Hispanic Group Claims a Marriage of Cultures is Creating a New Standard in the U.S.

USA - English

• Latin America - español

MIAMI, Aug. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Everyone knows that yellow and blue make green ... but what do Latino and non-Latino make?  For starters, it's causing a new dynamic called interculturization—the interaction and marriage of different cultures. 

Hispanic Group claims that the Latino craze that has been sweeping the nation for the past decade is causing this phenomenon, which is having a dramatic impact on American culture with all things Hispanic exploding in the mainstream.  Non-Latinos living in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods—like Miami, Los Angeles and New York—are just as likely as their Hispanic counterparts to know how to dance salsa and where to eat the best ceviche.  With Spanish being the top foreign language being taught in schools, the Latino culture is undoubtedly leaving a profound imprint on society. 

"When two cultures collide and co-exist, they breathe life into a new fusion known as interculturization," said Jose Luis Valderrama, President and founder of Hispanic Group.  "That's how one of the most popular festivities in the U.S.—St. Patrick's Day—was born and now we all wear green on March 17." 

If Latinos were hot before, 2012 can easily be classified as the year that Latinos were on fire: launch of English-language news outlets focusing on Latino news, William Levy dominating on Dancing with the Stars, Sofia Vergara as the new spokesperson for Diet Pepsi and even Usher singing Bachata.  There is no doubt that Hispanics are passionate about their food, music, fashion and television.  So whether marketers like it or not, they've learned to embrace Latino culture, not as a passing phase but as a permanent fixture in American life.  And those who have are cashing in on the Latino purchasing power. 

The cultural identity of a nation is based on the behaviors and customs that become the backbone of a society, and Latinos are becoming the standard, not an exception.  A noteworthy example is Thanksgiving, a national holiday that has a profound and symbolic importance on the heritage of this country.  It doesn't matter if you're a U.S. citizen or a tourist, every third Thursday in November on any given year this holiday brings the country to a standstill and reunites families, ignites a shopping frenzy and embodies all that it means to be an immigrant for American society. 

Thanksgiving is one of the earliest symbols of interculturization, the first phenomenon that originated from the fusion of cultures.  The coming together of indigenous people and the early settlers created a hybrid culture that became the legacy we know today. 

Another notable example is St. Patrick's Day, one of the most popular pseudo-holidays in New York and the rest of the nation, where everyone dresses up in green, regardless if they are of Irish descent.

Cinco de Mayo is also an iconic example of interculturization.  It goes over without fanfare in Mexico, but is one of the most famous Mexican festivities in the U.S.  It is celebrated by Anglos and almost every other Latino nationality --except probably Mexicans-- who flock to local Mexican restaurants for a South of the Border extravaganza. 

With these examples, the concept of interculturization becomes easier to grasp as a new patrimony emerges.  In the coming years, the new generations of Hispanics in the U.S. will wield more clout: one in every four births is of Hispanic origin.  In Los Angeles and Miami, that figure is one of every two.  In 20 years, the Hispanicization will change the cultural and societal standards of the country, with one in every three faces on the small screen being Latino.  Our beloved Hispanic celebrities will become mainstream celebrities in the general market and the new vanilla. 

"Latinos have climbed their way into their mainstream of U.S. culture and are changing the landscape of this country for the positive," added Valderrama.  "As Latinos we are defining the new standard of living, a cultural mutation if you will, and it's exhilarating to be a part of history in the making."

The interculturization is the final step in the adaptation of an immigrant group and tinges a new hue to the culture, which is the consolidation of the Hispanic-American who embraces this land and redefines the norms.  One can only imagine what the next decade will bring about-- undeniably, a Latino president.

About Hispanic Group

Hispanic Group an independent, minority-owned agency that specializes in customized communications solutions across all disciplines of advertising, traditional, digital and social media, branded content, direct response services and experiential marketing to the varied and fast-growing segments of the Hispanic population, has been working with Latino consumers and brands for more than a decade.  Hispanic Group has expert knowledge of how to craft meaningful messages to reach Latinos centered on the concept of ultrasegmentation, a term they coined.  The theory of ultrasegmentation consists on filtering demographic information on Hispanics in the U.S. to offer customized advertising solutions that garner maximum reach and frequency. 

SOURCE Hispanic Group