Also, face-to-face communication is more positive in tone, more likely to be judged highly credible and more likely to lead to strong purchase intent than online talk, the study found

Below, some of the findings issued.

On average, 3.5 billion WOM conversations occur daily in the US. Offline WOM accounts for 92% of these (75% face to face; 17% by phone), and email, IM/text messaging and chatrooms/blogs account for a combined 7%:

Most Word-Of-Mouth is Offline

Also:

• Offline is the predominant mode of WOM across all age groups, ranging from 80% among the youngest group to 97% among the oldest
• However, teens participate in a higher percentage of online WOM (17%) than members of other age groups.
• Consumers under age 18 are also more likely than others to drive advice-giving in online talk. Though only 13% of offline advice-givers are age 13-17, 35% of advice givers in online conversations fall within that age bracket.
• WOM expressed face to face and by phone also is viewed as highly “credible” more often than online talk (59% vs. 49%):

Offline WOM has more credibility

One possible explanation for the credibility gap is that online communications often occur between people who don’t know each other very well. But the study suggests that the credibility gap exists even in communications between people who are related or otherwise know each other.

Specifically, content from a spouse, relative or best friend is rated more believable when it is shared offline, either by phone or face to face, than online – via email, text messaging or blogs.

“Apparently, the value of eye contact, voice and perhaps even nonverbal communication provides a boost to credibility and to the likelihood that we’ll do something about what we’ve learned,” said Brad Fay, a coauthor of the study.

Other findings:

• Offline communication has more purely positive content than online discussion (65% vs. 59%) and is less likely to contain negative or “mixed” content (23% vs. 30%).
• A comparison between face-to-face communication and content on online blogs and chatrooms reveals an ever wider gap, with 66% of face-to-face communication “mostly positive” compared with 57% for blogs/chatrooms.
• Offline WOM is more likely than its online counterpart to lead to strong purchase intent (50% vs. 43%).

About the study: Results of the Keller Fay/OMD study are based primarily on surveys of 18,486 Americans age 13-69, from late July 2007 through early February 2008.

Per day, the group engages in one-third more word-of-mouth (WOM) conversation than the total public or women in general, the study found:

Per day, the group engages in one-third more word-of-mouth (WOM) conversation than the total public or women in general

Among other findings:

• Fully 60% of conversations among the studied group carry with them a recommendation to buy, try, or consider the brands under discussion.
  • Positive brand sentiment outweighs negative by a 10-to-1 margin.
  • In shopping, retail, and apparel, 69% of the group is likely to purchase based on what they heard.
• The group has higher WOM credibility than the total public and total women – in various capacities (e.g., propensity to pass along info, purchase intent):

The group has higher WOM credibility than the total public and total women

• They are more likely to qualify as WOM influencers (60% more so than the total public, 45% more so than total women).
• Close to 1 in 5 pregnant and new moms were identified as WOM leaders or Conversation Catalysts (based on their recommending behavior and size of social network).

Content, Sources of Online Conversations

Pregnant and new moms are talking about technology, financial services, healthcare, food/dining, media/entertainment, packaged goods, shopping and retail experiences, the study found:

• Half or more of those surveyed said they had least one conversation per day about the above topics.
• Retailer, consumer electronic, and soft drink brands dominated the top 10 most talked about brands:

Retailer, consumer electronic, and soft drink brands dominated the top 10 most talked about brands

Most discussions about brands and products occur in person; discussion content, however, is often provided by various media, especially the internet and television:

Moms have a natural desire to share ideas and information with each other. The rich content and community experience found on the internet plays a key role in driving these conversations

About the study: In Jan. ‘08, Keller Fay interviewed a sample of 1,721 women (18+) who were pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or have one or more children age five or under. The women, recruited through the BabyCenter 21st Century Mom Panel, BabyCenter’s website, and an external panel, completed an online survey about their face-to-face, telephone, or online conversations about brands across 14 categories during the 24 hours that immediately preceded the survey.

