Recently the PEW Research Center ask this question and here are the results - http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/111.pdf

This is a very interesting report to read.

Recently I read an online article about American Latinas attitudes and opinions.  What I found interesting was that Latinas of  today are just like the Latinas of my mother’s generation.  The  life choices  highlighted in this article dispels several myths regarding Latinas.   Latinas are very interested in education and professional careers.   Latinas are the decision makers at home when prioritizing finances and addressing health care needs for the family.  Finally there has never been a doubt in my mind that American Latinas have always been  trend setters no matter where they reside within the United States.    I love sharing positive news about Latinas.  To read the full article click on the link below.

http://www.hispanicad.com/cgi-bin/news/newsarticle.cgi?article_id=26916

At 50 million strong, U.S. Latinos are racking up triple-digit growth from the nation’s heartland to the apple orchards of Maine to the Rio Grande Valley, as a product of high fertility rates, increased life expectancy and labor-driven immigration.

 

Most Latinos live in America legally, speak English and pay taxes. With traditional family values, Latinos are defined by a strong work ethic and loyalty to family, God and country. Despite immense contributions to the economic and political stability of the country, many myths continue to plague American Latinos.

 

Even the terms that describe these Americans are a source of pride and confusion.

 

‘Hispanic’ is the term used to identify the group in most U.S. government publications, yet the term’s historical reference elicits controversy in many communities. The term ‘Latino’ is deemed more inclusive and gaining acceptance among the general public.

 

American Latinos comprise the third largest Latino population on the face of the Earth behind Mexico and Colombia. The Latino impact on America’s landscape is evident in virtually every facet of life – from the big screen, to the small screen to the computer screen or from the schoolhouse, to the jailhouse to the White House. It’s been said that brown is the new green.

 

Latinos are a product of one of the most important migration streams of the 20^th century, constituting more than half of all immigrants to America. The most mobile of all communities, nearly six-in-ten Latino immigrants arrive from Mexico playing a pivotal role in our nation’s labor force.

 

As the second-largest minority group in America, and the fasting growing community in the country, Latinos are characterized by an incredibly diverse culture, rapid growth and unprecedented buying power topping $700 billion.

 

This year the carreñogroup along with the Lone Star Leadership & Policy Center will be publishing a report on American Latinos titled The State of the Latino Nation. If you would like to receive a copy please let us know by subscribing to our RSS feed.

 

So what do we call them?

 

For decades Latinos have debated over the question of what to call themselves. This struggle for a national identity in the United States is evident in the myriad polls posing the question to Latinos across the country: Do you refer to yourself as ‘Hispanic’ or ‘Latino’?

 

Most surveys reveal a slight preference for ‘Hispanic’ in general usage; however the term elicits more controversy than ‘Latino’. Deciding on a term of national Latino identity involves generational, social and political considerations.

 

A recent Presidential tracking poll of Latinos found regional leanings as well; Texans liked ‘Hispanic’, while California and New York preference was almost evenly split, in Illinois they prefer Latino, and in New Mexico they are Hispano. When addressing each other, most Latinos exercise sensitivity when referencing national origin but tend to be less guarded themselves, responding to either ‘Hispanic’ or ‘Latino’.

 

When offered the choice, most Latinos prefer ‘none of the above’ opting for a term closer to their national origin. A 2006 poll of first-generation Latinos found that one-third prefer ‘Hispanic’, one-third called themselves ‘Latinos’, and one-third referred to themselves by their country of origin.

 

Choosing one term to identify such a diverse people may be an exercise in futility.

 

Hispanic

 

U.S.-born Latinos prefer to identify themselves as ‘Hispanic’. These more acculturated, second- and third-generation Latinos tend to be young, conservative registered voters and regard the term as politically correct.

 

Critics of the term ‘Hispanic’ describe it as an attempt to homogenize all Latinos – a carefree generic labeling by the dominant socio-political power structure. The term first appeared on government publications, notably the 1970 Census, and has now become ingrained in our daily language. President Richard Nixon receives most of the blame for introducing ‘Hispanic’ into the American lexicon.

 

Latino

 

“Latino” is preferred by older or more liberal Latinos many with histories of political activism and radical tendencies. The term is deemed more inclusive than ‘Hispanic’ dating back to ancient Rome and the Latin romance language.

 

 Latina Magazine chose its name with the help of focus groups which found that women responded more positively to the term ‘Latina’, but uses both ‘Hispanic’ and ‘Latino’ interchangeably within its pages.

 

Media usage of the term varies as well. Spanish-language media almost exclusively uses “Latino” with few exceptions. English-language media interchanges between “Latino” and “Hispanic.”

 

The term “Latino” seems to be gaining broader appeal, or could it be that those who prefer “Latino” are just louder?

