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Continuing to grow in numbers, the overall impact Hispanics have in the US and influence they have over advertisers is strong. To be exact, in 2014 the Hispanic population reached a new high of 55.4 million people – making up for 17.4 percent of the total U.S. population. [1] While the population growth seems to be growing at a slower rate more recently according to the Pew Research Center , the opportunity for businesses to capitalize on this target audience still exists in their vast numbers.

Of course in order to properly achieve the best results from marketing campaigns it’s a requirement to properly appreciate the differences among the Hispanic population. Targeting the Hispanic population as a whole unit would be mistake. Each generation of Hispanics has their  own preferences, identity, and tendencies. And more so, within each generation there’s further segmentation – all important details to include when designing ad campaigns.

To help clear the details of a few Hispanic audience groups, we’ve gathered some research to help you in your next campaign and will share them with you soon.

Stay tuned!

For now, keep reading as we define common traits among first generation Latino moms. Because if marketers and advertisers can understand the motivation of Latino moms, then they are well on their way to securing high ROIs.

Signs of matriarchal Hispanic Homes

Occupying a special place in the home on family decisions, Latino moms are for many reasons deemed the head of the family for their important role in raising children and teaching the younger generations. This importance of the role of the mother is evident in the overwhelming participation on Dia de las madres, or “Mother’s Day.” From the beginning of the day to the end, Hispanic moms are spoiled with food, cards, gifts, money transfers, and large family gatherings. One reason Univision contends this trend is so high is because of the mothers these first generation Latino moms leave behind in their homeland. Being the first in the family to immigrate to the US, they made the tough decision to leave their own parents back in their country of origins. For this reason mothers in general have a special place in the hearts of Hispanic units. Further, Univision goes as far to name them the “CEOs of their households” who are respected for providing unique wisdom and influence over the extended family. [2] Apparently, according to the landmark card-sending giant Hallmark, Mother’s Day is the largest card-sending holiday for the Hispanic community. For this reason, brands like Hallmark specifically target Latino moms by offering two-hundred different designs for a broad range of Hispanic cultures, all written in Spanish with the inclusion of English translations. [3] latino mothers and kid

Traditionally, the Hispanic family is a close knit unit that includes extended family members usually living together with the immediate family. While the father remains the head of the household in terms of money and provisions, all the daily maintenance and household decisions are directed by the mothers. [4] Elements of a machismo and marianismo role in Hispanic family dynamics is also evident in many parts of Mexico for example. The male is expected to play the provider role, the macho, while the female is expected to play a role like Mary, the mother of God, and nurture the rest of the generations. [5] And let it be noted that since this article focus particularly on first generation Latino mothers, ties to the culture of the homelands are greater than would be normally expected for other Hispanic groups in the US.

According to the survey results by Child Trends Hispanic Institute, while Latino mothers focused a lot of attention on “home-based” activities, “school based activities”, and “home-school partnership” activities, the mass focus was focused on preserving home unity through activities based in the home. This seemed to greatly differ from typical forms of parental engagement. [6]

 

Immigrant Latino Moms instill strong family values

The fact that first generation Latino moms still closely remember and take pride in their homeland is evident in the values they instill on their second generation Latino children.

When conducting their survey on U.S. Latino mothers, the Child Trends Hispanic Institute found three identifiable commonalities within the cultural tendencies of first generation Hispanic mothers: sacrificios, consejos, and apoyo. [6]

Sacrificos refers to the need of educational and development needs that Latino mothers emphasize. Despite the hardships in life that are bound to come up, the marianismo takes over in parental guidance. What this means is that the traditional Hispanic female’s action of putting their own pride and needs after the needs of their children and husband is a sacrificial value that leads many outcomes for the family unit. This sacrificial support is paramount for Hispanic mothers and thus is a paramount value for children in their U.S. pursuits. Education and other means of developing one’s self is highly important for these first generation Hispanics and for that reason Latino moms will make lots of sacrifices at home to support their family.[7]

Happy familyFirst generation Latino mothers are consistent and persistent on providing consejos in their close knit Hispanic families. These consejos help form the basic structure of manners, morality, and other social behaviors. Specific character traits like showing respect to others is included in these consejos. [8]

The last main element of parental influence from Latino moms, specifically emphasized by first generation Latino mothers is apoyo. Stemming from the strong pride in family, culture, and home life, apoyo refers to the confidence and respect for one’s identity. As individuals representing the greater family unit, Hispanic families encourage a strong sense of independence in the their children along with an interdependence within the family unit. [8]

 

While the above provides just a quick overview on first generation Latino moms, look forward to more in depth articles on such topics to help you better reach the Hispanic Market and all its diverse audience segments.

 

latino moms infographic

 

[1] https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/06/25/u-s-hispanic-population-growth-surge-cools/
[2] https://corporate.univision.com/2011/05/mothers-day-in-the-u-s-hispanic-household/
[3] https://corporate.hallmark.com/Holiday/Mothers-Day
[4] https://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5237.html
[5] https://family.jrank.org/pages/777/Hispanic-American-Families-Latino-Family-Roles.html
[6] https://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Strengths-of-Latinas-Mothers-formatted-6-10-14.pdf
[7] https://www.childtrends.org/?nrc-blog-post=gracias-madres-happy-mothers-day
[8] https://www.childtrends.org/?nrc-blog-post=gracias-madres-happy-mothers-day#sthash.xIpdsMmK.dpuf