Those who closely follow what makes the Hispanic community cohere know this to be a truth: Spanish-language radio exerts a powerful influence over the Spanish-dominant Hispanic community. They spend more time with this media than with any other. It is on while they work, while they drive, while they play. It mobilizes them to act, to learn more, to speak out, to have fun.
But the Hispanic community is so dynamic and diverse that, once in a while, its use of media defies all that we know to be a truth intuitively and numerically. It has been widely reported, documented and discussed that Hispanics lag behind other groups when it comes to web usage. According to a recent report by the Pew Hispanic Center, Mexicans, the largest group of Hispanic in the U.S., are among the least likely to go online: 52% of Latinos of Mexican descent uses the internet. The report also points that socioeconomic, education and English-fluency factors play a significant role in explaining why Hispanics lag behind in web use. On the other hand, we know that Hispanics who do go online and speak Spanish, prefer Spanish-language websites.
Stats aside, the web can be in large part attributed with organizing and mobilizing Hispanics in the single most historical debate about immigration.
Recently, DJ Piolin—the voice of radio for million of Hispanics across the country– validated this truth beyond any doubt. In the airwaves for years, each morning Piolin brings cheer, laughter, rising to Hispanics from many walks of life who laugh easily from culturally charged jokes in Spanish, who know the stars of Mexican regional and other very Spanish-dominant genres. And you have to trust a person who makes you laugh and still brings about a sense of community—laughing together.
Piolin is the best known Hispanic radio DJ in the nation. He also leaves no question that he wears his politics on his sleeve: he came into the country undocumented and has risen to be a true star for media giant Univision Radio.
In recent weeks, Piolin made headlines for taking on the very serious topic of immigration reform by committing to collecting and personally delivering 1million letters to Congress asking for immigration reform. This, after last year, spearheading a group of community organizers who rallied together millions of Hispanics in local marches for immigration rights and the passing of the immigration bill.
Without getting into politics, and this commentary certainly does not intend to focus on that, the movement merits a close review on how Piolin and other harnessed the power of radio, grassroots and more interestingly, the web, to get the marches organized.
The radio and the web combined have created a very powerful, strong, tall soap box from which Piolin and others have called out to Hispanics to let their voice be heard—and they responded to the calling in droves.
For those who passionately follow the Latino community, it is fascinating to see that the recent Caravana de la Esperanza [Caravan of Hope] that was organized to deliver the million letters to DC was documented and reported via a none other than a Blog [http://blog.univision.com/univision/blog?blog.id=piolinporlareforma]. A recent survey conducted by FH Hispania found that Hispanics read blogs more than non-Hispanics, or at a double-digit rate [more to come later on this research]. Stats considered, the blog’s popularity is palpable with actual comments on strings, words of “apoyo” to Piolin, photos and other messages. An ‘embedded’ Univision.com reporter wrote the blog.
But also, much like the marches, the radio and grassroots also had a home on the web, in this case the website YoApoyolaReformaMigratoria.com.
This was not the first time we’ve seen the offline and online efforts come together, if you look at the 2006 marches email and text messages were widely used to pull these together. In the end, you can’t help but read between the lines, “build it and they will come”. Any online user only will go to those sites that speak to their interests; anyone will be compelled to connect if they find a community and a space. Hispanics are no different.
Piolin’s feat has earned the attention of general market media and he has been featured in Newsweek [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19392253/site/newsweek/], CNN, and other outlets.
The future iterations of the immigration debate from the side of Hispanics remains to be seen, as this issue failed in Congress but is not a topic that is going away, but what happened through the Caravana de la Esperanza [Caravan of Hope] is a lesson to all who want to truly understand this market. Yes, the media remains the most trusted voice, yes radio is extremely powerful, and yes Hispanics tune in, listen, act and build community through these mediums. And yes, the web can exert a lot of influence on the community.
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