Interested in reaching Latina mommies? Contact Target Latino!!

And, LATISM (Latinos in Social Media), a non-profit organization that groups Latinos who actively participate online, has performed an invaluable survey of over 900 Latina bloggers and has shared these incredible insights with all of us.

Thank you, LATISM!!!

Perhaps reflecting the makeup of the larger Latino population, the great majority of participants were born in Mexico and the US

This is an excerpt from the LATISM survey on Latina bloggers (July 2010):

The world has certainly changed a lot since our “abuelitas” (grandmas) used to keep a secret dairy. Today’s Latinas are open-minded, opinionated and love to share their innermost  thoughts online… in two different languages!

At the same time, while they have shed certain traditions, these independent heads of households have managed to tap into the gregarious aspect of our culture: the sense of community,  which earned high marks as a main motivator to start posting.

They have succeeded at planting themselves right at the epicenter of merging worlds: between tradition and modernity, between English and Spanish, between American and Latino cultures.

The intrinsic characteristics of blogging, where the private becomes public and communities rally together around common interests, make it the perfect platform for the Latina Passion.

• The number of blogueras has been climbing steadily for the past 10 years but the numbers really skyrocketed last year: 63% started blogging in 2009 and it’s expected to continue climbing.
• Most feel being a Latina has helped them find sponsorships and readers but in general feel they get less opportunities compared to non-Latinas
  • Young: The largest group is between 30 and 39
  • Mothers: 83% has between 2 and 4 kids
  • Heads of household:  70% is either single, divorced or separated
• Commitment:
  • 75% blog two or more times a week
  • 77% have invested in their own domain
• 98% plus are active in social media
• A surprising 72% blog primarily in English
• Mobile:
  • 81% use their phone to tweet
  • 90% use it for FB
  • 93% use apps

You can access the full report here

Source: LATISM

Thank you Alberto!!

Beware the Professional Hispanic: Professional Hispanics are folks who are Hispanic and have chosen their ethnicity as their profession.

In my previous post, I discussed the danger to clients of the mainstream agency’s Hispanic-acquisition practice of “poach the junior talent at Hispanic shops by promoting them beyond their capabilities.” Catchy, isn’t it? The point was that the same individual who a client might not have invited to planning meetings, for example, the next day might be in charge of that very planning.

A related practice exists in the client ranks and it is equally dangerous and even more pervasive in the industry. The practice is that of the Professional Hispanic vs. the Hispanic Professional.

Professional Hispanics have been around for a long time in the Hispanic Marketing world, but are becoming more widespread with the growth in importance and prevalence of Hispanic Marketing in organizations.

Professional Hispanic Defined
Professional Hispanics are folks who are Hispanic and have chosen their ethnicity as their profession. They have no specific expertise in Hispanic Marketing (or even marketing per se, for that matter) but rather ride the ethnicity of their name to define and build their career.

They can come from all walks of life in a client organization and from all levels. However, they are usually from junior levels because (a) the organizations that choose these folks to lead their Hispanic Marketing are usually companies that don’t value Hispanic that much and thus have these positions at relatively low levels in the organization, and (b) these same organizations are not those where Hispanics have reached high positions in the company.

Professional Hispanics usually see the market with very old-fashioned, traditional eyes (what they remember from growing up) rather than seeing it as the vibrant, ever-changing, dynamic, complex space it actually is. They tend to prefer things like street festivals and local radio. This is because they are not really marketers and thus do not continue learning about the market, changing with it, experimenting with it, etc. They continue using their personal experience as a filter, not realizing that their own selves 10 to 15 years ago are not the target.

Hispanic Professional Defined
Hispanic Professionals are good marketers who understand their target market, are experts in engaging with the target, exhibit savvy communications decision-making, etc. They just happen to be Hispanic and working in Hispanic Marketing at their organizations.

