Targeting a Complex Culture.

Hispanic immigration has greatly affected the culture of the United States. Immigrants find the need to adjust to a new culture, while the United States absorbs new cultural patterns and becomes diversified. The new immigrants also affect their countries of origin through exchanges of information, culture, and money. Immigrants are affected by great emotional and physical confusion, which is reflected upon the process that occurs as individuals from one culture try to become adjusted to living in a second culture.

Laura is a 24-year-old graduate student who was born in a rural, Anglo-dominant part of the United States to a very Hispanic Dominant family, so she felt that she did not have to adapt to a new culture. She feels that she was born into both cultures, having her Hispanic culture at home and her Anglo culture at school. Chris is a 23 year-old graduate student and was born and raised in Miami. He feels that his exposure to Hispanic culture has been greater than his exposure to Anglo culture.

Culture can be objective or subjective. Objective culture is made up of observable things, like food, dress, or gestures. Subjective culture is the set of values, beliefs, attitudes, norms, and other ways of noticing the world around you. Both can have a deep effect on how people make choices or behave. It is important to note that just because someone is a member of a culture does not mean that he or she is aware of its’ subjective aspect.

Laura said that she only noticed her objective and subjective culture as being different from her peers’ when it was pointed out by other Anglo children at school. To her, it was just a given part of her daily life. The foods she ate, the clothes she wore, and the words she would use were molded from this bicultural influence. Chris, on the other hand, found himself in the situation where most students were just like him, first-generation Cuban-Americans in Miami, where they were easily the majority among minorities.

Enculturation is the learning of a first culture, which all people are born into. It is difficult to erase, and engrains a strong sense of loyalty to one’s country of origin and the social lifestyles related to that culture. John Berry’s paradigm identifies the degree to which individuals keep their first culture and adopt their second culture. Hispanics generally tend to integrate or simply remain separate, because most tend to value their first culture. Berry’s paradigm shows how culture is preserved and valued:

INTEGRATE – Individuals who wish to preserve their culture and also relate to a second culture.

SEPARATE- Those who value their original culture and refuse to adopt a second culture.

ASSIMILATE -Those who abandon their original culture and completely adopt their second culture.

MARGINALIZED – Those who do not value either culture.

Acculturation is when an individual acquires a second culture in addition to their first culture. Assimilation is the process of abandoning one’s first culture in favor of the second culture. Hispanics seem to acculturate rather than choosing to assimilate to a different culture. This tendency towards biculturalism is most frequently endorsed by Hispanics, because now the overall Hispanic experience in the United States is more positive than ever before. These Hispanics have the opportunity to select attributes of both cultures that they enjoy.

Laura identifies herself as an integrated Hispanic. Her family tried very hard to preserve their culture, yet still adopt the mainstream U.S. culture. When she was younger, her mother wanted her to assimilate more than simply integrate, because she felt that Laura would face less prejudice that way. This reasoning was based on the fact that Hispanics did not enjoy a positive experience here at the time due to prejudice and discrimination. Anglo traits were associated with success. However, the strong desire to retain the first culture remained, and today Laura values both of her cultures equally. Chris also identifies with the integrated Hispanic category, because of his dual cultures of being both Cuban and American. His parents wanted him to maintain his culture, and yet also learn the American culture so he could have the best of both worlds. He does not feel alienated from either group, and finds acceptance among members of both.

“Third culture” individuals can be defined as neither belonging to the first or second culture, and therefore identify with others who are experiencing the same conditions that they are. Many immigrants go through this experience, where they find themselves socializing with those who have the same experience as they do. When they go back to their home culture, they no longer belong, but they do not quite belong to their second culture, either. This illustrates a typical error in thinking by U.S. Hispanic media, because they often assume that Hispanic consumers would rather relate to their country of origin’s ideals and imagery, but often this is not the case.

It is important to view the segmentation of the Hispanic market through a two-dimensional Acculturation model. This gives us four quadrants of acculturation, allowing one to account for different levels. Also, this helps to identify how acculturation will impact the interest in and purchase of products and services. Marketers must better understand their Hispanic target markets according to their levels of acculturation.

Hispanic Dominant refers to Hispanics that are culturally and linguistically defined by their Hispanic origin, largely relying on the Spanish language for communication. Bicultural Hispanics are able to navigate between Hispanic and Anglo cultures, and represent what most Hispanics will be like in the future. In other words, they will not give up their Hispanic culture but will learn how to be part of the mainstream culture. Assimilated refers to individuals who have largely forgotten their Hispanic heritage and generally identify themselves as Americans, relying on English for communication. Finally, Culturally Unique individuals have not adopted either the U.S. Anglo culture, nor have they really retained their Hispanic culture. They represent the “third culture.”

As a Bicultural Hispanic, Laura feels lucky to be able to navigate between both cultures easily. Because of her upbringing, she does not have a strong accent when she speaks English or Spanish, therefore helping her switch between the two as necessary. Chris finds himself also identifying with the Bicultural quadrant, for the same reasons as Laura.

Stereotypical representations of a race or ethnic group will often produce limited and negative views towards that group. Ethnic groups in the U.S. have been subjected to stereotypes through societal interactions and the media. The media has assigned stereotypical roles for minorities in which they are ridiculed and mocked. This eventually subsides and they are finally given some respect and shown to be contributing members of society. While this last step has not yet been fully realized, a respect for Hispanic diversity seems to have grown.

While Laura stated that she enjoys seeing Hispanics frequently represented on television and in the movies, she also stated that it bothered her when any form of media includes a Hispanic as the “token Hispanic” person. She said that when it seems a Hispanic is “forced” into a role just to have a Hispanic character, she finds it troublesome and even upsetting because the diversity is not being appreciated, but rather the ethnic character is simply there to fulfill some sort of unwritten diversity quota. Chris is used to stereotypical representations of the Cuban population of Miami, so he says that he “pretty much doesn’t even notice anymore.” Both he and Laura agree that while Hispanics have come a long way in this country, there is still quite a lot of progress to be made to reach the place where Hispanics are not stereotyped so negatively, and are respected and valued for their contributions to American society.

Marketers must avoid assumptions or stereotypes when planning and creating marketing communications for the Hispanic market. The complexities of the Hispanic culture must be extensively researched. It is important to understand the process by which Hispanics acculturate into U.S. society. Not all Hispanics are the same, and it goes beyond English dominant vs. Spanish dominant, as segmenting by the level of acculturation is increasingly necessary.

By Jonathan Casamayor
Student
Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication
Florida State University