Research on Hispanic/Latinx Populations – A Growing Need and the Current Obstacles

Currently, Hispanic/Latinx people represent over 18% of the U.S. population, have accounted for 52% of the U.S. population growth in the last 10 years, and are projected to make up almost 30% of the population by the year 2060. In spite of this growth, and the socio-political concerns that accompany it, this demographic group remains largely understudied.

Yet, “it is important to study all groups and experiences,” notes Dr. Michael Zárate, Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at El Paso. To claim generalizability of an idea or theory, researchers must recruit representative samples. And “in [some] cases, theories make drastically different predictions for majority groups than for minority groups…To properly test the theories, one needs to identify the relevant groups and then go test them.”

For example, Zárate, Shaw, Marquez, & Biagas theorizes that cultural inertia (or reactions to cultural change) causes differential preferences for cultural change as a function of cultural group identification, cultural group esteem, and perception of group change. Studies have shown that White participants made aware of future demographic changes tend to demonstrate more prejudice toward immigrant outgroups and show more ingroup protectiveness.

Notably, Hispanic/Latinx people have been a target of much of this prejudice, making the research of Latinx experiences all the more necessary. Previous research on Latinx experiences has highlighted how implicit associations between “American” and “White,” can lead Latinx Americans to be perceived as foreigners. This association has potentially negative consequences as “non-prototypical” individuals like Latinx Americans are vulnerable to increased bicultural identity denial and questioning and bicultural identity denial can lead to high stress and slow cortisol recovery.

Likewise, questions about belonging are pertinent within Hispanic/Latinx communities which can feel united or divided as a function of other identity markers like language ability. Spanish fluency amongst Hispanic/Latinx people has been shown to wane generationally in the U.S., marking a particularly salient trend as the Hispanic population growth has been largely driven by U.S.-born Latinxs. These changes have potential impacts on group belonging and identity as Latinx Spanish speakers are more readily seen by others as “Latino” and viewed as more committed to this group than those that lack Spanish fluency. Furthermore, non-Spanish-speaking Latinxs can feel less accepted in Latinx communities, and even viewed as less deserving of minority-sanctioned resources.

Certainly, more research is needed to explore these unique experiences, but what are some of the challenges that accompany studying Hispanic/Latinx populations?

Although several federally recognized racial groups refer to largely diverse groups of individuals (e.g., “Asian” can refer to anyone with ancestry from any of the 48 countries in Asia*), “Hispanic/Latino” is considered a pan-ethnic term and is not formally recognized as a racial group. However, there is an incongruency between the formal designation of the term and the practical use of it. On the 2010 U.S. Census, 37% of responders that selected “Hispanic/Latino” refrained from selecting another officially designated racial option, and 67% of Latinx adults say Hispanic is part of their racial background. As Dr. Diana Sanchez, Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University observes, “Latinx/Hispanic populations occupy an interesting space in intergroup relations and stigma research because they are simultaneously treated as a racial group and an ethnic group, which means that research on this population spans both cultural psychology as well as race-relations research.”

Additionally, due to a complicated history of colonization, many Hispanic/Latinx people today have ancestral ties to European, Asian, African, and Indigenous groups. Thus, while a third of U.S. Latinxs consider themselves “mestizo” or “mulatto” (i.e., multiracial), the actual number is likely higher.

“Who is Latinx? Is Latinx/Hispanic a race or ethnicity? Should the race question include a Latinx/Hispanic option? Are all Latinx populations multiracial? Can Latinx/Hispanic be part of a multiracial identity?” Dr. Sanchez poses. Researchers studying Hispanic/Latinx populations must wrestle with these questions and many more. Particularly as the Hispanic/Latinx population continues to grow, addressing these questions around Latinx identity and labeling becomes increasingly crucial.

And beyond taxonomical discrepancies, publication biases pose another obstacle for researchers studying Latinx populations. Many experience difficulties in convincing others (i.e., journal reviewers) that researching minority groups and recruiting under-represented samples is important. Professor Zarate reflects “I think my main challenge is in getting the world to recognize that a ‘white control sample’ is a ridiculous idea…When the entire review process comes from one ethnocentric view, they see the world as revolving around them.”

Thus, as demographics shift in the U.S., it is imperative that the standards and accepted norms of scientific research shift as well to both recognize and prioritize consideration of all groups reflected in the population.

* 48 Countries as currently recognized by the United Nations