Helene Stapinski

The styles and customs of Latino youth have increasingly gone mainstream, or influenced teen pop culture in general. The spending power of Hispanic teens has inspired companies and entertainment industries to market their products to this specialized market niche. Soon to become the largest ethnic youth population in the United States, young Latinos in some regions feel less like a minority group and more like trendsetters. Whether it is Anglo kids adopting hip—hop fashion, Latino beats thumping at parties, or Spanglish entering teen slang, Hispanic culture often takes the lead. Yet there is no single Hispanic heritage; appealing to a diverse population has challenged some companies to reinvent marketing strategies to fit a group with differing backgrounds. Helene Stapinski, a journalist and freelance writer from Brooklyn, interviewed teens and marketing specialists...