Overview

Latinos own smartphones, go online from a mobile device and use social networking sites at similar—and sometimes higher—rates than do other groups of Americans, according to a new analysis of three surveys by the Pew Research Center.

The analysis also finds that when it comes to using the internet,¹ the digital divide between Latinos and whites is smaller than what it had been just a few years ago. Between 2009 and 2012, the share of Latino adults who say they go online at least occasionally increased 14 percentage points, rising from 64% to 78%.² Among whites, internet use rates also increased, but only by half as much—from 80% in 2009 to 87% in 2012.

Over the same period, the gap in cellphone ownership between Latinos and other groups either diminished or disappeared. In 2012, 86% of Latinos said they owned a cellphone, up from 76% in 2009.

Among the biggest drivers of these increases are spikes in technology adoption among foreign-born Latinos and Spanish-dominant Latinos, the surveys found. Both groups’ rates of going online and cellphone ownership increased sharply since 2009, helping to reduce the digital divide between Latinos and whites—and also reducing gaps within the Latino community itself.

Technology Adoption and Going Online

When it comes to owning a smartphone, going online from a mobile device and using social networking sites, Latinos are just as connected as other Americans. According to the Pew Research analysis:

• Cellphone ownership: Fully 86% of Latinos say they own a cellphone, a share similar to that of whites (84%) and blacks (90%).
• Smartphone Ownership: Among adults, Latinos are just as likely as whites or blacks to own a smartphone—49% versus 46% and 50% respectively.
• Going Online from a Mobile Device: Latino internet users are more likely than white internet users to say they go online using a mobile device—76% versus 60%. Meanwhile, Latino and black internet users are equally likely to access the internet from a mobile device—76% and 73% respectively.³
• Social Networking Site Use: Among internet users, similar shares of Latinos (68%), whites (66%) and blacks (69%) say they use social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook at least occasionally.

While Latinos use mobile and social networking technologies at rates similar to those of other groups, they lag whites when it comes to owning a desktop or laptop computer or accessing the internet (with or without a mobile device). According to the Pew Research analysis:

• Computer Ownership: Some 72% of Latinos say they own a desktop or laptop computer, compared with 83% of whites.  Among blacks, 70% are computer owners.
• Internet Use: Nearly eight-in-ten (78%) Latino adults go online at least occasionally, compared with 87% of whites and 78% of blacks.

Demographics and Patterns of Adoption

Among Latinos, among whites and among blacks, three key demographic characteristics are correlated with technology adoption. Young people ages 18 to 29 have higher adoption rates than those ages 65 and older. Levels of educational attainment are also linked to adoption rates–those with some college experience have higher technology adoption rates than those with less than a high school diploma. And annual family income is correlated with technology adoption–those with higher incomes also have higher adoption rates than those with lower incomes.

For example, smartphone ownership is correlated with age among Latinos and among whites.⁴ Among Latinos, 66% of those ages 18 to 29 say they own a smartphone while just 14% of those ages 65 and older say the same. Among whites, two-third (66%) of young people ages 18 to 29 own a smartphone while 17% of those ages 65 and older say they own one.⁵

This report is based on three Pew Research Center surveys. The first survey is the Pew Hispanic Center’s 2012 National Survey of Latinos (NSL). The 2012 NSL is a nationally representative bilingual telephone survey of 1,765 Latino adults with a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The survey was fielded from Sept. 7 to Oct. 4, 2012. For a full description of the 2012 NSL’s survey methodology, see Appendix B.

The second survey is the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press’ nationally representative Biennial Media Consumption Survey (2012b) of 3,003 adults conducted between May 9 and June 3, 2012. The margin of error for the full sample is plus or minus 2.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence interval. The third survey is the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project 2012 Health Tracking Survey (Fox and Duggan, 2013). It is a nationally representative sample of 3,014 adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence interval.

Other key findings include:

Going Online

• Nearly all Hispanics from families with annual incomes of $50,000 or more (95%), Hispanics from families with annual incomes between $30,000 and $50,000 (93%) and Hispanics ages 18 to 29 (93%) say they go online at least occasionally.
• Just one-third (33%) of Latinos ages 65 and older say they use the internet at least occasionally.
• Half (50%) of Hispanic internet users are native born and half are foreign born. By contrast, among Hispanics who do not use the internet, just 21% are native born while 79% are foreign born.
• Among Latino internet users, 72% are either English dominant (31%) or bilingual (41%), and 28% are Spanish dominant. By contrast, among Latino non-internet users, fewer than half (42%) are either English dominant (13%) or bilingual (29%), while 58% are Spanish dominant.