These folks have passion for what they do and believe in the potential of the Hispanic market. They usually come from marketing and communications backgrounds and have the experience and education of solid marketing professionals.

The key difference is that while Professional Hispanics ride their culture and ethnicity to career advancement, Hispanic Professionals leverage their efforts, experience and expertise. Do multicultural marketers have to belong to a particular ethnic group? That’s for another post.

I would defer to my fellow bloggers on this issue, but I would not be surprised if this issue was the same in terms of marketing to Black and Asian-American targets.

Appointing Professional Hispanics to these marketing posts is a risky proposition for clients. They are in effect putting a key portion of their marketing in the hands of unqualified people. They will end up with bland, ineffective, uninspired me-too marketing to Hispanics.

We all know how difficult it is to find good Hispanic Professionals in this tight talent environment. However, I strongly recommend to client organizations that they look harder and deeper for the right people, design the positions at the appropriate levels of responsibility and compensation, and monitor their performance more closely.

At our agency, when evaluating potential client relationships, this is one of the factors we consider. The multicultural markets are just too important to most companies’ bottom line to leave that up to folks whose only Hispanic expertise lies in their name or ethnicity. Invest in hiring the right people and enjoy the full benefits of the opportunity these markets have to offer

BOONTON, N.J., June 28 — Over the next five years, US Hispanic communities will spend $257 billion on telecommunications services, accounting for 17 percent of all

The US Latino market tends to over-index in mobile content and US Hispanics are accessing the Internet through more and varied devices than non-Hispanics. Are you monitoring what they say about their Telecom services?

residential telecom expenditures, according to a new market research study from The Insight Research Corporation. Early analysis of Census 2010 data suggests that Hispanics will surpass the 50 million mark and that they will command over $1 trillion in buying power. Hispanics are the youngest race/ethnicity segment and, more importantly, have the largest percentage of people under the age of 18, a market demographic that the study says will be crucial to the survival of telecommunications providers over the next five years.

Insight Research’s market analysis study, “US Hispanic Use of Telecommunications Services 2010-2015,” takes a close look at the purchasing habits and telecommunications usage patterns of the Hispanic segment of the US population, as well as other ethnic communities in the US. The study emphasizes that the US Latino market tends to over-index in mobile content and also notes that US Hispanics are accessing the Internet through more and varied devices than non-Hispanics.

“If the future of mobile carriers depends on their getting consumers to buy their data plans, then the US Hispanic community is right in the sweet spot, and will be receiving increasing attention from both wireline and wireless carriers’ marketing departments,” says Robert Rosenberg, Insight Research. “Our study demonstrates that Hispanics are one of the most social groups online, and given the youth-orientated demographic of the US Hispanic community, they become a prime target for the newer 3G and 4G cellular services,” Rosenberg concluded.

“US Hispanic Use of Telecommunication Services 2010-2015″ examines spending and usage patterns of US Hispanics for wireline, cellular, and pre-paid cellular services, and compares these spending patterns to those of the general population aswell as other minority segments, including Asian-Americans and African-Americans.

An excerpt of this Hispanic market research report, table of contents, and ordering information are online at www.insight-corp.com/reports/hisp10.asp .

NEWS SOURCE: Insight Research Corporation

According to corporate consultant AlixPartners, Mexico has leapfrogged China to be ranked as the cheapest country in the world for companies looking to manufacture products for the U.S. market. India is now No. 2, followed by China and then Brazil. In fact, Mexico’s cost advantages and has become so cheap that even Chinese companies are moving there to capitalize on the trade advantages that come from geographic proximity.

When it comes to global manufacturing, Mexico is quickly emerging as the “new” China.

According to corporate consultant AlixPartners, Mexico has leapfrogged China to be ranked as the cheapest country in the world for companies looking to manufacture products for the U.S. market. India is now No. 2, followed by China and then Brazil.

