The document discusses the influence of Hispanic pop culture in the United States across various domains such as music, television, film and food. It notes that the Hispanic population in the US has grown significantly in recent decades and now makes up around 15% of the total population. As Hispanics have integrated into American society, they have brought their cultural traditions and influenced mainstream American culture. For example, genres of music like salsa, merengue and bachata originated in Latin America but have become popular in the US. Hispanic actors and actresses have also found success in Hollywood and on television. Overall, the document argues that Hispanic culture has had a profound and permanent impact on arts, entertainment and daily life in the United States.

2. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
According to the 2008 U. S. Census Bureau population estimate, there are
roughly 46.9 million Hispanics living in the United States (representing 15%
of the total U. S. population). Among Hispanic subgroups, Mexicans rank as
the largest (66%) followed by Central and South Americans (13%), Puerto
Ricans (9.4%), Cubans (3.9%), and people of other Hispanic origins (7.5%).
Hispanics/Latinos are a fast-growing, diverse population in the United States.
With their growth surging nearly 58% from 1990 to 2000 that is more than
four times the growth rate of the U. S. population.
It is irrelevant not consider these facts in terms of media output and media input;
in terms of Communications, the Hispanic community in the US offers a big
market of opportunities.

3. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
As the Hispanic population in the United States has grown, with a
marked increase in native births and a plateau in immigration, the
notion of conforming to the prevailing culture has given way to a
richer, more resonant and less coercive concept: acculturation.

4. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Talk of the Hispanic market going mainstream is nothing new. Now there is more talk (and more
evidence) about the mainstream going Hispanic. When it comes to measuring the degree of
Latino influence on American culture, the jury is in: It is present, it is profound, it is pervasive
and it is permanent. More important: It is a shared perspective. THREE OUT OF FOUR
AMERICANS AGREE THAT HISPANICS HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE ON
AMERICAN CULTURE. And although Hispanic and non-Hispanic populations may disagree
about the level of Latino influence in a particular segment of the culture, it is striking how close
they are in perspective when it comes to the overall influence across markets.
One key factor in this presentation is geography. Its influence is consequential across numerous
metrics. In some instances, respondents’ market locations within the U.S. revealed a regional
prevalence of certain sentiments. The following graphic illustrates each of these occurrences:

5. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.

6. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
PREDICTABLY, THE TOUCH POINT RANKED BY HISPANICS AND NON-
HISPANICS AS DELIVERING THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON AMERICAN
CULTURE IS FOOD.
Almost 90% of non-Hispanics saw it as having the most prominent impact, placing it
nearly 25 percentage points ahead of the next greatest influence, music (63%).
Hispanics gave food a slightly more modest share at 82%, and music was only
seven points behind at 75%.
While music ranked second in overall impact on American culture as perceived by all
Americans, there are important geographic differences. Hispanics in New York,
Miami and McAllen, Texas, note a substantial effect of Hispanic culture in music at
86%, 86% and 90%, respectively. These cities also comprise the top three markets
for non-Hispanics on the music question, albeit to a lesser degree at 75%, 73%,
and 71%, respectively. In Nashville, the center of country music, just 42% of non-
Hispanics (the lowest mark of any city) and 67% of Hispanics feel a Latino beat —
a stunning 25-percentage point gap between the two, and both lower than their
respective national averages.

7. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Sports
The Latino influence in SPORTS is felt most acutely among non- Hispanics in
New York (72%) and least in Detroit (48%). Baseball, however, demonstrates
how deeply integrated Hispanics are in American sports culture. The National
Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY has installed a permanent ¡Viva
Baseball! exhibit celebrating Latino contributions to America’s favorite
pastime, and the number of Latino players in the league has surged in the
last two decades, jumping from 13% in 1990 to 28% on opening day in 2010.
Boston Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez
with his 2004 World Series MVP Award

8. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
According to a study done by Time Magazine, The Hispanic community
gives itself high marks for influencing BEAUTY STANDARDS (64%),
STYLE AND APPEARANCE (62%), and CLOTHING (61%). Only about a
third (32%) of non-Hispanics believe that Latinas have had a great to
moderate impact on standards of beauty, a proportion that remains
largely constant across demographics and is essentially the equivalent
weight they give to the Hispanic influence on clothing (34%). On matters
of style and appearance, non-Hispanics seem more aware of Latino
influence (48%) than they are on beauty (32%).

9. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
• The United States its what a lot of Hispanic have called home for over a
century; since the early migration of Mexicans in the early 1930’s to the
current migration of Venezuelans over the past decade, it Is suitable to say
that the Hispanic Community has had influence on the American Life since an
early stage.
• Hispanics have influenced our everyday lifestyle from the music that we hear
to the food that we eat.

10. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
While some may point to the 2000 Census as the tipping point that brought
Hispanics to the forefront of the American consciousness, I’d like to think it
was Ricky Martin’s show-stopping performance at the 1999 Grammys and his
subsequent #1 hit La Vida Loca that actually first made Hispanics appealing
to Americans and proved to Hispanics that they no longer needed to be a
silent minority.
The Census merely proved what pop culture already knew: that Hispanics were
many, not going away, and were a vital and vibrant part of the fabric of
America. Since then we have seen a surge of pride by Hispanic Americans in
their culture, and more importantly, a willingness to share that culture at all
times. Latino pride emerged. Visible in a way that was neither defiant nor
provocative, it simply was.

11. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Music:
Latin America has produced a variety of genres born at the crossroads of
European folk music, African music and native traditions. While not as popular
as the popular music of the USA (also born out of the integration of European
music and African music), Latin American genres shares the same characters
that made it a universal tone.
The most popular modern Latin styles for dancing include Salsa and
Merengue, but some bands also play examples of other styles for variety. All
styles use at least one singer, plus backing vocals.

12. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Examples of Music.
Salsa: originally developed out of Cuban "Son" via "Mambo" in the 1950's. Now it is
most played in Cuba, Colombia, Puerto Rico and New York. It has a big brassy
sound, and can be romantic or fiery.
• Nightclub and bars specified in Salsa have been predominant all around the
United States, not only to cater to the Hispanic community but also providing a
new type of entertainment for Americans as well.
• Salsa had its initial fame during the early 1070’s in New York City.
• Artists such as Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe, Tito Puente, Johnny Pacheco were all
pioneers of this genre and all of them are Nuyorican, ( Puerto Rican & New York
heritage).
• History of Salsa

13. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Merengue: up-tempo, energetic, easily accessible music, originally from the
Dominican Republic in the Caribbean, where it is actually their "Pop" music,
although it evolved out of country folk-dance music in the 1880's. In the past, bands
consisted of accordion, percussion and sax, but accordion is now replaced by piano
and bass guitar, and there are often up to 4 or more brass instruments.
• Also introduced early in New York, but it did not shared the immediate success
that salsa did.
• Merengue's rhythmic structure, which is similar to pop, also ensured its musical
relevance - it made “covering” non-Latin hits and adopting the latest musical
trends both easier and quicker.
• It’s Impact is predominantly big within the United States, since merengue reached
out to American audiences by being popularized in TV Shows such as So You
Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars.
Examples of Music.

14. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Merengue
• Artists such as Juan Luis Guerra, Olga Tanon, Proyecto Uno and Elvis
Crespo were crucial in bringing merengue to Mainstream America with songs
such as: El Niagara en Bicicleta, Suavemente y Asi es la Vida.
Examples of Music.

15. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Bachata: Another recent style to emerge in Europe, this lighter style of music
is actually the folk dance of Dominican Republic, that till recently was often
frowned upon! Its subject lyrics almost always lament hard times, originating
from the lives of the peasant people that enjoyed it in the past.
• In the 1980s and 1990s, the growing Dominican population in the United
States became an important fan base for bachata. Many Dominican
immigrants came from a social milieu that didn’t stigmatize bachata in the
way the mainstream in their native country had.
• As they made economic progress and continued to patronize their music
of choice, they provided an impetus for bachata’s rise to acceptance and
popularity.
• Luis Vargas and Raulín Rodríguez were the chief beneficiaries of the
increased purchasing power of these “Dominican Yorks,” who bought
CDs and flocked to concerts in American cities like New York, Miami and
Providence, Rhode Island.
• Bachata gained its spot in American media during the early 2000’s with
the Bronx born Group Called Aventura.
Examples of Music.

16. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Bachata Example of Music
Aventura’s hit song
“Obsesion”

17. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Reggaeton music originated in Panama in the 1970s. By the 1990s it had spread to
Puerto Rico, where the youth now claim Reggaeton as a musical genre of their
own. Reggaeton music has a mixture of Jamaican and Latin American influences,
blended with Hip Hop and Electronica beats. Reggaeton usually incorporates
rapping in Spanish or English, and its similar lyrical structure to Hip Hop has
caused some controversy due to the use of sexual innuendo and explicit lyrics in
some of the music. In an attempt to get around censorship issues, some
Reggaeton artists prefer to utilize double meanings to make the messages in their
songs more subliminal.
Reggaeton forming from hip hop and reggae has helped Latin-Americans contribute to
the urban American culture while still keeping many aspects of their Hispanic
heritage. The music relates to many of the socio-economic issues happening in
America including gender and race which highly connects to hip hop in America
today.
Underground clubs, youths in the inner-city ghettos, and huge hip hop moguls all
participated in pushing the genre to the top of the charts.
Examples of Music.

18. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Artists such as Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Tego Calderon and Yomo have
successfully aided the reggaeton expansion within the Untied states, by
attracting young audiences to their concerts and developed a massive
following in the US.
Examples of Music.

19. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Hispanic Pop Music:
Like others genres of Latin music, pop music has been pioneered and molded by
Hispanics to suit their own style and rhythm in order to gain success and
recognition. Artists such as Shakira, Ricky Martin, Pitbull and Marc Anthony
have gained success in the US by making music that it is both in English and
Spanish, and adapting the musical style to what we know as Pop Music.
Achieving great success has enabled this artists to develop a huge following
of fans in the US.
Examples:
• Hips Don’t Lie – Shakira
• I know You Want Me – Pitbull
• She Bangs – Ricky Martin
Examples of Music.

20. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
It was 1999 and the music industry would never be the same. Ricky started the
so-called "Latin Invasion" with his jaw dropping rendition of "La Copa de la
Vida" during the Grammy Awards Show. Soon after that, Ricky hit number
one with his hit "Livin' La Vida Loca" and went on to become one of the
biggest selling artists in history. After this, the world started paying more
attention to Latin music and allowed singers like Enrique Iglesias, Paulina
Rubio and Shakira to release English-language albums and become super
stars in mainstream America. Although Gloria Estefan has already broken the
ground for Latinos, it wasn't until Ricky shook his hips that the world really
opened up to "la musica Latina."

21. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Music Recognition
With the huge success that many Hispanic Artists share in the United States, the
academy of recording arts and sciences set up an award ceremony to recognize
outstanding achievement in the music industry. This ceremony is what we know
today as the Latin Grammys.
• The first Annual Latin Grammy were held in Los Angeles on September 13, 2000.
• To be eligible a recording must have been recorded in Spanish or Portuguese.
• Recording are first entered and are reviewed to determine which awards they are
eligible for.
• Following that nominating ballots are mailed to voting member of the academy.
• The votes are tabulated and the five recordings in each category with the most
votes become the nominees.
• Final voting ballots are sent to voting members and the winners are determined
and later announced at the Latin Grammy Awards.

22. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Cinema:
The influence of Latinos on the social and cultural life of the US is most obvious in
popular culture. Zorro movies, the classical Hollywood musical West Side Story, or
the animated mouse Speedy Gonzales come to mind.
But that was not the case in the previous years, where Hispanic culture was portrayed
different since Hispanic cinema was portrayed solemnly based on stereotypes.
Six Hispanic Stereotypes
• El Bandido
• The Harlot
• The Male Buffon
• The Female Clown
• The Latin Lover
• The Dark Lady

23. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Cinema:
Actors like these have promoted the presence of Hispanic culture in Hollywood.
• Desi Arnaz
• Andy Garcia
• Carlos Estevez
• Penelope Cruz
• Javier Bardem
• Salma Hayek
• Guillermo Navarro
• Alfonso Cuaron

24. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Television:
Hispanic Popular Culture and Storytelling in my opinion are more predominant in
this category; since its creation in 1954, Telemundo have provided Hispanic
programming to all of the United States. Their programming focused on
entertaining the Hispanic Immigrant with programming that they were used to
watching back home. The channel’s content consists of Telenovelas and
series, both of these are produced by the network but they choose different
locations around south and central America to provide a variety and most
important, attract more viewers.
Another Hispanic Channel that has reached mainstream success in the US has
been Univision; inaugurated in 1964 with the original name of “Spanish
Network Television”. Quickly establishing itself as the competitor of
Telemundo and providing a bit more variety of programming with cultural
segments and also Telenovelas.

25. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Both non-Hispanic and Hispanic audiences size up the impact of Latino culture in
TELEVISION PROGRAMMING and channel real estate in equal force, as 54% of each
segment see moderate to great influence, highlighting a strong presence in the channel
lineup combined with the proliferation of Latino actors in general market television and
cable programming. Univision now ranks as the nation’s fifth most popular network and
two of the highest paid actors on television from May 2011 to May 2012 were women of
Hispanic descent: Sofia Vergara of “Modern Family” and Eva Longoria of “Desperate
Housewives.”2 Even with the ascension of these actresses into mainstream television,
however, negative stereotypes of Hispanics are viewed as a fixture in media, with 73% of
Hispanics and 68% of non-Hispanics noting their presence.

26. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Telenovelas:
Telenovelas are daily serials which are broadcast 5 or 6 times a week both in prime time and
during the day. They have a limited run which varies but, on average, they have 120
episodes (known in Spanish as “capítulos”, which literally means “chapters”). Every
telenovela tells a different story (with a clear A-plot, and several storylines), with a
beginning, a middle, and an end. Some telenovelas focus on romance, others on
comedy, murder mysteries, the supernatural or even eroticism. A single telenovela may
contain some or all those ingredients. There are telenovelas aimed at children,
teenagers, or mature audiences. Because telenovelas are melodramatic, there is a clear
emphasis on feelings and emotions.
As a genre, telenovelas originate in Latin America, specifically in 1950’s and, therefore, pre-
Castro’s Cuba. Thence, the genre spread throughout the region where the main
producers have been historically based in Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil or Argentina.
Nowadays, telenovelas are also produced in other Latin American countries and in the
USA where Miami has become one of the main telenovela production centers in the
world. The genre is also cultivated in several countries in Europe, Africa and Asia where
it has suffered mutations as it did when it spread from Cuba to other Latin American
nations. In fact, every country that produces telenovelas has adapted the genre infusing
it with national characteristics that remain potent even in the current moment dominated
by the nationalization of production, distribution and consumption.
Telenovelas continue to grow in popularity throughout the Americas and in several national
markets around the world. Despite this, like much of what is commonly referred to as
popular culture, they are often maligned and misunderstood by viewers and critics alike.
However, because of their long and complex history, and their increasing cultural
influence, telenovelas and their popularity escape simplistic definitions and common-
place interpretations.

27. HISPANIC POP CULTURE & MEDIA
STORYTELLING.
Telenovelas tend to fall within these six categories:
Working-class melodrama:
Which is easy to understand and contains less explicit content. They typically feature a
poor woman who falls in love with a rich man whose family spurns her, such as Maria la
del barrio (1995).
Historical romance is set in the past:
Such as the colonial period, the restoration of the Republic, the late 19th Century and the
revolution (Bodas de odio, 1982)
Teen drama:
Which portrays the lives of high school teenagers and their issues with sex, drugs, and
other coming-of-age topics. It started with Quinceañera in 1987.
Mystery/Thriller:
Is more cold hearted than the other sub-genres. It may portray a mysterious death or
disappearance, which may tear couples, even families apart, such as La Casa de al
Lado.
Romantic comedy:
Which portrays love stories with some or lots of comedy such as Yo soy Betty, la fea (the
most successful soap opera in history).[5]
Pop band story:
Portrays the lives of aspiring musicians such as Rebelde (2004), which spawned a multi-
platinum pop group, RBD.