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Something big is happening, the Hispanic influence in America is exploding. Dieste Senior Strategic Planner Gabriela Gonzalez says that there are more Hispanics in America than Canadian's in Canada, and that their ethnic birth rate in the U.S. is now 20 times the birth rate of whites. Hispanics are reaching the highest rate of college enrollment than ever before and as of 2013, there were one million Latina's running their own businesses.
Gonzalez, who calls herself a "Latina myth-buster" noted, "At the grocery store, now you have a Hispanic isle. But if you venture out to the bread section you see tortillas there. If you?re looking for Tobasco, you see a cilantro sauce and a Valentno sauce there. We are desegregating our grocery stores and our neighborhoods." Proof that the Hispanic influence is coming out of the shadows of a "specialty isle," and into the more mainstream areas of American Life.
Here's the top 5 of the top-ten myths in Hispanic media culture.
Myth 1: Hispanic youth are embracing mainstream culture and lifestyle. Gonzlalez says, "This pretty much rings true, however we're not really embracing it, we?re influencing it." She explains how fusion cuisine's popularity is proof that multiculturalism is spreading mainstream in the U.S.
Myth 2: Hispanics are blue collar workers. Gonzalez says, "Even those Hispanics that started as blue collar workers, their collars turned grey and white." She continues, "I just read a survey yesterday that 85 percent of millennial Hispanics are working towards or aspiring to own their own businesses.
Myth 3: Hispanics only live in big cities. Gonzales comments on the myth, "Yes we already took over a few states, but we are also moving and pursuing new jobs, and that sometimes are going to be in Columbus, Ohio. They're not afraid to just grab their things and go to these other not so well established DMA's. But they are going there and changing the societal infrastructure.
Myth 4: Hispanics trail in Technology. Gonzales says that technology is essential for Hispanic life. Connectivity is essential for Hispanic groups because they are less settled and have fewer roots. Gonzales notes, "Connectivity and mobility, it's what's really helping them reap all of the benefits of this new modern American lifestyle. The only ethnic group that they are trailing behind are Asians, that's going to be in tablet penetration and streaming on the go."
Myth 5: Hispanics have grown as a result of immigration. Gonzales points out, "One of every four births is Hispanic. It's no longer this new immigrant story, it's no longer about playing up nostalgia or talking about back home, cause home is here. We all want to try to connect and create relevancy with this target. It's about opening or portraying a window for them, verses a mirror to their past."
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