In fact, Mexico’s cost advantages and has become so cheap that even Chinese companies are moving there to capitalize on the trade advantages that come from geographic proximity.

The influx of Chinese manufacturers began early in the decade, as China-based firms in the cellular telephone, television, textile and automobile sectors began to establish maquiladora operations in Mexico. By 2005, there were 20-25 Chinese manufacturers operating in such Mexican states Chihuahua, Tamaulipas and Baja.

The investments were generally small, but the operations had managed to create nearly 4,000 jobs, Enrique Castro Septien, president of the Consejo Nacional de la Industria Maquiladora de Exportacion (CNIME), told the SourceMex news portal in a 2005 interview.

China’s push into Mexico became more concentrated, with China-based automakers Zhongxing Automobile Co., First Automotive Works (in partnership with Mexican retail/media heavyweight Grupo Salinas), Geely Automobile Holdings (PINK: GELYF) and ChangAn Automobile Group Co. Ltd. (the Chinese partner of Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) andSuzuki Motor Corp.), all announced plans to place automaking factoriesin Mexico.

Not all the plans would come to fruition. But Geely’s plan called for a three-phase project that would ultimately involve a $270 million investment and have a total annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles. ChangAn wants to churn out 50,000 vehicles a year. Both companies are taking these steps with the ultimate goal of selling cars to U.S. consumers.

Mexico’s allure as a production site that can serve the U.S. market isn’t limited to China-based suitors. U.S. companies are increasingly realizing that Mexico is a better option than China. Analysts are calling it “nearshoring” or “reverse globalization.” But the reality is this: With wages on the rise in China, ongoing worries about whipsaw energy and commodity prices, and a dollar-yuan relationship that’s destined to get much uglier before it has a chance of improving, manufacturers with an eye on the American market are increasingly realizing that Mexico trumps China in virtually every equation the producers run.

“China was like a recent graduate, hitting the job market for the first time and willing to work for next to nothing,” Mexico-manufacturing consultant German Dominguez told the Christian Science Monitor in an interview last year. But now China is experiencing “the perfect storm … it’s making Mexico – a country that had been the ugly duckling when it came to costs – look a lot better.”

The real eye opener was a 2008 speculative frenzy that sent crude oil prices up to a record level in excess of $147 a barrel – an escalation that caused shipping prices to soar. Suddenly, the labor cost advantage China enjoyed wasn’t enough to overcome the costs of shipping finished goods thousands of miles from Asia to North America. And that reality kick-started the concept of “nearshoring,” concluded an investment research report by Canadian investment bank CIBC World Markets Inc. (NYSE: CM)

“In a world of triple-digit oil prices, distance costs money,” the CIBC research analysts wrote. “And while trade liberalization and technology may have flattened the world, rising transport prices will once again make it rounder.”

Indeed, four factors are at work here.

Mexico’s “Fab Four”

