origin, one of the main reasons for this high rate in Latina suicides can be attributed to the pressure they feel to conform to both peer pressure and cultural pressures. On one side they are feeling pressure from their parents to give up their roots; while at the same time they are feeling pressure from their peers in the U.S. to assimilate to a new culture. Feeling torn between which side to choose causes many Latinas to feel guilty about their decisions. This presents a difficult predicament because if the cultures are different enough, it will be impossible to please both their peers and family. If they pick their peers, they will feel guilty about letting their parents down. Yet if they choose their family, they might lose friends and experience discrimination. Sadly, this guilt factor influences many teenage Hispanic girls to feel like there is no hope left and resort to committing suicide.

The need to relieve the burden of guilt for their sins will exist as long as the Catholic religion is predominant with Hispanics. This opens a door for marketers in that they should aim to help Hispanics by reducing their sense of guilt. Since Hispanic parents (especially mothers) are constantly trying to reduce guilt for not doing more for their family, marketers can show how their products are the best choice for their family. “Helping the consumer alleviate guilt can be beneficial to both the consumer and the marketer by establishing a symbiotic relationship (Korzenny and Korzenny 187).” Often Hispanics prefer quality over price when it comes to products for their family. Assuring Hispanic mothers a product is the best choice in quality could prevent potential guilt she would have had later on if she used a brand that didn’t work as well. By advertising products as the right choice for the Hispanic family, Hispanics who purchase these products will relieve some of their stress and feel much more guilt-free knowing they are providing their family with the best commodities.

By: Natalie Kates
Mass Media Communications Student at Florida State University
Minor in Hispanic Marketing Communication and Journalism

Sources Cited
” Korzenny, Felipe, Dr. and Korzenny, Betty Ann. Hispanic Marketing: A Cultural Perspective. Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Burlington, MA, 2005.
” Martinez, Arlene. “Young Latinas are attempting suicide at twice the rate of non-Hispanic teenagers.” LatinaStyle.com accessed October 11, 2005 at http://www.latinastyle.com/currentissue/v10-6/f-dying.html
” Burney, Teresa. “With Love and Without Guilt.” Aarpsegundajuventud.org accessed October 11, 2005 at http://www.aarpsegundajuventud.org/english/issues/2003-dec/caregivers.htm