The advertising community has begun to take acculturation levels into account when advertising to Hispanics, but there’s an aspect of Hispanic consumers that most advertisers fail to consider. In many cases the individual consumer doesn’t have even one static acculturation level — in other words, that we as individuals think and behave in different ways (that reflect high or low acculturation).
As a bicultural Hispanic, I’m keenly aware of the diverse range of mindsets I approach the world on a day-to-day, or even minute-to-minute, basis. Growing up in a Hispanic household, surrounded by American influences, is best correlated to being the middle child. The ‘middle child’ complex highlights that middle children are unsure of which role to play – and can feel left out and invisible. Similarly, bicultural Hispanics have the same challenge. It’s a constant battle of ‘should I be the Hispanic who holds strongly to their roots and refuses to sway from the ‘correct’ pronunciation of tortilla when speaking English? or the Hispanic who knows their roots and appreciates them, but won’t correct their coworker when they mispronounce the Spanish-named street?’
Honestly, it’s not always one or the other. Bicultural Hispanics work both sides of the equation. When surrounded by dozens of relatives at family gatherings, I naturally become more overtly Hispanic — I’ll speak in Spanish more than English, and I quickly adapt habits associated with my Hispanic heritage.
In the workplace, it’s a different story. I’m an American woman with Hispanic nuances. Coworkers are fascinated when I tell them about my crazy Hispanic family traditions, but I pronounce all Spanish words with an American accent — since many struggle to understand when I say it the ‘Hispanic’ way.
Bicultural Hispanics are more Hispanic or more American depending on the situation and who they are surrounded by; making it much more difficult to effectively advertise to them. However, by knowing and understanding this dichotomy, marketers can learn how to best target the bicultural Hispanic with relevance.
