How Are Recent

Hispanic Immigrants
Adapting to U.S.
Culture?
 INTRODUCTION

Though much attention has been devoted to Hispanic

immigration to the U.S. on the national level, there is
still much to learn about the specific individuals making
these journeys. Through an online survey (n=506) and
several in-depth interviews (n=4), Welcome Tech and
Sensis Research sought to understand how recent
Hispanic immigrants would describe their transition to
American culture and what resources might be needed
to help their transition. We also sought to learn how
their immigration may further shape the U.S. economy,
specifically through their individual purchasing habits
and brand preferences.
PERCEPTIONS
OF U.S. CULTURE
Though recent Hispanic immigrants find U.S.
culture to be much different from their home
country (Table 1), they still view it as welcoming
and a culture to which they aspire to belong.
Our interview and survey respondents alike
describe the U.S. as much safer (Figure 1) and
and much more civic-minded than their home
country.

Table 1

Survey Respondents’ Comparisons of Their Home Country’s

Culture to U.S. Culture, by Arrival Time

Arrived Arrived 2-10

Total
<2 Years Years

Completely Different 42% 46% 39%

Very Different 33% 30% 36%

More Different than similar 15% 17% 14%

More Similar than Different 6% 6% 6%

Very Similar 4% 2% 6%

Completely the Same 0% 0% 0%

 From our interviews:

“Everyone respects the crosswalks. They really

respect the laws. Like, in my country, if there is a
red light: no one cares, no one respects authority.
People here have a lot of order.”​

“I liked Chicago from the beginning. My brother

took me to eat at McDonald’s and it was
something I really wanted to do. “Que calidad.”
And it was like a dream, it was like a living
dream.”

“Everything is first world. I don’t regret

Figure 1
anything.”

Survey Respondents Who Feel Much Furthermore, though they perceive substantial
Safer in the U.S. Than in Their Home differences between the culture of the U.S. and
Country their home countries, recent Hispanic immigrants
also recognize how globalization has been closing
this gap. Numerous U.S. celebrities, brands, and
90% holidays are also widely recognized in Latin America.
And our respondents understand how to find the
80% 80% 81% areas of U.S. cities that are culturally similar to their
home countries. These neighborhoods provide
70% our respondents with familiar brands, foods, and
64% language, as well as a local sense of place that further
60%
helps them bridge any cultural gaps and reconnects
54%
50%
them to their home countries.
44%
40%
From our interviews:

30%
“Now there’s [Thanksgiving, Halloween]
20%
celebrations in Honduras. Like we have
Thanksgiving and Halloween. It’s not so
10%
different.”

“In Houston, in the zone where I live, it’s

0%
really similar to my city in Honduras. I would
All Strong Mexican Refugee/ Undocumented
go to Salvi restaurants and Honduran
Respondents Conservatives Immigrants Asylum (N=52) restaurants with baleadas.”
(N=506) (N=44) (N=72) Seekers
(N=170)
 Figure 2

#1 BARRIER PREVENTING Most Challenging Parts About Living

ACCULTURATION: in the U.S. for Survey Respondents, by
Arrival Time
LANGUAGE
Despite the level of cultural diffusion brought Learning
86%
about by globalization, learning English is by far English

recent Hispanic immigrants’ biggest concern when

acculturating. This is true regardless of whether 60%
Getting
they arrived within the past two years or have been a Job
66%

55%
here for two to ten years (see Figure 2). Not speaking
English limits their ability to find jobs, apply for 34%

resources, validate credentials, and otherwise Feeling Lonely

or Isolated
31%

establish their new life. Perhaps even more difficult, 37%

interview respondents report that they struggle to

32%
fully express themselves and relate to others when Finding a
33%
Place to Live
trying to establish their new lives in their new home. 30%

22%
Getting
From our interviews: 21%
Healthcare
24%

“When you’re angry, it’s not the same or

20%
when you’re happy or sad.” Dealing with
15%
Discrimination
25%
“My kids don’t want to go to school because
of the language.”
All Respondents <2 Years 2-10 Years
“I did not speak English at first. It was
one of the hardest challenges. The language
has been a big obstacle.” Figure 2, above, shows the most common selections, ranked by total percent
selected, for the following survey question: What have been the 3 most challenging
parts about living in the U.S. for you personally? Please rank your top 3, 1-3.