Going Online through a Mobile Device

• Nearly nine-in-ten (87%) Latino internet users ages 18 to 29 and Latino internet users from families with annual incomes of $50,000 or more say they access the internet through a mobile device at least occasionally.
• Among Hispanic internet users ages 65 and older, just 29% say they access the internet through a mobile device.

Cellphone Ownership

• Cellphone ownership rates are highest among Latinos from families with annual incomes above $50,000 (97%) , Latinos ages 18 to 29 (96%) and Latinos from families with annual incomes between $30,000 and $50,000 (95%).
• Cellphone ownership rates are lowest among Spanish-dominant Hispanics (78%), Hispanics with less than a high school diploma (77%) and Hispanics ages 65 and older (56%).
• Among Latinos who do not own cellphones, 76% are foreign born and 24% are native born. In addition, nearly six-in-ten (57%) are Spanish dominant, 30% are bilingual and 13% are English dominant.

Smartphone Ownership

• The highest smartphone ownership rates are among Hispanics from families with annual incomes of $50,000 or more (76%).
• Smartphone ownership rates are lowest among Hispanics ages 65 and older (14%).
• Most Latino smartphone owners are native born (54%). By contrast, most Latinos who do not own a smartphone are foreign born (58%).

Computer Ownership

• Fully 95% of Latinos from families with annual incomes of $50,000 or more own a desktop or laptop computer—the highest ownership rate among Latinos. By contrast, just 35% of Latinos ages 65 and older own a desktop or laptop computer.
• Half (50%) of Hispanic computer owners are foreign born. By comparison, 73% of Hispanics who do not own a computer are foreign born.

Using Social Networking Sites

• Fully 84% of Latino internet users ages 18 to 29 say they use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, the highest rate among Latinos.
• Just 27% of Hispanic internet users ages 65 and older say they use social networking sites.
• Some 54% of Latinos who use social media are U.S. born. By contrast, foreign-born Latinos make up the majority (57%) of Latino internet users who do not use social media.
• Among Latinos who use social networking sites, 60% say they do so mostly or only in English, 29% say they do so mostly or only in Spanish and 11% say they use both English and Spanish equally.

Among native-born Latinos who use social networking sites, 86% do so mostly or only in English. By contrast, among immigrant Latinos who use social networking sites, more than half (55%) do so mostly or only in Spanish.

About this Report

This report explores social media, digital technology and mobile technology use among Latinos, whites and blacks in 2012. The data used in this report are derived primarily from the Pew Hispanic Center’s 2012 National Survey of Latinos (NSL), which was conducted from Sept. 7 through Oct. 4, 2012, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia among a randomly selected, nationally representative sample of 1,765 Latino adults. The survey was conducted in both English and Spanish on cellular as well as landline telephones. The margin of error for the full sample is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. Interviews were conducted for the Pew Hispanic Center by Social Science Research Solutions (SSRS).

The report also utilizes data from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press’ Biennial Media Consumption Survey (2012b), which was conducted between May 9 and June 3, 2012, among a nationally representative sample of 3,003 adults, including 2,202 whites and 281 blacks. It also utilizes data from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project’s Health Tracking Survey (Fox and Duggan, 2013), which was conducted between Aug. 7 and Sept. 6, 2012, among a nationally representative sample of 3,014 adults, including 1,864 whites and 497 blacks.

This report was written by Associate Director Mark Hugo Lopez, Research Associate Ana Gonzalez-Barrera and Research Assistant Eileen Patten. Paul Taylor, Scott Keeter, Leah Christian, Michael Dimock, Gretchen Livingston, Lee Rainie and Aaron Smith provided editorial guidance. The author thanks Taylor, Keeter, Christian, Livingston, Patten, Rakesh Kochhar, Rich Morin, Seth Motel, Kim Parker and Antonio Rodriguez for guidance on the development of the survey instrument. Motel also provided research assistance. Livingston and Patten number-checked the report. Molly Rohal was the copy editor.

A Note on Terminology

The terms “Latino” and “Hispanic” are used interchangeably in this report.

The terms “whites” and “blacks” are used to refer to the non-Hispanic components of their populations.

“Native born” or “U.S. born” refers to persons born in the United States and those born in other countries to parents at least one of whom was a U.S. citizen.

