The Hispanic market is diverse and constantly evolving. There are many cultural nuances within the segment to consider such as country of origin, language preference, and number of years in the United States. To help our clients develop a deeper understanding of this dynamic market, ARGUS created a segmentation model that takes into account acculturation levels. Acculturation is the integration and merging of the Latin American culture with the American culture.

The second level of the acculturation model is the Spanish Dominant Bicultural Hispanic, whom we coined: The Cultural Nomads. Here’s a glimpse into their world…

Meet Luisa

Luisa, 31 years old, moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic with her extended family when she was twelve years old. She is now married (her husband is also from the Dominican Republic) and is a stay-at-home mom to her two small children. Luisa and her husband live in a predominantly Hispanic community within minutes of her parents and other relatives.

Luisa’s identity is strongly rooted in her Hispanic heritage. She is proud to be Hispanic, and it is very important for her to continue many of the customs and traditions from her home country so that her children may come to appreciate their Hispanic roots. Luisa is also open to change and new experiences for herself and her family, including further integrating into the American culture. Though Luisa and her husband speak primarily Spanish at home, she is slowly teaching her children English and exposing them to a mix of English and Spanish-language media. She hopes her children will further integrate into the American culture, receive a good education, and reach their fullest potential in the United States.

Luisa’s cultural experience can be described as nomadic, ranging between Spanish and English, and deriving benefits from each culture to construct her own hybrid identity. She cooks a mix of traditional Dominican meals and popular American foods for her family. Luisa also celebrates both Hispanic and American holidays, and even started to host her extended family for Thanksgiving dinner. For fun, Luisa loves to go salsa dancing with her husband.

Luisa considers herself a savvy shopper and is always looking for a bargain. She relies heavily on word-of-mouth and personal endorsements from family and friends when considering making a purchase. For large purchases, Luisa will research her options online on the family’s computer. Though she favors shopping in stores for the personal interaction, Luisa is warming up to the idea of online shopping. Her favorite stores include Sears, Target, Best Buy, Wal-mart, and JCPenney.

Despite the fact that Luisa has been in the United States for almost 20 years, she still does not feel completely comfortable. She lacks confidence in her English-speaking skills, especially when conversing with non-Hispanics. Even so, Luisa is grateful for the opportunity to raise her children in the United States and is looking forward to new experiences and establishing new traditions as her children grow older.

Stay tuned for Part III of “A Lesson in Acculturation,” focusing on the English Dominant Bicultural: Living along the Hyphen.