My Bi-Cultural Life

By Luz Varela, Senior Account Supervisor, Multicultural

Besides celebrating birthdays and wedding anniversaries, my dad makes it a point to also commemorate the number of years my family has lived in this country. Having just observed our 23rd anniversary, I have fresh memories of the first few months of my new American life since the festivities include reminiscing about the first years that changed our lives forever.

This year’s celebration took us back to our first days of school. My siblings and I laughed and joked about the days when we were introduced to new teachers and classmates, most of whom didn’t speak Spanish. And while these days I do all of my thinking (and dreaming) in English, I will never forget what it’s like to have a million things to say but not a single word to say it. I remember being paired with one of the only Hispanic girls in class to translate for me even though she hardly spoke Spanish. I remember being asked if I wore traditional folkloric dresses to school every day. And boy do I remember the first trip we took back to Mexico City a few months after our arrival to the states when I told my mom I loved being able to communicate with everyone around me. It is precisely those memories that keep me grounded, and it is those feelings and experiences that allow me to better serve my clients today.

As a multicultural PR practitioner, I believe that being bicultural is just as important as being bilingual. My experiences have given me a firsthand look into of what millions of people seeking the American dream are going through as they often leave everything behind for a fresh new start. It also allows me to counsel my clients on the nuances associated with U.S. Hispanics as well as second and third generation Latinos.

My story is only one of the 50 million Latinos who call America their home. The 2010 U.S. Census numbers can attest that the face of America is rapidly changing but it is up to us to put those statistics to work. Below are some facts and implications we should all leverage to help clients embrace multiculturalism as a growth strategy for their business and ours.

1) Fact: Multicultural audiences, including African Americans, Asians and Hispanics, account for 85 percent of all the growth in the U.S. in the last 10 years. (U.S. Census)

Implications: a) The social, economic and cultural ramifications of the data are already reshaping how Americans see themselves and marketers should follow by redefining strategy and programming.
b) Many businesses will need to re-evaluate their core audiences segments to help ensure they are optimizing engagement with these growing populations who also have growing purchasing power (Selig Institute).

2) Fact: Currently, the fastest growing group ― Hispanics ― are on track to exceed 50 million or roughly 1 in 6 Americans; among U.S. children, Hispanics are now roughly 1 in 4. (Hispanic Business)

Implications: Consider bicultural programs moving forward to ensure a widened reach and relevance. Look at spokespeople who can serve two or more media audiences so as not to lose out on half of a market in some cases.

3) Fact: Hispanics, African Americans and Asians, accounting for 104 million today, tend to be 5 to 10 years younger, on the average, than the general population. (U.S. Census)

Implication: Client programming targeting millennial youth MUST account for multicultural dimensions. Consider including Multicultural strategists at the onset of ideation sessions to ensure program reach and resonance.

4) Fact: Over all, the African American population grew by 11 percent in large metropolitan counties, but by 15 percent in adjacent smaller counties in the metropolitan area, suggesting a strong movement of African Americans to the suburbs. The top 10 fastest-growing areas were suburbs. (NY Times)

Implication: Multicultural does not always equal urban. We can expand traditional engagement beyond top 10 DMAs and include suburban areas and hyper local programming for increased reach and impact.