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A recent survey conducted by Hispanic Business Magazine has revealed that, by a margin of greater than 2 to 1, Hispanic (or should I say Latino?) voters polled prefer the ethnic label "Hispanic" to "Latino." The survey found that those who maintain this preference are more likely to have assimilated into American culture, to be conservative in their views, and to be younger than those who don't.
According to an article reporting this finding, the term Hispanic is derived from the word Espa¤a, the country (as we all read in grade school) that led to the conquest of the New World and whose language and culture have dominated what is now known as Latin America. The word Latino, on the other hand, while so often used to refer to those of Hispanic heritage in the Western Hemisphere, actually traces its roots to ancient Rome.
Ever since the U.S. census introduced the term "Hispanic" into public domain over two decades ago, the emotion and debate have raged on.
While in the minority, "the people who don't like the term Hispanic are very vocal," according to an expert on the subject. As one critic with great passion explains: "The term Hispanic makes my skin crawl. It's a very colonialistic term, a disrespectful term, a term imposed on us without asking what we wanted to call ourselves."
"This is just one of many issues that marketers and researchers, alike, who target Hispanics, need to be aware of to ensure the success of their surveys."
Others assert that there is nothing offensive about the term Hispanic and find it a more appropriate reference than Latino. One such advocate explained: "It's a more politically correct word than people outside the race can understand."
The significance of this finding cannot be underestimated. "The findings of this research are probably a little less comforting to those at Latina Magazine, who have invested so much into their name, than say, Hispanic Perspectives," quipped Diana Layseca, who teams to head the specialized research division of Q & A Research. "But seriously, this is just one of many issues that marketers and researchers, alike, who target Hispanics, need to be aware of to ensure the success of their surveys. Far too often there is a sense that, to effectively execute research among Hispanics in the U.S., all you need to do is simply draft a survey in English and translate it. It is understanding exactly these kinds of cultural sensitivities that is required to effectively conduct Hispanic research and to avoid alienating or offending our research contacts."
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