 

So at the end of the day choosing the correct term is all based on regional/political bias and on personal preference.

 

 Origin of “Hispanic”

 

‘Hispanic’ is the term used to identify the group in most U.S. government publications, yet the term’s historical reference elicits controversy in many communities.

 

For 20,000 years, the Iberian Peninsula had been inhabited by North African expansion into what is now considered the homeland of the Caucasian race. When the Phoenicians arrived at Europe’s western-most peninsula in the eighth century BC, they christened her, Hispania.

 

Hispania was invaded from the north and the south by the Celts and the Greeks during the sixth century BC, near the borders of the Basques. The Greeks introduced philosophy and theater along with the cultivation of olive trees and vineyards.

 

From the second century BC to approximately 400 AD, the Romans dominated Hispania, leaving behind 600 years of cultural influence, most noteworthy, Roman judicial law and the Latin language.  The most significant derivative of Latin, the Spanish language is spoken today by half a billion people.

 

The Goths and Vandals invaded Hispania in 408 AD bringing with them a legacy of cattle breeding, ranching and bullfighting. Nomadic gypsies introduced flamenco dancing.

 

In the seventh century AD, Islamic Arabs invaded the peninsula. The kingdom of Portugal was established in the twelfth century with the imposition of a separate Latin dialect. 500 years later El Cid initiated the Christian reconquest of Hispania.

 

At the close of the fifteenth century AD, the Catholic Kings – Castile and Aragon – united and expelled the Arabs and all other non-Christians forming Spain. In 1492, they financed the greatest expedition in the history of humanity, the conquest of the Americas.

 

Most Latinos are a blend of Hispanic and African immigrants and pre-Columbian ancestors sharing a rich, diverse heritage.

Media Daily News

March 31, 2009

 

Coke has launched a new iteration of its “Destapa La Felicidad” (”Open Happiness”) Hispanic-arket campaign.The new effort, bearing the tag “Destapa Tus Sueños” or “Unleash Your Dreams,” includes new point-of-sale, shopper experiences, consumer promotions, television, radio, print and out-of-home advertising, and mobile, digital and music components.

Two TV spots with a “dreams” theme are running on Spanish-language networks, including Univision, Telemundo and TeleFutura. One shows a father drinking a Coke after a long day’s work. He glances at his daughter playing with a stethoscope and imagines her becoming a surgeon.

The “Destapa La Felicidad” effort, itself an evolution of the “El Lado Coca-Cola de la Vida” (”Coke Side of Life”) campaign, began with a promotion on March 1 around its “Telenovela Club” platform. That promotion includes a sweepstakes for the chance to meet two telenovela stars.

Hispanic-market efforts this year also include national advertising and public relations featuring the Mexican National Team in the U.S.

Reinaldo Padua, assistant vice president/Hispanic marketing Coca-Cola North America, says the effort is intended to create “a more personal connection” to Hispanic consumers. “Through ‘El Lado Coca-Cola de la Vida,’ we found the voice of the brand again. People reminded us that Coca-Cola is about optimism, quiet confidence, leadership, fun and wit. This led us to create an updated call to action: ‘Destapa La Felicidad’,” he says.

He says the Coca-Cola Telenovela Club is one of the most successful programs Coke has for Hispanic consumers. “And due to its success, in 2009 we will continue the program.” The promotion will continue to run through My Coke Rewards/Mis Premio, Coca-Cola and participating retailers in Hispanic markets.

Padua says in-store elements include point-of-sale in meat departments and bakeries at supermarkets to Novelas or Fútbol activations in beverage aisles, deli and produce sections.

I saw this story today and I felt others need to read this great news:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Roughly one-fourth of the nation’s kindergartners are Hispanic, evidence of an accelerating trend that now will see minority children become the majority by 2023.

 

Census data released Thursday also showed that Hispanics make up about one-fifth of all K-12 students. Hispanics’ growth and changes in the youth population are certain to influence political debate, from jobs and immigration to the No Child Left Behind education, for years.

 

The ethnic shifts in school enrollment are most evident in the West. States such as Arizona, California and Nevada are seeing an influx of Hispanics due to immigration and higher birth rates.

 

Minority students in that region exceed non-Hispanic whites at the pre-college grade levels, with about 37 percent of the students Hispanic. Hispanics make up 54 percent of the students in New Mexico, 47 percent in California, 44 percent in Texas and 40 percent in Arizona.

 

In 2007, more than 40 percent of all students in K-12 were minorities — Hispanics, blacks, Asian-Americans and others. That’s double the percentage of three decades ago.

 

In colleges, Hispanics made up 12 percent of full-time undergraduate and graduate students, 2 percent more than in 2006. Still, that is short of Hispanics’ 15 percent representation in the total U.S. population.

