The Growing Hispanic Influences On US Culture and Economy

Spanish is not just the most popular foreign language in university curricula; Hispanic Americans are the largest ethnic group in the United States. Latinos as a rule are younger than other ethnic groups in America and they have fused their own cultural influences such as food, fashion and music onto the American lifestyle.

Behind Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina, the United States Hispanic community is the fifth-largest Spanish-language community in the world, but the US Latinos are more often than not just as comfortable speaking English as they are Spanish.

According to research conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center, 75% of Latino adults in the United States are either English-dominant or bilingual. This trend is expected to continue upward in the next few years. Studies show the Hispanic population in the United States swelling due to the high birth rate of Latinos already living in the United States, rather than from immigration.

Among the American Latino population, 78% have been born in the US and 31% speak English only. Bilinguals, people who speak both English and Spanish, account for 44% of the US Latino population and of this group 31% were born in the United States, while 69% were not. Latinos living in the states who speak only Spanish comprise 24% of the total US Latino population and, not surprisingly 96% of this group was not born in America.

Whether Spanish is spoken at home or is an acquired second language through education, being or becoming bilingual can broaden ones prospects in today’s job markets. For those who already speak both languages, perfecting their written skills in each can often prepare them for futures not only as translators, but also as teachers and managers, particular in corporate human resources departments.

Latinos not only exert their cultural clout in America, but also their sizeable disposable income. In the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth, Hispanic economic clout is growing at an annual compound rate of 8.2 percent, which is nearly twice the rate for non-Hispanics. Latino buying power is projected to reach $992 billion in 2009.

If you want to reach the growing market of Hispanics in the United States as well as develop business in Mexico and South America, keep Bromberg & Associates Translation Agency in mind. Remember: providing information about your services in the language of your clients’ is not only an essential step for meaningful communication, it is also a sign of respect, which goes a long way in making your clients happy and loyal.