“Most U.S. Latinos speak Spanish.” That’s a statement made by Mark Hugo López and Lauren Mora of the Pew Hispanic Center, one of the foremost organizations offering reliable and accurate data regarding the U.S. Hispanic consumer. But, just how proficient are Latinos when it comes to en español conversation?
The numbers are high, solidifying the need for marketers and advertisers to place their dollars in both Spanish-language and English-language media consumed by Hispanics across the U.S.
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According to the most recent data from Pew, 75% of Hispanic respondents say they are able to carry on a conversation in Spanish pretty well or very well. Furthermore, most Latinos (85%, to be precise) say it is at least somewhat important for future generations of Latinos in the United States to speak Spanish.
Naturally, not all Hispanics are Spanish speakers, with a generation of Latinos raised in San Antonio emblematic of being told by their parents not to learn Spanish. As such, nationally some 54% of non-Spanish-speaking Hispanics have been “shamed” by other Hispanics for not speaking Spanish. Retroacculturation seen over the last 15-20 years is reducing this factor.
But, Pew finds that some 78% of U.S. Hispanic respondents say it is not necessary to speak Spanish in order to be considered Hispanic.
López and Mora asked U.S. Latinos about their views, attitudes and experiences with the Spanish language. Among the key findings:
- While most U.S. Latinos speak Spanish, not all do. 24% of all Latino adults say they can only carry on a conversation in Spanish a little or not at all. Among third- or higher-generation Latinos, a much higher share are not Spanish speakers: Close to two-thirds (65%) of third- or higher-generation Latinos say they cannot carry on a conversation well in Spanish.
- About half of U.S. Hispanics who do not speak Spanish have been shamed because of it. 54% of Hispanics who say they speak no more than a little Spanish say another Hispanic person has made them feel bad for it.
- Some Hispanics make jokes about those who do not speak Spanish. Four-in-ten Hispanic adults say they hear other Hispanics make jokes, extremely often or often, about Hispanics who do not speak Spanish or don’t speak it well.
- Spanglish use is widespread among U.S. Hispanics. 63% report speaking Spanglish, a combination of Spanish and English, at least sometimes.
- Personal Hispanic identity is related to views about Spanish. U.S. Hispanics who consider their Hispanic identity to be extremely or very important to how they think about themselves are more likely than other Hispanics to say it’s important for future generations to speak Spanish. They are also more likely to say it is necessary for someone to speak Spanish in order to be considered Hispanic.
For this report, Pew Research Center surveyed a nationally representative sample of 3,029 U.S. Latino adults, in English and Spanish, from Aug. 1 to 14, 2022. Findings among the sample often differ by nativity, immigrant generation, age, educational attainment and language use.
To view the report in full, please click here.