#2 BARRIER: CITIZENSHIP
STATUS
Another barrier preventing many recent
Hispanic immigrants from fully acculturating
to the U.S. is their immigration status.
Undocumented immigrants and those living
with expired visas have an especially difficult
time finding work, opening bank accounts,
and establishing a permanent presence in
the U.S. Despite wanting to work, contribute,
and become self-reliant, recent Hispanic
immigrants find themselves dependent on
charities or help from others, further straining
their senses of self-worth and belonging.
From our interviews:
“It took me almost two months to find a job
for an undocumented person. Work is for
people who are legal or have a work permit.
Everywhere they don’t want to accept you.”
Much more likely to report learning English
as a challenging part of living in the U.S.
Somewhat less confident speaking English
Less likely to be employed, either full-time
(at least 35 hours per week) or part-time (less
than 35 hours per week)
Less likely to feel their current income was
enough to achieve their financial goals
Less comfortable using banking and financial
institutions in the U.S.
Less likely to have credit cards or checking
accounts in the U.S.
More likely to rate themselves as having poor
health
More likely to say that figuring out their
finances since coming to the U.S. has been
stressful
Much more likely to have lower household
incomes

Despite these findings, refugee/asylum seekers

Conf irming these f indings, our survey and undocumented immigrants are more
shows that recent Hispanic immigrants who likely to report that their financial situation
are refugee/asylum seekers, or otherwise has improved since immigrating to the U.S., as
undocumented were (at right): illustrated in Table 2.

Table 2

Survey Respondents Who Are Better Off, Worse Off, or About the Same
Financially Since Immigrating to the U.S., by Selected Segments

Refugee/ Undocumented
U.S. Visa
Total Permanent Resident Asylum or Otherwise
Citizen Holder
Seeker Unknown

N 506 37 119 30 170 150

Better Off 67% 43% 68% 70% 68% 69%

Worse Off 6% 14% 6% 7% 6% 3%

About the
Same 27% 43% 26% 23% 26% 27%
#3 BARRIER: ISOLATION
Loneliness is also a big obstacle for recent From our interviews:

Hispanic immigrants. Thirty-four percent of

survey respondents report that feeling lonely “I miss my family, but they are the
or isolated is one of the most challenging parts biggest motivation to keep going
in adapting to U.S. culture. This was one of the every day.”
most noticeable themes from our pre-survey
interviews: multiple interview respondents, “There are still moments when I
often unprompted, described the immigration miss home.”
process as isolating and emotionally draining,
with loneliness informing the entire perspective
of their immigration experience.
#4 BARRIER: RESOURCES
After arriving in the U.S., recent Hispanic
immigrants rely on charitable organizations
like churches for starter resources such as
food, water, clothing, and temporary housing.
More than anything, they depend heavily on
word-of-mouth to navigate their new home
country. Recommendations from family or
f riends they meet along their journey provide
them a roadmap of where to go and what to do
once they arrive. And even with the availability
of numerous online job sites and postings,
respondents rely on personal connections
above all to find employment.
CONSEQUENCES OF
BARRIERS: CONSIDERING
HOME
From our interviews:
These barriers are why many recent Hispanic
immigrants—35% of our survey respondents—
“We used to go to a church where have considered leaving the U.S. and returning
they gave us free food and clothing. to their home country. Undocumented and
It was a Catholic church.” Mexican immigrants make up the largest
groups considering returning at 61% each,
“I think the opportunities happen followed by respondents who arrived between
when you meet people.” two to ten years ago (41%) and immigrants
who arrived less than two years ago (29%). See
Figure 3 for more details.

Figure 3

Survey Respondents Who Have Considered Moving Back to Their Home

Country Since Immigrating to the U.S., by Selected Segments

100%

90%

80%

70%

60% 61% 61%

53%
50%
44%
40% 42%
35%
30% 29%

20%

10%

0%

All Arrived Arrived 2-10 Undocumented Mexican Puerto Didn’t Already

Respondents <2 Years Ago Years Ago Immigrants Immigrants Ricans Have Family in
(N=506) (N=253) (N=253) (N=57) (N=72) (N=30) U.S. (N=155)
 From our interviews:

“Well on various occasions, what I’ve

really wanted is to go back. It’s been
really hard to be stable because of the
work situation. Thinking of Honduras,
there I’m someone and here I’m no one.”

