| For at least a couple of decades, analysts have | | | | of cultural assimilation which fuses these two groups |
| predicted vast cultural, population and demographic | | | | together as one.The Asian Latino Marketing |
| changes that will soon begin to sweep across the | | | | NicheAlthough the actual number of ethnically mixed |
| Americas. Within the United States alone, much | | | | Asian Latinos in the United States is unknown, they are |
| emphasis has been placed upon the rise of the Latino | | | | considered to be very few in number, hence the use |
| population and how by the year 2050, half of the US | | | | of the term Asian Latino which actually has a greater |
| population will be non-white.However, what hasn?t | | | | value for marketing purposes.When marketing |
| been discussed with as much clarity is the growing | | | | strategists pair both ethnic groups together what |
| niche of Asian Latinos, a new cultural and marketing | | | | emerges is a potential marketing bonanza. The |
| hybrid. Typically considered as separate and distinct | | | | similarities between the two population groups are |
| population silos, the Latino and Asian communities | | | | indeed striking. In addition to migrating to the US and |
| collectively could potentially steer the course of the | | | | retaining their native language and in many instances |
| nation far more dramatically than ever possibly | | | | becoming bilingual, Asians and Latinos also share other |
| conceived.What is an Asian Latino?The term Asian | | | | commonalities as well.Both ethnic groups reside heavily |
| Latino is actually a concept that is defined in two | | | | in western American states, creating a potential voting |
| distinct yet similar ways. First, there is a cultural | | | | block should they decide to organize on key political |
| definition of Asian Latinos, which comes as a direct | | | | issues. According to the US Census Bureau figures |
| result of cross-cultural marriage between the two | | | | released in 2004, both groups are expected to triple in |
| groups over several centuries in South and Central | | | | size by the year 2050 in comparison to the Black and |
| America. Eventually through immigration, the | | | | White population groups which are expected to grow |
| descendents of these cross-cultural unions can also be | | | | at 71% and 7% rates respectively.Today in cities |
| found throughout the United States.Second, the term | | | | across the country, Asian and Latino businesses are |
| Asian Latino is also used to define a combined | | | | often located next to each other or in close proximity, |
| marketing niche of America's two fastest growing | | | | such as Atlanta?s Buford Highway corridor and in both |
| immigrant populations, Latinos and Asians. The two | | | | urban and suburban pockets of the city of Milwaukee. |
| groups share similarities in the fact that both are | | | | Hence, small ethnocentric businesses play a key role in |
| non-English speaking groups which have migrated to | | | | serving the Latino and Asian communities |
| the US and now have given birth to multiple | | | | respectively.With so many similarities and an expected |
| generations, some of whom are bilingual, but all born | | | | triple digit jump in growth, the combined Asian and |
| and raised in America.From a cross-cultural marriage | | | | Latino populations in America could one day wield |
| perspective, Asian Latinos developed primarily from | | | | enormous financial power and wealth across |
| the migration of Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans | | | | America.The Political Landscape of the Asian Latino |
| and Syrians. In fact, Filipinos are recorded to have | | | | CommunityAccording to the 2004 Urban Institute |
| visited the Americas well over 500 years ago, before | | | | Studies Program report by Dr. Jeffrey S. Passel, |
| the Columbian-era.Filipinos assisted Spanish colonists | | | | neither Latinos nor Asians vote according to their |
| by becoming sailors on the Manila galleons which were | | | | current population proportions. According to the study, |
| huge multi-decked wooden cargo ships that sailed | | | | back in 2000, Latinos represented 12.6 % of the total |
| across the Pacific Ocean from the Philippines to New | | | | U.S. population, but only 5.3% of the votes cast. Asians |
| Spain (Mexico).The galleons carried everything from | | | | were 4.2% of the population but only cast 1.9% of |
| spices, porcelain, and ivory, to silk cloth and | | | | votes. In contrast, whites accounted for 70% of the |
| lacquerware to be sold to European countries. The | | | | population, but over 81% percent of all votes.In addition, |
| Manila-Acapulco galleon was a lucrative one, but when | | | | the Urban Institute Studies report also revealed that |
| Mexico broke free of Spain?s control in 1821, many | | | | about 62% of Latinos could not register to vote in |
| Filipino sailors never returned home and remained in | | | | 2000 because they were either too young or not U.S. |
| Acapulco.However, many other Asians migrated to | | | | citizens; 59% of Asians also could not register. In |
| Central and South America as political refugees from | | | | contrast, only 35% of Blacks and 25% of Whites could |
| WWII and the Korean and Vietnamese Wars. Yet | | | | not register to vote for demographic |
| many other Asians migrated to the region to seek | | | | reasons.However, all of this could drastically change as |
| better economic opportunity. In fact the term, "coolie" | | | | the individual Latino and Asian populations age and |
| was often used in a derogatory manner to refer to | | | | become eligible to vote plus legalized immigrants in |
| unskilled labor from Asian countries, many of whom | | | | both communities begin to exercise their right to vote in |
| were young men who traveled to other parts of the | | | | greater numbers. Once this happens, not only will both |
| world for work.The result has been mixed Latino-Asian | | | | population groups significantly influence western state |
| offspring spanning across South and Central America. | | | | voting, they will also become a major swing vote in |
| Take Brazil for example: there is estimated to be over | | | | key political states such as Ohio.The Future of Asian |
| one million ethnic Japanese living in the country, not to | | | | LatinosWith tremendous population, financial, and |
| mention Japanese communities located in Columbia, | | | | political power to come for the Asian and Latino |
| Argentina, Peru and other parts of Latin | | | | communities, America will no longer resemble cookie |
| America.Approximately 15% of Peru's population is | | | | cutter board images in vast sections of the country. |
| considered to be Chinese, not to mention other | | | | Instead, Middle America will soon become every |
| inhabitants of Western Asian countries (Syria, Turkey) | | | | image, sight, and sound of the evolving and dynamic |
| who have also settled throughout Latin America as | | | | groups of today. Asian Latinos will one day become |
| well.In an interview with Kipp Cheng of Diversity | | | | the norm in every aspect of society and not the |
| Magazine, Saul Gitlin of the marketing firm, Kan ... Lee | | | | exception.To hear a radio commentary on Asian |
| explains that "When they come to the United States, | | | | Latinos, go to Davis is an author, lecturer, and TV |
| their primary language is Spanish or Portuguese, not | | | | Radio Host. |
| Korean or Japanese." So there is indeed some degree | | | | |