• The U.S.-Mexico Connection: There’s no question that China’s role in the post-financial-crisis world economy will continue to grow in importance. But contrary to the conventional wisdom, U.S. firms still export three times as much to Mexico as they do to China. Mexico gets 75% of its foreign direct investment from the United States, and sends 85% of its exports back across U.S. borders. As China’s cost and currency advantages dissipate, the fact that the United States and Mexico are right next to one another makes it logical to keep the factories in this hemisphere – if for no other reason that to shorten the supply chain and to hold down shipping costs. This is particularly important for companies like Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Whirlpool Corp. (NYSE:WHR) and even the beleaguered auto parts maker Delphi Corp. (PINK: DPHIQ) which are involved in just-in-time manufacturing that requires parts be delivered only as fast as they are needed.
• The Lost Cost Advantage: A decade or more ago, in any discussion of manufactured product costs, Asia was hands-down the low-cost producer. That’s a given no more. Recent reports – including the analysis by AlixPartners – show that Asia’s production costs are 15% or 20% higher than they were just four years ago. A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report from March reaches the same conclusion. Compensation costs in East Asia – a region that includes China but excludes Japan – rose from 32% of U.S. wages in 2002 to 43% in 2007, the most recent statistics available. And since wages are advancing at a rate of 8% to 9% a year, and many types of taxes are escalating, too, East Asia’s overall costs have no doubt escalated even more in the two years since the BLS figures were reported.
• The Creeping Currency Crisis: For the past few years, U.S. elected officials and corporate executives alike have groused that China keeps its currency artificially low to boost its exports, while also reducing U.S. imports. The U.S. trade deficit with China has soared, growing by $20.2 billion in August alone to reach $143 billion so far this year. The currency debate will be part of the discussion when U.S. President Barack Obama visits Chinastarting Monday. Because China’s yuan has strengthened so much, goods made in China may not be the bargain they once were. Those currency crosscurrents aren’t a problem with the U.S. and Mexico, however. As of Monday, the dollar was down about 15% from its March 2009 high. At the same time, however, the Mexican peso had dropped 20% versus the dollar. So while the yuan was getting stronger as the dollar got cheaper, the peso was getting even cheaper versus the dollar.
• Trade Alliance Central: Everyone’s familiar with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).  But not everyone understands the impact that NAFTA has had. It isn’t just window-dressing: Mexico’s trade with the United States and Canada has tripled since NAFTA was enacted in 1994. What’s more, Mexico has 12 free-trade agreements that involve more than 40 countries – more than any other country and enough to cover more than 90% of the country’s foreign trade. Its goods can be exported – duty-free – to the United States, Canada, the European Union, most of Central and Latin America, and to Japan.

In the global scheme of things, what I am telling you here probably won’t be a game-changer when it comes to China. That country is an economic juggernaut and is a market that U.S. investors cannot afford to ignore.  Given China’s emerging strength and its increasingly dominant financial position, it’s going to have its own consumer markets to service for decades to come.

Two Profit Play Candidates

From a regional standpoint, these developments all show that we’re in the earliest stages of what could be an even-closer Mexican/American relationship – enhancing the existing trade partnership in ways that benefit companies on both sides of the border (even companies that hail from other parts of the world).

In the meantime, we’ll be watching for signs of a resurgent Mexican manufacturing industry that’s ultimately driven by Chinese companies – because we know the American companies doing business with them will enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Since this is an early stage opportunity best for investors capable of stomaching some serious volatility, we’ll be watching for those Mexican companies likely to benefit from the capital that’s being newly deployed in their backyard.

Two of my favorite choices include:

• Wal Mart de Mexico SAB de CV (OTC ADR: WMMVY): Also known as “Walmex,” this retailer has all the advantages of investing in its U.S. counterpart – albeit with a couple of twists. Walmex’s third-quarter profits were up 18% and the company just started accepting bank deposits, a service that should boost store traffic. And while the U.S. retail market is highly saturated – which limits growth opportunities – there are still plenty of places to build Walmex stores south of the border. After all, somebody has to sell products to all those thousands of workers likely to be involved in the growing maquiladora sector.
• Coca-Cola FEMSA SAB de CV (NYSE ADR: KOF): Things truly do go better with Coke – especially higher wages and an improved lifestyle. According toReuters, Mexicans now consume more Coca-Cola beverages per capita than any other nation in the world. The company just posted a 25% jump in its third-quarter net earnings, aided by a strong 21% jump in revenue. Coca-Cola FEMSA continues to experience strong growth from its Oxxo convenience stores, and strong beer sales, too. And all three product groups are logical beneficiaries of strong maquiladora development and the growing incomes and rising family wealth that will translate into higher consumer spending in the immediately surrounding areas.

Source: Keith Fitz-Gerald is the chief investment strategist forMoney Morning and The Money Map Report.