“Sometimes I really miss Colombia and

I want to return to it but I’m told this is
normal.”

Our survey asked respondents to describe their

experience immigrating to the U.S. in one word
(Figure 4). While most responses are positive,
responses such as “Traumatica,” “Difícil,” and “Triste”
stand out as well. Twenty-six percent of respondents
describe their experience immigrating as “good” or
“excellent,” and 9% described it as “hard” or some
variation. As one survey respondent puts it, “The
American dream is difficult.”

Figure 4

Survey Respondents Describe Their Experience of Moving

to the U.S. in One Word
CONSIDERING U.S.
BRANDS
Recent Hispanic immigrants are receptive
to new brands in the U.S. Only 23% of survey
respondents, no matter the length of time in the
U.S., prefer to purchase brands from their home
country (Table 3).

Table 3

Survey Respondents Who Feel Each Statement

Best Describes Them, by Arrival Time We also see that many American brands and
retailers become more popular with recent
All Arrived Within Arrived Within
Hispanic immigrants over time. As shown in
Respondents the Past 2 Years the Past 2-10 Years Figures 5 and 6, Target, Dollar Tree, Marshalls,
Burlington, and Amazon and Walmart online all
Try New Product
Brands that I See
41% 40% 42%
gain recognition as recent Hispanic immigrants
on the Shelf
spend time in the U.S. Ross, a popular response
Try New Product in pre-survey interviews due to their low price
Brands that are
Recommended 36% 37% 36% points, becomes less popular.
to Me

Stick with Familiar

Brands From my
Home Country
23% 23% 23% Figure 5

Retail Stores Survey Respondents Shop,

by Arrival Time

One variation is that lowest-income respondents–

those with annual household incomes under 38%

$10,000–are more likely to stick with familiar 19%

brands (31%). This finding, along with our

interviews, suggests that Hispanic immigrants 43%

who are struggling the most economically are 37%

looking to minimize as much uncertainty as

75%
possible and trying to control what they can
73%
in the face of hardships by seeking out brands
most familiar to them. 53%

36%

From our interviews:

68%

52%
“There are a lot of brands here that were
in Venezuela and they already have them 75%
here so we buy what is most familiar. Like 79%
the soaps (Dove), detergents, shampoos
(Head and Shoulders)” <2 Years 2-10 Years
Figure 6
Note that Target ranks at the very bottom in
Figure 5 for Hispanic immigrants who arrived
Online Retail Stores or Brands Survey
the most recently, within the past two years, at
Respondents Shop, by Arrival Time
just 19%. This confirms what we learned in pre-
80%
survey interviews, where respondents who just
arrived in the U.S. frequently described Target as
out of reach, or almost entirely aspirational.
67%
66%
61%
From our interviews:

50% 49% “I will say that Target is a place I love

a lot but I never buy anything. I will
go and walk around but I never buy
anything.”

<2 Years 2-10 Years

From our interviews:

“Ross, Burlington, which was where a lot

of [us] went to when we arrived because
they’re low cost. Also, Marshalls.”
As for finance, respondents’ familiarity with banking
“When we got here, they told us to go to brands also increases the longer they are in the U.S.
those stores to buy clothes that are the (Figure 7). Wells Fargo not only leads our survey
most economical because we came with responses, but also jumped out in our interviews
nothing. Friends recommended Ross as seeming particularly friendly to recent Hispanic
because it’s low prices and good quality immigrants. This was less because of any specific
and there is a good variety.” product or policy, but more because of Wells Fargo’s
Spanish-language outreach and marketing.
Figure 7

Survey Respondents Who Have Accounts with the Following Banks

* Overall most popular among all respondents

< 2 Years 2-10 Years < 2 Years 2-10 Years < 2 Years 2-10 Years < 2 Years 2-10 Years

13% 24% 9% 19% 0% 9% 29% 35%

1% 0% 1% 1% 1% 1% 17% 30%

0% 1% 4% 3% 1% 0% 2% 5%
 From our interviews:

“I just saw [Wells Fargo] everywhere.

I just saw that it had a lot of marketing
in Spanish. I saw it all over. I saw it as a
bank that if I needed money, it was very
accessible.”  

“​ [Wells Fargo] is the bank my husband

uses, and I’ve heard good things about
it from my husband’s family.”

