Have you ever heard the term retro-acculturation? Does it sound like a study of vintage items in different cultures? Think again.
Retro-acculturation is commonly known as the practice of adult Hispanics wanting to learn or improve their Spanish. The question is: why do people want to improve their Spanish in a country where the “dominant” language is English? The answer is simple: many Hispanic families moved to the United States years ago with the purpose of having a better future and reach the American dream. Generations went by and the culture and heritage started to fade. Now, they want to revive their cultural roots.
Retro-acculturation plays a big role in these particular cases. Many young Hispanic Millennials born in the U.S. are going back to their roots by showing their offspring the richness and value that the Hispanic culture has. One way or another it has impacted their lives and it is a part of who they are. They are not only improving their Spanish but also teaching their kids the language and culture in general, showing the importance and impact that being bilingual and bicultural can have in one’s life. As teenagers, many young Hispanics don’t want to be associated as the typical Latino or Latina watching telenovelas and eating some pernil, but as time passes they start feeling that necessity of reconnecting with their roots.
An entire generation of U.S. Hispanics born were raised with the idea that Spanish was only spoken at home, many parents thought that the best way for their children to succeed was by focusing on English in order to move ahead and fit in with the rest of the population. As Spanish emerged as a more generally accepted and valued language, the phenomenon of retro-acculturation starts taking place more than ever before. It is a conscious search for that lost heritage by a second, third or even fourth generation. It is the need to look backwards to preserve the traits of that culture.
As this phenomenon grows, many marketers out there are trying to reach Hispanics by studying and understanding the culture more comprehensively. Based on the Nielsen report “ The State of Hispanic Consumer,” Hispanics are the second largest consumer market in the U.S. Plus, it is estimated that the population will increase 167% by 2050. Hispanics are on their way to becoming the new majority groups in the United States and will soon overtake white Americans in population growth, revealing a glimpse of what will become the “new normal,” as minority groups become the majority.