BOSTON, June 16, 2010 – Internationally recognized Oldways, the non-profit consumer advocacy group known for changing the way people eat, is issuing a call to nutrition groups, companies and individuals to band together to make the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans – and their underlying health benefits – a reality.

In the early 90s, Oldways created the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid to popularize a proven approach to healthy, delicious eating - a total approach to diet, comprised of a wide variety of healthy foods and drinks.

This urgent call to action is a response to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC)’s report released yesterday which offers a “sneak preview” to content expected later this year in the actual 2010 Dietary Guidelines.

“These new guidelines are not a yawn — they are revolutionary but only if we all join together to change the way people eat,” said Sara Baer-Sinnott, President of Oldways.  ”We are inviting partners to come to the table to help us encourage Americans, once and for all, to shift their approach to food from large portions and mindless eating to one that celebrates delicious, healthy, simple foods.”

Oldways is looking for partners who believe in three key elements at the center of this important initiative:

1)       Healthy Eating Can Be Delicious – For too long, eating healthy has been equated with deprivation and scolding. Now, with its call to “improve cooking skills” and “value preparing and enjoying healthy food” the DGAC Report lays the groundwork for a new attitude and approach that Oldways has for many years fondly called “the Pleasures of the Table.”

2)       Working with Industry is Essential – “Change is needed in the food environment,” says the DGAC Report. “The food industry will need to act to help Americans achieve these goals.” Oldways has a long history, through programs like its Whole Grains Council and Mediterranean Foods Alliance, of organizing creative initiatives that motivate industry to introduce healthier products, and plans to build on this successful model in support of the new Guidelines.

3)       Total Diet is Important – In the early 90s, Oldways created the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid to popularize a proven approach to healthy, delicious eating – a total approach to diet, comprised of a wide variety of healthy foods and drinks. Now the DGAC Report has added a key chapter on Total Diet, and cited the Med Diet specifically as one of the two most scientifically-established ways to live a long and healthy life. Oldways’ expertise in healthy traditional foodways around the world can make a key contribution to the new Guidelines.

Anyone — from individuals with an interest in nutrition to corporations and organizations committed to making a difference — can show their support by taking the Three Point Pledge. From there, Oldways will rally supporters to prepare for the Guidelines release later this year.

First published in 1980, the Dietary Guidelines are updated and released by the USDA and HHS every five years. Because they serve as the foundation for virtually all nutrition programs, both public and private, the Dietary Guidelines have the potential to make an enormous impact on Americans’ health.

Please contact Alison Clancy ( aclancy@oldwayspt.org or 617-896-4888) for more information, including hi-res graphics, high res photos of dishes or to talk about this initiative or the Dietary Guidelines.

About Oldways
Oldways (www.oldwayspt.org) is an internationally-respected non-profit, changing the way people eat through positive and practical programs grounded in science and tradition.  It is the parent organization for The Whole Grains Council and The Mediterranean Foods Alliance, and is well-known for creating the Whole Grain Stamp and the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.

Ecuadorians in this statistical profile are people who self-identified as Hispanics of Ecuadorian origin; this means either they themselves are Ecuadorian immigrants or they trace their family ancestry to Ecuador. Ecuadorians are the ninth-largest population of Hispanic origin living in the United States, accounting for 1.3% of the U.S. Hispanic population in 2008.

A total of 591,000 Hispanics of Ecuadorian origin resided in the United States in 2008, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Mexicans constituted 30.7 million, or 65.7%, of the Hispanic population.1

This statistical profile compares the demographic, income and economic characteristics of the Ecuadorian population with the characteristics of all Hispanics and the U.S. population overall. It is based on Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of the 2008 American Community Survey. Key facts include:

• Immigration status. Two-thirds of Ecuadorians (66.4%) in the United States are foreign born compared with 38.1% of Hispanics and 12.5% of the U.S. population overall. Two-thirds of immigrants from Ecuador (66.2%) arrived in the U.S. in 1990 or later. Nearly four-in-ten Ecuadorian immigrants (37.2%) are U.S. citizens.

