By Alejandro Hernández, Smarty Pants
As a proud, first-generation Mexican-American, I’ve seamlessly navigated two cultures and two languages my entire life. Culturally, my immigrant parents raised me with Mexican customs, norms, and traditions – things that shaped who I am today. Additionally, because I was born and raised in the U.S., I naturally adopted the American way of doing things – such as dressing up for Halloween and watching fireworks on July 4th.
Linguistically, I toggle between English and Spanish daily. Although I learned Spanish first, English is my dominant language. There are times when I use Spanish professionally, but I mostly use it when communicating with my family. In fact, I communicate with my parents in Spanish only. I’m fortunate enough that speaking and understanding both languages isn’t a struggle.
There are millions in the U.S. who identify like me. Of the 40% of U.S. Latinos who consider themselves bicultural, 67% of them describe themselves as equally Latino and American (iHeartMedia and Collage Group, 2026). And roughly 61% of U.S. Hispanic adults identify or function as bilingual (SiriusXM Media, 2025). In other words, there are many in this country who are simultaneously enjoying hamburgers and chilaquiles, listening to Kendrick Lamar and Karol G, sipping on Bubly and Topo Chico, and watching shows on CBS and Univision.
As Hispanic Heritage Month recently concluded, these truths got me thinking: how can brands meet the needs of someone as diverse as me – someone who consumes media in English and Spanish and enjoys all the things that come with being culturally Mexican and American? As a consumer – and a seasoned market research professional – here are five recommendations for brands to consider when targeting U.S. bicultural and bilingual Hispanics/Latinos:
Lead with authenticity. Whether brands are creating an apparel commercial or introducing a new flavor to their product line, it needs to be authentic. 56% of U.S. Hispanics are more likely to buy from brands that authentically acknowledge their heritage (Flowers Communication Group, 2024). If brands want to win with the U.S. bicultural and bilingual Hispanic/Latino population, they must understand their consumers as Hispanics (a language-based designator) and Latinos (a geographic designator) separately – not every Hispanic is Latino, and not every Latino is Hispanic. In general, avoid stereotypes at all costs. Time and energy must be spent to engage with the culture to get a full picture of the values of each Hispanic/Latino group.
Pay attention to bilingual trends. There are millions of U.S. bilingual Hispanics, but not everyone speaks or understands Spanish at the same level. Younger U.S. Hispanic generations are becoming more English-dominant. U.S. Gen Alpha Hispanics prefer English when it comes to their daily life, school and media consumption – continuing a generational decline where Spanish proficiency drops to roughly 34% by the third generation (Bloomberg Línea, 2023). Using these trends, brands could introduce Spanglish in their marketing – if it’s done right. (Fun fact: depending on the dialect, there are more than 10 ways in Spanish to say, “drinking straw.”) Using correct language and terminology can build bridges between brands and consumers, but embracing it could expand brands’ reach even more.
Representation matters more than language. Making a Spanish language version of something isn’t going to cut it when targeting U.S. Hispanics/Latinos, especially when millions of Spanish-speakers can easily consume media in English. That’s why representation is key for long-term brand loyalty and future growth. 84% of Latinos favor brands that play a positive role in their communities, and 63% are more likely to buy from ads featuring people like them (Nielsen, 2023). By including more Hispanics/Latinos in advertisements, brands will realize that marketing centered around shared experiences and cultural identity carries more weight than direct Spanish-language translation.
Don’t treat all of us alike. Time and time again, brands have heard that Hispanics/Latinos are not monoliths. But because it’s 2026 and some brands still miss the mark, it’s worth repeating that we’re not all the same – therefore, don’t target us the same. Within the U.S. bicultural and bilingual population have several divides – country of origin, length of time in the country/generation, and immigrant status, to name a few. These groups have very different relationships with marketing. For example, younger or English-dominant consumers may engage heavily with English media while still valuing cultural representation (Moira Studio, 2025). Understanding these differences could be the difference between alienating entire groups and gaining a new audience.
Include us in the decision-making. If brands want to target U.S. Hispanics/Latinos, it’s crucial for them to include people who identify as such when making these key marketing decisions. U.S. Latinos less than 10% of marketing and advertising positions, with overall industry representation hovering between 9.5% and 12.8%. (Little Black Book, 2024). While those numbers aren’t abysmal, they’re far less than the third of the U.S. population of Hispanic/Latino origin. At the end of the day, representation matters. Marketing professionals who have the same shared experiences as the consumers that brands are trying to reach are needed to make the strongest connections. They can also be the ones to help products and services feel more authentic and relevant to U.S. Hispanics/Latinos.
Hispanic Heritage Month brought a vibrant, eclectic culture to the forefront for 31 days. My hope as a proud Mexican-American – and market researcher – is that the needs of Hispanic consumers stay in the foreground for the remaining 334. The size of the economic opportunity is enormous, but the opportunity to build meaningful, lasting connections with Hispanic and Latino consumers is even greater. For marketers, the path to growth starts with moving beyond assumptions and embracing the rich, nuanced realities of those they want to reach. When brands make the effort to understand us, represent us, and reflect our lived experiences, they don’t just earn our attention — they earn our trust, our loyalty, and our business.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alejandro Hernández is an Insights Illuminator at Smarty Pants, a research consultancy, specializing in generations and life stages. He leads qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method research and identifies emerging trends for key clients across healthcare and retail. A skilled moderator who is fluent in Spanish, Alejandro brings authentic consumer empathy to Fortune 500 clients. Before joining Smarty Pants in 2021, he spent six years in the nonprofit sector in fundraising, marketing and communications roles. Alejandro holds a degree in Communication Studies from Northwestern University.