The new-age American Latino

So who is the new-age American Latino? First of all, Latino has always been an American term...let's get that straight. Colombians in Colombia do not call each other Latino, Dominicans in the Dominican Republic don't call each other Latino and you get the point. The year is now 2012 and if you've been reading (online), everything is drastically changing and corporations are launching new platforms for people like you and me. Media companies are the obvious first adopters like the Huffington Post Latino Voices, NBC Latino and FoxNewsLatino. There's also talks about a 24/7 English-language news channel with ABC/Univision.

And just recently announced, Google is increased their focus on the Latino Market. A MediaPost article stated, "Google is accelerating its focus on building out YouTube channels for the Hispanic market through partnerships with independent and traditional media companies, such as Telemundo, and Univision. The consumer segments range from retail to automotive to consumer products to technology." Even Sonic has launched a bicultural site. Imagine that!? According to the press release, the website features a distinctly Hispanic flair while capturing the authentic dining experience that makes the popular destination unique in the restaurant industry.

So what industry will be next? The National Museum of the American Latino is going to have one hell of a job depicting our history. With a changing climate, this new generation is bound to get new messages from various marketers. Whether or not we pay attention is another story. There's a stigma that says Latinos only care about Latino things...wrong. We are a bicultural audience that loves arroz con pollo, french fries, American Idol, Sabado Gigante and everything in between. So what are you doing to reach this new audience?