Honoring the Hispanic-Latinx community
Every year, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States from September 15 to October 15. It is an important time to recognize and celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans whose roots trace back to Spain, Mexico, Central and South America and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean. Started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson, it was expanded by President Ronald Reagan two decades later to a month-long celebration.
During the annual celebration, September 15 is particularly significant because it marks the anniversary of independence of the Latin American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Belize marks its anniversary on September 21.
At AMA PDX, diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of our values as an organization because marketing is for everyone. We know that we’re stronger as an organization and as a marketing community when people from various backgrounds, experiences and perspectives are included, heard and empowered. To help commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month and to acknowledge our responsibility and obligation in meeting the needs of the Hispanic community, we’ve gathered the following facts:
The Hispanic population of the United States totaled to 60.6 million as of July 1, 2019, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or racial group and fastest-growing ethnic or racial group (U.S. Census)
Hispanics made up 18% of the U.S. population in 2019, up from 16% in 2010 and just 5% in 1970 (Vintage 2019 Population Estimates)
Of Oregon’s 4,217,737 population in July 2019, Hispanics accounted for 13.4% (U.S. Census)
29.8 is the median age of the Hispanic population, up from 27.3 in 2010 (U.S. Census)
The fastest population growth among U.S. Latinos has come among those with origins in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Honduras (Pew Research Center)
A record 32 million Latinos are projected to be eligible to vote in 2020, up from 27.3 million in 2016 (Pew Research Center)
Hispanic millennials are more likely to use social media and more likely to discuss brands on it. Approximately half of Hispanic millennials have used a brand hashtag or talked about a brand online while only 17% of their non-Hispanic counterparts have done the same (Adweek)
Spanish-language ads generate double the likability of their English-language counterparts as well as higher ad, brand and message memorability (Nielsen)
Culturally relevant advertising more than doubles brand relevancy, word of mouth and product purchase intent and triples ad relevancy (Association of National Advertisers’ Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing)
The most downloaded song in the summer of 2019 on Spotify was “Señorita” by Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes (Billboard)
Notable Hispanic leaders:
Sylvia Riviera: Latina American gay liberation and transgender rights activist who helped lead the charge during the first night of the Stonewall riots in 1969
Luis Miramontes: Mexican chemist who co-invented the contraceptive pill in 1951
Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena: Mexican electrical engineer who invented an early color television transmission system used in NASA’s Voyager mission in 1979
Ellen Ochoa: first Hispanic woman in the world to go into space in 1993
Cesar Chavez: an American labor leader, community organizer, businessman, and Latino American civil rights activist who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association
Sonia Sotomayor: first Latina Supreme Court Justice in U.S. history
Jorge Ramos: Mexican-born American journalist, author, and a major anchor for Univision
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Puerto Rican Bronx native who became the youngest woman ever to serve in the United States Congress at 29
Selena Quintanilla, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Carlos Santana, Gloria Estefan: just a few Hispanic-Americans who helped shape culture, entertainment, and fashion
Throughout the month, join AMA PDX as we shine light on the people, products, brands and initiatives in the marketing community that represent the richness of Hispanic-Latinx history, heritage and culture.