As the 2008 presidential election approaches, US Hispanics are the center of attention. While much of the election-year smoke is being generated by the issue of illegal immigration from south of the border, the real heat is apparent in the tremendous political and financial clout of what is now recognized as the fastest growing domestic “minority” group.

Contrary to the popular belief that California is overrun by Mexican illegals, the 2006 US Census estimates—released in July 2007—reported that 70 percent of California's Mexican population is made up of US citizens. What may eventually refocus American public opinion after the election is the financial impact the Hispanic community is having on the economy. Even more importantly, what will be the cultural significance of America's largest minority group?

National Hispanic buying power has tripled in the 17 year period from 1990 to 2007, from $212 billion to $863 billion, respectively. Hispanics spend more money on groceries, phone services, furniture, gasoline, children's clothing and footwear than other groups. Hispanics now represent 8.6 percent of US buying power.

The latest report from the Selig Center for Economic Growth estimates that the US Hispanic purchasing power reached $863.1 billion in 2007, and by 2012 will hit $1.2 trillion.

For wireline and wireless carriers fighting to gain share in this growth market, the question of “in language” and “in culture” is crucial to any effective marketing campaign. Many marketers believe that Hispanics tend to acculturate as opposed to assimilate. It is thus important to recognize the difference between assimilation and acculturation. On the one hand, assimilation is the process by which individuals from one cultural group merge, or “blend,” into a second group. Assimilation has historically been linked to the concept of America as a melting pot. Hispanics are not rapidly disappearing or losing their identity to the larger and more dominant American culture. Acculturation, on the other hand, occurs when the culture of an individual or group is modified and added to as it comes into contact with another culture. Generally speaking, Hispanics tend to acculturate, not assimilate, and show a strong preference for keeping their cultural traditions and language.

There's nothing foreign about Spanish anymore. Whether the general population wants to acknowledge it or not, Spanish is the United States' second language. One cannot ignore the spread of Spanish in the US. The language is working itself into everyday life.

Many businesses have come to the realization that, in order to capture their share of the US Hispanic market...........................
Market Segmentation

Decline of Landline
- US Wireline End-User Switched Access Lines
- US Wireline Telephone Calls
- US Cellular-Only Households vs. Total Households
- US Cellular-Only Subscribers by Age Range

Hispanic Cell Phone Ownership
- Increase in US Hispanic Cell Phone Ownership
- US Hispanic Cell Phone Ownership by:
- Age Group
- Country of Origin
- Gender
- Language Preference
- Income
- Education
- Acculturation Level

US Hispanic Cell Phone Ownership by Hispanic Cell Phone: Postpaid vs. PrePaid
- Prepaid vs. Postpaid US Hispanic Cell Phones
- US Hispanic Prepaid Cell Phone Use by Language Preference

Hispanic Cell Phone Expenditures
- US Hispanic Average Monthly Expenditures on Wireline and Wireless
- Percent of US Hispanics Spending >$100 per Month on Wireless by Income
- Percent of US Hispanics Spending >$100 per Month on Wireless by Education

Hispanic Wireless versus Wireline Expenditures
- US Hispanics Planning to Switch from Wireline to Wireless by Income
- Estimated Distribution of Hispanic Landline and Wireless Use
- US Hispanic Average Monthly Wireline Expenditures
- US Hispanic Average Monthly Wireline Expenditures by Income
- US Hispanic Average Monthly Wireless Expenditures by Age Group

Prepaid Phone Cards
- US Hispanic Average Monthly Prepaid Expenditures by:
- Amount
- Age Group
- Country of Origin
- Language Preference
- Income
- Education
- US Region
- Acculturation

Hispanics and US Wireless Market
- Projected Hispanic Population Growth,
- Projected US Hispanic Wireless Subscribers

Telecom Expendituers
- Total US Residential Wireline and Wireless Expenditures
- Growth of US Residential Wireline and Wireless Expenditures

Ethnic Telecom Expenditures
- Total Ethnic Residential Wireline and Wireless Telecom Expenditures
- African-American
- Hispanic
- Asian American
- Am, Ind, Esk. Aleut.
- Growth of Ethnic Residential Wireline and Wireless Expenditures
- African-American
- Hispanic
- Asian American
- Am, Ind, Esk. Aleut.
- Total Hispanic Residential Telecom Expenditures
- Hispanic Residential Wireline
- Hispanic Residential Wireless
- Growth of African American Residential Telecom Expenditures
- Wireline
- Wireless

- Growth of Asian American Residential Telecom Expenditures
- Wireline
- Wireless
- Wireless Residential Expenditures by Race/Ethnicity
- Hispanic
- African-American
- Asian-American
- Growth of Wireless Residential Expenditures by Race/Ethnicity
- Hispanic
- African-American
- Asian-American