Welcome to our blog and HispanoSapient
First things first. Welcome to the website and to the blog. The following is an introduction to HispanoSapient and to some basic information about the so-called Hispanic market, which needs to be explained. Says me. My name is Pedro Chávez. I’m an older guy. An ol’ feller, that’s how John Steinbeck would probably have described me if I had been one of the paisanos in his novel Tortilla Flat.
I mention that work of fiction because it was the first book that I read as I was trying to learn English, soon after moving to California. I was sixteen then, a brand-new immigrant and living in El Centro and about twelve miles north of Mexicali, the place where I was born and lived during my growing up years. By the way, I eventually ended up reading all of Steinbeck’s books, especially after getting a better handle of the English language. There you have it; that’s me. An ol’ feller who’s still truckin’ and spreadin’ the news. And who wants to help you connect with the so-called Hispanic market in the DFW Metroplex.
The Hispanic market. Some call it the Latino market, but I prefer the name Hispanic. It makes more sense. Latino is a monicker that is probably a shortened version of the Spanish language term latinoamericano, meaning someone from Latin America. We can blame the 19th century French for baptizing most of the folks from the non-U.S. portion of the American continent with that sobriquet. When Napoleon III and his henchmen were about to send a military expedition to Mexico eight score and four years ago, they decided to call that part of the continent “Amérique latine,” again, meaning Latin America. The name stuck, though the countries in that part of the Americas had nothing to do with it. As far as I’m concerned, the only Latin vestiges around nowadays, in that vast region of the continent, have to do with the Latin roots of three different romance languages. You know, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. Incidentally, besides those inserted word fragments that go back to the Romans, the Spanish language has lots of Greek roots and French words mixed in it. And guess what else? It also has over 8,000 words in its vocabulary that originated from different Arab languages. And of course, the current Spanish language that is spoken and written in the Americas, is also enriched by a long list of words that were around way before the conquest seeking folks from the old world set foot on the New World. Again, there you have it. Latinos we’re not. We’re Hispanic. Because, somewhere along the line, Spanish was the mother tongue, for us or our ancestors.
Who is considered Hispanic? If you self-identify as Hispanic on the U.S. Census form, you’re Hispanic. But for all practicality, you’re Hispanic if your personal heritage has ties to any of the Spanish speaking Latin American countries or to the Spanish speaking settlers of what is now known as the United States of America. Even if you don’t speak that language. However, and for marketing purposes, not everyone will fully fit the mold of what is called the Hispanic market. Surprise? It’s a fact that matters a lot if you’re trying to reach subsegments of that demographic. The reality is that some people identified as Hispanics are really part of the mainstream market, which is a different demographic. Unfortunately, some folks in the world of marketing claim otherwise, probably for their own self-serving reasons.
The Hispanic market is not monolithic. Hispanics are as diversified as they come. Especially in places like the DFW Metroplex. As mentioned on the services page of this website, some of the people that make up the Hispanic demographic in the DFW DMA, for example, are descendants of the original tejanos, the settlers that were brought in by the Spaniards. Others are the second or third-generation offspring of Hispanic immigrants. Many are recent arrivals from different Latin American countries. Some prefer to communicate in Spanish, others in English. The list of differences goes on and on. Understanding those differences is very important if you are trying to cater to that market and grasp, as well, its cultural nuances.
What comes next. Again, this post is just an introductory note. In a few days I will publish a follow up post with some suggestions that I believe will help you connect with the type of Hispanic consumer that you’re hoping to reach. It’s not rocket science, as some might say. It’s simple marketing that involves many of the same simple principles that are used to target mainstream consumers. But with some tweaks. I’ll explain. Hoping to have your eyes and minds interested in what this ol’ feller has to say regarding that subject matter.
Hasta pronto.