A Latino Shade of Green

I am Latina -- born in Queens, NY to Colombian immigrants.  And although my family's economic background did mean we were cautious of being wasteful, my family taught me the importance of caring for nature for its own sake.  As a child in upstate NY, I would accompany my Mom to the recycling station 20 miles away where she would pay to drop off our recyclables.

I provide this detail because I was infuriated by a blog I read today about how marketing environmentalism to Hispanics should be approached differently than the mainstream, since "being green to Hispanics is less of a lifestyle statement and more about a pragmatic application to real life." 

The author, whose name is not given, questions the viability of the "green" message to the Latino community by showing how economics plays a factor in the environmental behaviors of immigrants.  Due to high-priced utilities in their native countries, Latinos are used to reducing their use of resources.  Electric bills and appliances are high, therefore lights are turned off and clothes/dishes washed by hand.  "That said, it’s questionable whether the “green” movement will have an effect on being able to entice less acculturated Hispanic consumers."

In plain English -- we're poor and dumb, and merely conserve resources because we can't afford them.  Therefore, don't market environmentalism to us unless it's on a coupon. 

Seriously??

This is a racist assumption that lumps an entire ethnic group into a single economic and educational class!  The Latino community is made up of all classes from poor to wealthy, and with varying levels of education.  Assuming that the Latino market would not understand the green message is absurd and offensive!

I agree that there are differences in marketing to the Latino community, but these are primarily based on cultural factors.  Consider the history of Latin America, and the blending of Indigenous and African cultures with that of the European settlers.  Even in the immigrant community of this day, traits from our ancestors are visible in our music, food, and religious practices.  Among these traits is a sense of what the earth has to offer.

"Traigo yerba santa pa' la garganta, traigo jeilimon pa' la inchazon..." may seem like a playful jingle that was sung by salsa legend Celia Cruz, but it literally translates into a list of herbs and the ailments they supposedly cure.  Remedios caseros (home remedies) thrive in the Latino community.  Like many other Abuelas, my grandmother is an expert on home remedies and homemade beauty products.  She chooses to mix up her own teas and face masks not because she can't afford the pharmacy products, but because she's had these tried and true recipes passed down from family and friends.  The "natural" as well as the "traditional" is what speaks to her.

Marketing green to Hispanics is not necessarily about a lifestyle statement that is hip and trendy.  It's also not about pragmatic application due to poverty and lack of education.  It's about tapping into cultural values of family, community, and tradition -- and showing that "green" is a natural fit.

Check out NRDC in spanish: www.nrdc.org/laondaverde