 

“The future of our education system depends on how we can advance Hispanics through the ranks,” said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution in Washington. “In many cases it’s going to be a challenge, because they are the children of immigrants, and their English is not as strong. Many have parents without a high school or college education.”

 

Minorities are projected to become the majority of the overall U.S. population by 2042. For minority kids, that shift is seen coming in 2023, seven years earlier than the previous estimate, from 2004. The accelerated timetable is due to immigration among Hispanics and Asians, and declining birth rates among non-Hispanic whites.

 

Hispanics account for more than 23 percent of kindergartners in private and public schools, according to 2007 data. That is more than triple Hispanics’ percentage in the 1970s, the height of white baby boom enrollment in elementary and high school.

 

More Hispanic kindergartners in 2007 were U.S.-born than foreign-born, assuring them of citizenship that will make them eligible to vote by 2020.

 

The changing demographics offer opportunity and political risks for Barack Obama, the nation’s first African-American president, and emerging Republicans such as 37-year-old Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, the first Indian-American elected to statewide office.

 

Obama, who took two-thirds of the Hispanic vote, is channeling billions of federal dollars to improve schools, reduce the dropout rate and make college more affordable by increasing the maximum Pell Grant for low-income students to $5,550.

 

Yet his administration has been sketchy when it comes to improving classroom performance and overhauling the No Child Left Behind Act. It sets goals for schools so every student can read and do math on grade level by 2014.

 

The education law has major implications for both black and Hispanic students, including those who speak English as a second language, because they tend to lag whites in reading and math scores.

 

Obama has been largely quiet on immigration reform, which could pave the way for citizenship for nearly 12 million illegal immigrants. Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said she was not notified when federal agents conducted an immigration raid in Bellingham, Wash.

 

Richard Fry, a senior researcher at the Pew Hispanic Center, said Hispanic growth cannot be ignored in policy debates for too long. While in recent elections Hispanics have only cast 6 percent of the total ballots, “Latinos’ electoral power and participation levels clearly are going to grow,” he said.

 

Other findings from the data:

 

_About 58 percent of children enrolled in grades K-12 are non-Hispanic whites, a group that represents 66 percent of the U.S. population. After Hispanics, blacks were the second-largest minority group enrolled in K-12 (15 percent), followed by Asians (4 percent).

 

_Fifty-three percent of Hispanic 4-year-olds were enrolled in nursery school, compared with 43 percent in 1997 and 21 percent in 1987.

 

The census data was based on the Current Population Survey. Data on U.S. regions and states came from the 2007 American Community Survey, the government’s annual survey of about 3 million households.

 

AP Education Writer Libby Quaid contributed to this report.

by Pew Hispanic Center

Like the U.S. population as a whole, Latinos are feeling the sting of the economic downturn. Almost one-in-ten (9%) Latino homeowners say they missed a mortgage payment or were unable to make a full payment and 3% say they received a foreclosure notice in the past year, according to a new national survey of 1,540 Latino adults conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center. Moreover, more than six-in-ten (62%) Latino homeowners say there have been foreclosures in their neighborhood over the past year, and 36% say they are worried that their own home may go into foreclosure. This figure rises to 53% among foreign-born Latino homeowners.

The survey also finds that the economic downturn has had an impact on the amount of money that Latinos sent to relatives or others in their country of origin in the past year. Among Hispanic immigrants who sent remittances in the last two years, more than seven-in-ten (71%) say they sent less in 2008 than in the prior year.

Latinos hold a more negative view of their own current personal financial situation than does the general U.S. population. More than three-in-four (76%) Latinos, and 84% of foreign-born Latinos, say their current personal finances are in either fair or poor shape, while 63% of the general U.S. population says the same.

As a result of current economic conditions, many Latinos are adjusting their economic behaviors. More than seven-in-ten (71%) report that they cut back spending on eating out. More than two-thirds (67%) planned to curtail holiday spending. Over one-fourth (28%) report that they helped a family member or friend with a loan.

For a copy of the report go to:  http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/100.pdf

An article in the Houston Chronicle this morning gives an air of shock that Hispanics would be more worried about the economy than immigration.

I always find it interesting when the media tries to break us off into our little ethnic ghettos. “How can all Americans be worried about the same thing and the same time?!” It’s shocking - well, at least to the Chronicle.

As of 2008, Latinos make up the largest and economically most influential minority group in the United States.Hispanic populations currently is 15.5% of the total population and is projected to grow by 6 million in the next two years.

According to Poder magazine Hispanics can be broken into 5 groups:

• Americanizado (English dominant U.S. born) 15.15%
• Nueva Latina (English preferred) 26.46%
• Bi-Cultural (Bilingual first generation) 26.67%
• Hispano (Spanish preferred) 17.12%
• Latino Americano (Spanish dominant) 14.60%

Source:Poder Enterprise Magazine, Nov 2008