Latinos and the Language of the News

In a recent report, Mark Hugo Lopez and Ana Gonzalez-Barrera from the Pew Research Hispanic Center found that an increasing number of Latino adults are getting their news in English and fewer are getting news in Spanish. The results are based on the National Survey of Latinos (NSL) that was conducted from September 7 through October 4, 2012, using a nationally representative sample of 1,765 Latino adults. The interviews were conducted in English and Spanish on cell phones and landline telephones.

According to the survey, one-third (32%) of Hispanic adults said that they got their news exclusively in English in 2012, up from 22% in 2006. And 82% of Hispanic adults said they got some of their news in English in 2012, up from 78% in 2006. By contrast, the share of Hispanic adults who got their news exclusively in Spanish has decreased to 18% in 2012, down from 22% in 2006. While those who said that they got some of their news in Spanish has declined, to 68% in 2012, down from 78% in 2006. Half of Latino adults say they got their news in both languages in 2012, down from 57% in 2010.

Read more here:

http://www.pewhispanic.org/2013/07/23/a-growing-share-of-latinos-get-their-news-in-english

http://www.pewresearch.org/

 About the authors:

http://www.pewhispanic.org/author/mlopez/

http://www.pewhispanic.org/author/agonzalezbarrera/

Hispanics in America Divided on Identity

On April 4, the Pew Research Center released a survey conducted on Americans with roots in Spanish-speaking countries. The survey explored how Hispanic adults across three generations identify themselves. 51% of Hispanics most identify themselves by their family's country of origin, using terms such as Puerto Rican, Cuban, or Mexican. 24% refer to themselves as Hispanic or Latino, and only 21% use the term "American." However, breaking Hispanics apart by generation paints a different picture:

• 1^st generation - those who are foreign-born - 62% identify themselves by their country of origin, 28% choose "Hispanic" or "Latino," and just 8% choose American. 
• 2^nd generation - those who were born in America and have at least one 1^st generation parent - are much more divided on which term to use.  43% use their family's country of origin, 35% use American, while only 18% use Hispanic or Latino. 
• 3^rd generation - those born in the U.S., with both parents born in America as well - Hispanics were the only generation that favored the term "American" over their family's country of origin. 48% refer to themselves as "American," while 28% use their country of origin, and 21% identify themselves as "Latino" or "Hispanic."