Non-traditional banking brands, such as Seis,
Majority, and the Welcome Tech PoderCard, also
help most recent Hispanic immigrants establish
themselves when they first arrive. These non-
traditional banks, which emphasize simplified
finances for consumers, are especially important
for recent Hispanic immigrants, as 59% of survey
respondents (Figure 8) cite figuring out their
finances as a source of stress when arriving
PRICE
Value and finances are very much top of mind for
recent Hispanic immigrants. Only 19% of survey
respondents report that their current income in
the U.S. is enough to achieve their financial goals,
and 92% feel that prices in the U.S. have increased
in the past year. As such, affordability is a key driver
in their brand choices and loyalty.
From our interviews:

in the U.S. These banks allow immigrants the “You eat or you buy something. And I
opportunity to adapt to more formal banking prefer to eat.”
institutions in the U.S.

Figure 8

Survey Respondents Who Agree that Figuring Out Their Finances Since
Coming to the U.S. Has Been Stressful for Them, by Arrival Time

31%
30%
29% 29%
28% 28%

Strongly Agree Agree

All Respondents <2 Years 2-10 Years

CONCLUSIONS AND KEY TAKEAWAYS
CULTURE STILL MATTERS
Despite a shrinking and hyper-connected world
where Thanksgiving is celebrated in Honduras, food
from El Salvador is available in the U.S., and TikTok
and Amazon are commonly used on both sides
of the border, U.S. culture still feels significantly
different to recent Hispanic immigrants.
CONTINUED NEED FOR SPANISH RESOURCES
AND ENGLISH INSTRUCTION
Even with a proliferation of in-person and online
language programs, schools, and tools–and a
diffusion of U.S. culture throughout the globe–
learning English is still the most challenging part
of building a new life in the U.S. for recent Hispanic
immigrants.
WELCOMING CULTURE OUTWEIGHS
DISCRIMINATION
While 20% of respondents reported that
discrimination was one of their biggest barriers in
moving to the U.S., recent Hispanic immigrants
generally find America a welcoming place.
HEALTHCARE ACCESS DIFFICULT:
One in five recent Hispanic immigrants report
accessing healthcare as one of the biggest
challenges after immigrating to the U.S.
IMMIGRATION STILL A SACRIFICE
While it’s easier than ever to stay in touch with
loved ones back home due to more affordable
international calls, access to video, and social media,
leaving home still produces a significant sense of
grief and loss for recent Hispanic immigrants.
WORD OF MOUTH DRIVES CONSUMER CHOICE
AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY
Word of mouth recommendations from a
trusted source are the most important sources of
information among recent Hispanic immigrants.
Online reviews and recommendations, as well as
targeted outreach, are important, but do not carry
as much weight as a personal referral.
DESPITE COUNTLESS CHALLENGES,
IMMIGRATION IS STILL WORTH IT
Many recent Hispanic immigrants waited years
to immigrate, only to face an array of different
challenges once they arrive. And while many of
them may consider moving back home at some
point, they are – by far – happy with their decision
to immigrate. Of recent Hispanic immigrants, 64%
report feeling safer; 67% report being better off
financially; 42% report better mental health; and
77% believe they have access to a better health
care system after moving to the U.S.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The recent Hispanic immigrants we surveyed friendly and emphasizes low costs can be highly
and interviewed describe the U.S. and U.S. effective in earning their business. Incentive
culture positively. But immigrating to the U.S. hasprograms that specifically target Hispanics may
come with financial and emotional struggles, provide a way to reach immigrants as immigrants
often taking a toll on their mental health. As already tend to gravitate toward brands that are
learning English and securing employment personally recommended to them. Incentive
are their biggest challenges upon arrival in the programs may further motivate folks to share
their preferred brands more intentionally. This
U.S., investing resources to assist in these critical
areas would improve their quality of life and may be especially applicable to banking brands,
allow them to make a positive impact as soon as where recent Hispanic immigrants seem ready
possible. for guidance and looking for a brand to trust. And,
with the extent to which Hispanic immigrants
As for their consumer choices and how to earn value word of mouth and recommendations
their loyalty, brands should not feel like they from friends and family, any outreach towards
needed to have had a presence in Latin America Hispanics offers a substantial return on
to make outreach to Hispanic immigrants in the investment in the form of new customers and
U.S. Instead, Spanish-language outreach that feels brand loyalty.
nhi-report.com

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