Spanish is reshaping America’s cultural canvas

As a New Yorker, I’m accustomed to hearing Spanish as a regular part of the city soundscape. The same holds true in Miami, San Antonio, and the states that line our southern border. In recent years, however, Spanish speaking in the U.S. has exploded beyond these locations and become a nationwide phenomenon. At Babbel, we see this trend reflected in our U.S. customer base, with nearly two-thirds of users here learning Spanish, a far higher percentage than in any other country we serve.

This growth and embrace of Spanish in the United States is undeniable. What is driving this increase? And what does it mean for the cultural fabric of the U.S.?

The Bad Bunny effect: Spanish in the American zeitgeist

There have long been influential Latinos in U.S. entertainment—Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, and Shakira, to name a few—but the past two years have seen an influx of Latino talent, particularly in music.

Take Bad Bunny’s record-breaking summer as proof. He’s the first non-English artist to have the most streamed album on Spotify, the first Latino to headline at Coachella, the first Latin urban music artist to land on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine—all in 2023. Bad Bunny’s popularity helped drive Latin music into the musical mainstream. In fact, according to Statista, Latin music is among the top five most streamed music genres in the U.S., coming right after Country.

Money talks—sometimes in Spanish

In contrast to languages like French or Italian, where travel and hobbies are the main motivations for U.S. learners, Spanish learners in the U.S. are significantly motivated by professional development. In an increasingly tight U.S. job market, workers are looking for ways to make themselves more hireable. Research shows that those who are bilingual or multilingual can earn 5% to 20% more per hour than those who are monolingual. Reflecting the growing need for language skills, we’ve seen a 30% increase in bilingual remote jobs since 2020.

In certain industries, common language can be the difference between a safe and unsafe environment. According to OSHA, 25% of workplace safety incidents can be attributed to language barriers.

Resident Latinos are also the fastest growing contributors to the U.S. economy, responsible for $3.6 trillion of the GDP. In fact, if U.S. Latinos were their own country, according to research developed by UCLA, they would have the fifth largest GDP globally. There is a massive opportunity for American industries and advertisers to meet the Latino population in their primary language, which has also ignited a new class of Spanish students.

Speaking Spanish, therefore, provides opportunities both for individuals to increase their earnings and corporations to grow their revenue. Ignoring this population, and by extension the Spanish language, is a poor financial decision, and that’s a language we all speak.

Vota por mi: Spanish on the campaign trail

In an election year, we can’t ignore the growing influence of Spanish on the campaign trail. With each passing year, the Latino community becomes a bigger slice of the electorate, particularly in crucial swing states like Nevada, Arizona, and Georgia. Many politicians are incorporating Spanish, both in ad dollars and stump speeches, to connect with this growing demographic.

Media giants like Univision and Telemundo have become a standard part of any national campaign, allowing candidates to reach Spanish-speaking populations that were previously de-centered in American politics. From hosting political debates—this year, Telemundo hosted the senate debate in California—to interviewing presidential candidates from both sides of the aisle including Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Mitt Romney, and Barack Obama, Spanish media has become a major driver in both state and national elections.

We have also seen native English speakers show off their Spanish skills in stump speeches and interviews. Beto O’Rourke and Jeb Bush, both fluent in Spanish, as well as Tim Kaine, all spoke Spanish during their campaigns. Bernie Sanders even dropped a “sí” or two during debates. Election hopefuls like Ron DeSantis, Elizabeth Warren, and Amy Klobuchar translated their websites into Spanish. The move to bilingual campaigning is a fundamental change in American politics and a strong indication of the impact Spanish has had on America’s societal framework.

At the core of the rise of Spanish in the U.S. is the desire to communicate and connect. It signifies more than just a linguistic shift; it represents a paradigmatic change in how we perceive language and its permeation throughout the country. Where there once was a harder line between English and Spanish speakers, the fact is Americans have learned these two languages can gracefully co-exist. Even better, we have created a rich new communication experience in the form of Spanglish. By embracing Spanish and the sheer growth of bilingualism, Americans are becoming more linguistically and culturally rich, bolstering the developmental fabric of the United States.

Julie Hansen is chief revenue officer and U.S. CEO of Babbel.