Five-Stage Acculturation Process of Hispanic Consumers: Theory, Method, and Findings

ABSTRACT

This study aims at reproducing the acculturation process for adult consumers, introducing continuous measures to reveal the acculturation process’ dynamic nature, and identifying a transitional state. Using U.S. Hispanic consumers as a cardinal example, and six coordinated consumer samples, this study introduces continuous measures of cultural awareness and ethnic loyalty. The revision taken herein overcomes limitations of existing theories and models by better measuring two key forces shaping the acculturation process of Hispanic consumers and by finding a transitional state of resiliency, thereby showing that the process of consumer acculturation can best be reflected in a typology of five states.

KEYWORDS:

• Assimilation
• consumer acculturation
• cultural awareness
• ethnic loyalty
• ethnocentrism
• Hispanic consumers