• Language. Less than half of Ecuadorians (49.1%) speak English proficiently.2 Some 50.9% of Ecuadorians ages 5 and older report speaking English less than very well, compared with 37.3% of all Hispanics.

• Age. Ecuadorians are younger than the U.S. population and older than Hispanics overall. The median age of Ecuadorians is 32; the median ages of the U.S. population and all Hispanics are 36 and 27, respectively.

• Marital status. Ecuadorians are more likely than Hispanics overall to be married—50.7% versus 46.5%.

• Fertility. Two-in-ten (20.8%) of Ecuadorian women ages 15 to 44 who gave birth in the 12 months prior to the survey were unmarried. That was less than the rate for all Hispanic women—38.8%—and the rate for U.S. women—34.5%.

• Regional dispersion. Two-thirds of Ecuadorians (68.0%) live in the Northeast, and more than four-in-ten (42.5%) live in New York.

• Educational attainment. Ecuadorians have higher levels of education than the Hispanic population overall. Some 18.2% of Ecuadorians ages 25 and older—compared with 12.9% of all U.S. Hispanics—have obtained at least a bachelor’s degree.

• Income. The median annual personal earnings for Ecuadorians ages 16 and older were $23,423 in 2008; the median earnings for all U.S. Hispanics were $21,488.

• Poverty status. The share of Ecuadorians who live in poverty, 13.5%, is similar to the rate for the general U.S. population (12.7%) and below the 20.7% share among all Hispanics.

• Health Insurance. One-third of Ecuadorians (34.7%) do not have health insurance compared with 31.7% of all Hispanics and 15.4% of the general U.S. population. Additionally, 16.4% of Ecuadorians younger than 18 are uninsured.

• Homeownership. The rate of Ecuadorian homeownership (40.3%) is lower than the rate for all Hispanics (49.1%) and the U.S. population (66.6%) as a whole.

Peruvians in this statistical profile are people who self-identified as Hispanics of Peruvian origin; this means either they themselves are Peruvian immigrants or they trace their family

A total of 519,000 Hispanics of Peruvian origin resided in the United States in 2008, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

ancestry to Peru. Peruvians are the tenth-largest population of Hispanic origin living in the United States, accounting for 1.1% of the U.S. Hispanic population in 2008. Mexicans constituted 30.7 million, or 65.7%, of the Hispanic population.1

This statistical profile compares the demographic, income and economic characteristics of the Peruvian population with the characteristics of all Hispanics and the U.S. population overall. It is based on Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of the 2008 American Community Survey. Key facts include:

• Immigration status. Seven-in-ten Peruvians (69.3%) in the United States are foreign born compared with 38.1% of Hispanics and 12.5% of the U.S. population overall. Two-thirds of immigrants from Peru (66.1%) arrived in the U.S. in 1990 or later. Four-in-ten Peruvian immigrants (42.3%) are U.S. citizens.

• Language. A majority of Peruvians (55.1%) speak English proficiently.2 Some 44.9% of Peruvians ages 5 and older report speaking English less than very well, compared with 37.3% of all Hispanics.

• Age. Peruvians are similar in age to the U.S. population and older than Hispanics overall. The median age of Peruvians is 35; the median ages of the U.S. population and all Hispanics are 36 and 27, respectively.

• Marital status. Peruvians are more likely than Hispanics overall to be married—50.7% versus 46.5%.

• Fertility. Two-in-ten Peruvian women (19.6%) ages 15 to 44 who gave birth in the 12 months prior to the survey were unmarried. That was less than the rate for all Hispanic women—38.8%—and the rate for U.S. women—34.5%.

• Regional dispersion. Peruvians are more geographically dispersed than other Hispanic origin groups. Two-in-ten Peruvians (19.8%) live in Florida and one-in-six (16.8%) live in California; some one-in-eight live in New Jersey (12.9%) and New York (12.3%).

