This dispatch is part of our Series: Hispanic Gen Z. This series is being crafted by a multidisciplinary team of RPA analysts, strategists, and behavioral scientists, including our Hispanic Inclusive Intelligence Team. The effort cites sources such as Census data, academic research, government studies, industry papers, and social media content.
Who is Gen Z?
Gen Z was born from 1997-2010. They were born amidst the Columbine school shooting, the 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the launch of the smartphone, the Great Recession, and the election of Barack Obama. They grew up amid influences like PewDiePie, Minecraft, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Lil Nas X, Y2K fashion, Simone Biles, and Olivia Rodrigo — though Gen Zers sometimes say they have more diffuse and even elusive influences than previous generations do.1 Gen Zers have been called “the first real digital natives,”2 “the most socially conscious generation,”3 and “the most diverse generation.”4 In 2025, they are also at a pivotal age: The youngest Gen Zers will still be navigating high school hallways while the oldest will be nearing their 30th birthdays.
Who is Hispanic Gen Z?
Hispanic Gen Z is, of course, defined by all these same parameters and influences. And, like Gen Z itself, it is racially, culturally, linguistically, and socio-demographically diverse. According to UCLA’s Latino Policy & Politics Institute,5 while Mexicans represent the largest Hispanic-descent group in the US (59%), other groups — like Venezuelans, Paraguayans, and Hondurans — have been growing at a much faster pace. And while many Hispanics live in California or Texas (44%),6 Hispanic populations have surged across every single US state. Consider the growth rate in Kentucky (+233% since 2000), South Carolina (+207%), and Alabama (+202%).5
Hispanic Gen Z’s belief systems are similarly hard to put in a box. According to one source, while Gen Z overall is “the least religious generation we’ve had in American history,” Hispanic Gen Zers are much more likely than the cohort overall to identify as Christian (44% vs. 35%).7 At the same time, Hispanic Gen Zers are also more inclined to believe in astrology and superstition8 (witness the sustained influence of Walter Mercado),9 and they are significantly more likely to say they are “alarmed” about climate change.10 While their values have historically aligned with those of the political left, recent elections witnessed many Latinos breaking for the right. A Univision poll conducted in the early fall of 2024 showed “an astounding 65% of Hispanic voters [still] considered themselves persuadable” at that time — underscoring their complexity.11
Trailer for the Netflix documentary “Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado” about the Puerta Rican astrologer and TV personality. Credit: Netflix on YouTube
At the same time, Hispanic Gen Z is also more “American” than ever. In fact, Hispanic Gen Zers are more likely than their Millennial counterparts to say, “I feel like I am losing my Hispanic identity as the years go by” (45% vs. 41%).12 There are some clear reasons for this. As a group, Hispanics in the US are increasingly US-born (68% in 2021 vs. 63% in 2010).13 And the vast majority are now US citizens (81% in 2021 vs. 74% in 2010).14 One-third of all Hispanics say they speak only English at home (vs. one-fifth in 2000).5 And only 9%12 of Gen Z Hispanics say that they speak only Spanish at home. Countless TikTok videos point to this decline in Spanish fluency as a source of embarrassment for Gen Z Hispanics, who often see language as the lynchpin of Hispanic identity.15
Credit: @jadennbowman on TikTok
Despite their diversity and despite their “American-ness,” US Hispanics overall do share a sense of pan-Hispanic identity. Although Hispanics are more likely to describe themselves based on country of origin rather than as “Hispanic” or “Latino,”16 one study found that 90% of Hispanics ages 14+ agree they “feel a sense of ‘belonging’ within the larger US Hispanic/Latino community” “some” or “most” of the time.17 There are important subgroup differences within the US Hispanic population, but many Hispanics share the fundamental experience of being both “de aquí y de allá” (from here and there)18 share core values like family and hard work,17 and share the desire for greater representation in media and government.19
Next Up
Next, the fun part. We’ll dive into a series of themes that are relevant for marketers seeking to better understand Hispanic Gen Z today. Starting with Hispanic Gen Z’s unique sense of familismo, or family loyalty, and what it means for brand marketers.20 See our next Dispatch 2: The Hardres Thing I've Ever Done in My Life.
If you’d like to see our deep dive on this theme, sign up below for our newsletter to be notified when it is released.
Coming Soon:
Dispatch #2: The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done in My Life
Dispatch #3: Millionario Mindset
Dispatch #4: You Know You’re Hispanic When…
Note: In this report, we are looking to uncover overarching patterns. So, we will often make general observations and predictions. We recognize that we may overlook individual, subgroup, and intersectional differences in doing this, but our project is trained on broad trends. More micro trends will be important for marketers to dive into on a case-by-case basis. We also recognize that the statistics and content available to us as third-party researchers may be biased, incomplete, or otherwise flawed. To address this, we’ve sought to source information in various forms, from various places, and to gut-check and fact-check wherever possible. But the information we are working with isn’t always perfect. Finally, we are also using the term “Hispanic” loosely, often interchangeably with the terms “Latino” and “Latine,” to refer to groups with Spanish-speaking heritage. “Hispanic” is the term that is largely preferred23 based on current research, though we recognize that different terms differ in meaning and nuance.
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