Latino Views on and Experiences With the Spanish Language
About half of U.S. Latinos who do not speak Spanish are shamed by other Latinos because of it. Most U.S. Latinos speak Spanish, with 75% saying they can carry on a conversation in Spanish well or very well, and 85% of Latinos say it is important for future generations of Latinos in the United States to speak Spanish.
But not all Hispanics speak Spanish, and about half (54%) of those who don’t speak Spanish have been criticized by other Hispanics.
At the same time 78% of U.S. Hispanics said it’s not necessary to speak Spanish to be considered as a Hispanic.
We asked U.S. Latinos about their opinions, attitudes and experiences with Spanish language and here are our findings.
Key findings:
While most U.S. Latinos speak Spanish, not all of them do the same. 24% of all Latino adults say that they can only hold a conversation in Spanish to a limited extent or not at all. Among the third- or higher- generation Latinos, there is a much higher proportion of people who are not Spanish speakers: Close to two-thirds (65%) say they cannot have good conversation in Spanish.
About half of U.S. Hispanics, who do not speak Spanish have been ashamed because of this. 54% of Hispanics say that another Hispanic person made them feel bad because of their lack of Spanish speaking ability.
Some Hispanics joke about those who don’t speak Spanish. A quarter of Hispanic adults say they often or very often hear other Hispanics making jokes about Hispanics who don’t speak Spanish or don’t know it well.
Spanglish use is common among U.S. Hispanic people. 63% said the sometimes use Spanglish, which is a combination of English and Spanish.
Personal Hispanic identity is related to views about Spain. U.S. Hispanics who consider their Hispanic identity to be extremely or very important in how they think of themselves are more likely than other Hispanics to say that it’s important for future generations to speak Spanish. They also are more likely to say that someone needs to speak Spanish in order to be considered Hispanic.
Speaking Spanish can be a valuable skill, a way of communicating and sign of identity for U.S. Latinos. For some, the Spanish language is an object of pride and many Latino parents encourage their U.S.-born children to learn it. Importantly, the United States has one of the world’s largest Spanish-speaking populations in the world.
For this report, the Pew Research Center surveyed a nationally representative sample of 3,029 U.S. Latino adultsin English and Spanish, from August 1 to 14, 2022. The findings among the sample often varied by nativity, immigrant generation, age, educational achievement and language use.
Spanish speaking and its significance in Latino identity.
Latino identity in the U.S. can be shaped by many factors, one of which is speaking Spanish. Some Latinos use it to distinguish between those who are Latino and those who are not. However, most Latino adults (78%) believe it is not necessary to speak Spanish in order to be considered Latino, while only 21% believe that it is.
While strong majorities of major Latino demographic groups believe that speaking Spanish is unnecessary for being considered Latino, there are some notable differences in views.
Latino immigrants are less likely to say that speaking Spanish isn’t necessary for being Latino – 70% compared to 87% of U.S.-bron Latinos.
Just 7% of Latino U.S.-born people (the third- or higher generation) say that speaking Spanish is necessary to be Latino.
Spanish-dominant Hispanics are more likely to say this than bilingual or English-dominant Hispanic people.
20.09.2023
But not all Hispanics speak Spanish, and about half (54%) of those who don’t speak Spanish have been criticized by other Hispanics.
At the same time 78% of U.S. Hispanics said it’s not necessary to speak Spanish to be considered as a Hispanic.
We asked U.S. Latinos about their opinions, attitudes and experiences with Spanish language and here are our findings.
Key findings:
While most U.S. Latinos speak Spanish, not all of them do the same. 24% of all Latino adults say that they can only hold a conversation in Spanish to a limited extent or not at all. Among the third- or higher- generation Latinos, there is a much higher proportion of people who are not Spanish speakers: Close to two-thirds (65%) say they cannot have good conversation in Spanish.
About half of U.S. Hispanics, who do not speak Spanish have been ashamed because of this. 54% of Hispanics say that another Hispanic person made them feel bad because of their lack of Spanish speaking ability.
Some Hispanics joke about those who don’t speak Spanish. A quarter of Hispanic adults say they often or very often hear other Hispanics making jokes about Hispanics who don’t speak Spanish or don’t know it well.
Spanglish use is common among U.S. Hispanic people. 63% said the sometimes use Spanglish, which is a combination of English and Spanish.
Personal Hispanic identity is related to views about Spain. U.S. Hispanics who consider their Hispanic identity to be extremely or very important in how they think of themselves are more likely than other Hispanics to say that it’s important for future generations to speak Spanish. They also are more likely to say that someone needs to speak Spanish in order to be considered Hispanic.
Speaking Spanish can be a valuable skill, a way of communicating and sign of identity for U.S. Latinos. For some, the Spanish language is an object of pride and many Latino parents encourage their U.S.-born children to learn it. Importantly, the United States has one of the world’s largest Spanish-speaking populations in the world.
For this report, the Pew Research Center surveyed a nationally representative sample of 3,029 U.S. Latino adultsin English and Spanish, from August 1 to 14, 2022. The findings among the sample often varied by nativity, immigrant generation, age, educational achievement and language use.
Spanish speaking and its significance in Latino identity.
Latino identity in the U.S. can be shaped by many factors, one of which is speaking Spanish. Some Latinos use it to distinguish between those who are Latino and those who are not. However, most Latino adults (78%) believe it is not necessary to speak Spanish in order to be considered Latino, while only 21% believe that it is.
While strong majorities of major Latino demographic groups believe that speaking Spanish is unnecessary for being considered Latino, there are some notable differences in views.
Latino immigrants are less likely to say that speaking Spanish isn’t necessary for being Latino – 70% compared to 87% of U.S.-bron Latinos.
Just 7% of Latino U.S.-born people (the third- or higher generation) say that speaking Spanish is necessary to be Latino.
Spanish-dominant Hispanics are more likely to say this than bilingual or English-dominant Hispanic people.
20.09.2023