• Educational attainment. Peruvians have higher levels of education than the Hispanic population overall. Some 29.8% of Peruvians ages 25 and older—compared with 12.9% of all U.S. Hispanics—have obtained at least a bachelor’s degree.

• Income. The median annual personal earnings for Peruvians ages 16 and older were $24,441 in 2008; the median earnings for all U.S. Hispanics were $21,488.

• Poverty status. The share of Peruvians who live in poverty, 9.5%, is lower than the rate of the general U.S. population (12.7%) and the rate among all Hispanics (20.7%).

• Health Insurance. Three-in-ten Peruvians (30.2%) do not have health insurance compared with 31.7% of all Hispanics and 15.4% of the general U.S. population. Additionally, 20.0% of Peruvians younger than 18 are uninsured.

• Homeownership. The rate of Peruvian homeownership (50.1%) is similar to the rate for all Hispanics (49.1%) but lower than the 66.6% rate for the U.S. population as a whole.

Hondurans in this statistical profile are people who self-identified as Hispanics of Honduran origin; this means either they themselves are Honduran immigrants or they trace their

A total of 608,000 Hispanics of Honduran origin resided in the United States in 2008, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

family ancestry to Honduras. Hondurans are the eighth-largest population of Hispanic origin living in the United States, accounting for 1.3% of the U.S. Hispanic population in 2008. Mexicans constituted 30.7 million, or 65.7%, of the Hispanic population.1

This statistical profile compares the demographic, income and economic characteristics of the Honduran population with the characteristics of all Hispanics and the U.S. population overall. It is based on Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of the 2008 American Community Survey. Key facts include:

• Immigration status. Seven-in-ten Hondurans (68.6%) in the United States are foreign born compared with 38.1% of Hispanics and 12.5% of the U.S. population overall. Three-in-four immigrants from Honduras (74.0%) arrived in the U.S. in 1990 or later. Two-in-ten Honduran immigrants (21.9%) are U.S. citizens.

• Language. Four-in-ten Hondurans (39.7%) speak English proficiently.2 Some 60.3% of Hondurans ages 5 and older report speaking English less than very well, compared with 37.3% of all Hispanics.

• Age. Hondurans are younger than the U.S. population and similar in age to Hispanics overall. The median age of Hondurans is 28; the median ages of the U.S. population and all Hispanics are 36 and 27, respectively.

• Marital status. Hondurans are less likely than Hispanics overall to be married—40.6% versus 46.5%.

• Fertility. Four-in-ten (42.5%) of Honduran women ages 15 to 44 who gave birth in the 12 months prior to the survey were unmarried. That was greater than the rate for all Hispanic women—38.8%—and the rate for U.S. women—34.5%.

• Regional dispersion. A majority of Hondurans (54.9%) live in the South, mostly in Florida and Texas. Some one-in-eight Hondurans (12.9%) live in California and in New York (12.5%).

• Educational attainment. Hondurans have lower levels of education than the Hispanic population overall. Some 50.0% of Hondurans ages 25 and older—compared with 39.2% of all U.S. Hispanics—have not obtained at least a high school diploma.

• Income. The median annual personal earnings for Hondurans ages 16 and older were $19,349 in 2008; the median earnings for all U.S. Hispanics were $21,488.

• Poverty status. The share of Hondurans who live in poverty, 21.5%, is higher than the rate for the general U.S. population (12.7%) and similar to the rate for Hispanics overall (20.7%).

• Health Insurance. One-half of Hondurans (49.3%) do not have health insurance compared with 31.7% of all Hispanics and 15.4% of the general U.S. population. Additionally, 26.4% of Hondurans younger than 18 are uninsured.

• Homeownership. The rate of Honduran homeownership (33.9%) is lower than the rate for all Hispanics (49.1%) and the U.S. population (66.6%) as a whole.