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.
As most marketers are acutely aware, Gen Z is heavily Hispanic. At latest count, slightly under half of Gen Z identified as non-Hispanic white, and just over a quarter identified as Hispanic, meaning that Hispanics are now the second-largest ethnic group after non-Hispanic whites within Gen Z.1 Hispanics make up a larger share of Gen Z than any previous generation, and Hispanics are the youngest ethnic group too2; so they will make up an even larger share of Gen Alpha.3 It’s also worth noting that in some of our biggest consumer markets, such as California and Texas, the majority of Gen Zers are already Hispanic (54% and 50%, respectively).4
And Gen Z Hispanics aren’t the same as Gen Z overall. Not only do many of the big “Gen Z trends” that marketers talk about fail to replicate with the Hispanic group, but Hispanic Gen Zers are collectively building a uniquely Hispanic Gen Z identity that is having a profound influence on youth culture overall.
Think of cultural mega-forces like Bad Bunny and “The Fast and the Furious” film franchise. The popularization of Día de los Muertos5 and the rapid migration of Hispanic foods out of the “ethnic food aisle.”6 And micro-trends like “the Edgar” haircut,7 rooted in Mexican “trokiando”/trucker culture;8 the widespread use of Gothic fonts in fashion and design,9 rooted in memorial apparel created by LA Chicano communities; and Cumbia-inspired dance challenges, which blend traditional Colombian choreography with contemporary rhythmic elements.10 There is an undeniable Hispanic pulse animating American youth culture.
In this series, we’ll focus our lens on how Hispanics are making a unique mark on this generation.
In this series:
Dispatch #1: Who Are "Gen Z Hispanics?"
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.
Sources:
