The Concept and Marketing Implications of Hispanicness

Abstract

Hispanic ethnicity has been traditionally treated as a dichotomous variable, analogous to demographic variables such as gender or marital status. This treatment is atheoretic, simplistic, and ignores the fact that being a Hispanic does not reflect the degree to which Hispanic ethnicity or "Hispanicness" is possessed. The present research conceptualizes Hispanicness as a continuous psychological construct that provides the basis of a Hispanicness typology. This conceptualization is operationalized using a theoretical, psychometrically grounded approach incorporating ethnic identity and the cultural value "familism." The conceptualization and operationalization are empirically tested on a national sample of Hispanics. Results provide insights into and extend previous research on Hispanic consumer behavior.