“Foreign born” refers to persons born outside of the United States to parents neither of whom was a U.S. citizen. Foreign born also refers to those born in Puerto Rico. Although individuals born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens by birth, they are included among the foreign born because they are born into a Spanish-dominant culture and because on many points their attitudes, views and beliefs are much closer to Hispanics born abroad than to Hispanics born in the 50 states or the District of Columbia.

Language dominance is a composite measure based on self-described assessments of speaking and reading abilities. “Spanish-dominant” persons are more proficient in Spanish than in English, i.e., they speak and read Spanish “very well” or “pretty well” but rate their ability to speak and read English lower. “Bilingual” refers to persons who are proficient in both English and Spanish. “English-dominant” persons are more proficient in English than in Spanish.

The share of Latino adults who go online has been on the rise. According to the Pew Hispanic Center survey, more than three-in-four (78%) Latinos say they use the internet or send or receive email at least occasionally. This is up 14 percentage points since 2009, when 64% said they at least occasionally went online.

Gains in the share of Latinos going online have been largely driven by growing shares of foreign-born Latinos and Spanish-dominant Latinos online. Since 2009, internet use rates among these groups increased 18 percentage points and 27 percentage points respectively.

However, despite these gains, a digital divide continues to exist among Hispanics, with English-dominant Hispanics and native-born Hispanics more likely to go online than Spanish-dominant Hispanics and foreign-born Hispanics.

Among Hispanics, Who Goes Online?

Across demographic subgroups of Hispanics, internet use rates vary. Nearly all (95%)

Hispanic adults with family incomes of $50,000 or more say they go online at least occasionally, as do young Hispanics ages 18 to 29 (93%), and Hispanics with annual family incomes between $30,000 and $49,999 (93%).

Internet usage shares are lowest among the Spanish dominant (63%), those who do not have a high school diploma (58%) and those ages 65 and older (33%), though only among older Hispanics is the share that goes online less than half.

Internet use rates are also linked to educational attainment. As noted above, those who have no high school diploma are least likely to go online (58%). Among those with a high school diploma, 85% go online at least occasionally. And among those with some college education, 91% go online.

Demographics of Hispanic Internet Users

Hispanic internet users are demographically different from Hispanics who do not use the internet.

Half (50%) of Hispanic internet users are U.S. born, while about two-in-ten (21%) Hispanics who do not use the internet are U.S. born.

Hispanic internet users are more likely to be fluent in English than are Hispanic non-internet users. Among internet users, nearly three-in-four are either English dominant (31%) or bilingual (41%). By comparison, fewer than half of non-internet users are either English dominant (13%) or bilingual (29%).

Having children in a household is linked to going online. Half (52%) of Hispanic internet users have dependent children under age 18 living in their households. Among Hispanic non-internet users, about one-third (35%) have dependent children under 18 living in their households.

Latino internet users are also more likely to be ages 18 to 29 (35%) than Latinos who do not use the internet (9%). And they are less likely to be ages 65 or older—4% versus 26% respectively.

Educational attainment is also linked to going online. More than four-in-ten (42%) Latino internet users have some college experience. By comparison, just 15% of non-internet users have some college experience.

Similarly, annual family income is correlated with going online. Fewer than half (46%) of Hispanic internet users have annual family incomes below $30,000. By contrast, nearly two-thirds (64%) of non-internet users have annual family incomes below $30,000.

Accessing the Internet Through a Mobile Device

Three-in-four (76%) Hispanic internet users say they access the internet on a cellphone, tablet or other mobile handheld device at least occasionally, according to the Pew Hispanic survey.

Among Latino internet users, usage rates vary across demographic subgroups. Fully 87% of Latinos ages 18 to 29 and those with annual family incomes of $50,000 or more say they access the internet through a mobile device. By contrast, about three-in-ten (29%) Latino internet users ages 65 and older access the internet through a mobile device.

Language is closely related to accessing the internet through a handheld device. Some 81% of English-dominant and 79% of bilingual Latino internet users say they use a mobile handheld device like a cellphone or tablet computer to access the internet. By contrast, 65% of Spanish-dominant Latino internet users do the same.

Nativity is also closely related to mobile internet use. Some 81% of native-born Hispanic internet users access the internet through a mobile device. By comparison, 70% of foreign-born Hispanic internet users say the same.

Demographics of Hispanic Mobile Internet Users

Hispanic internet users who access the internet through a mobile device are demographically different from those who go online but do not do so from a mobile device.

More than half (54%) of Hispanic internet users who access the internet from a mobile device are U.S. born. By contrast, just 39% of Hispanic internet users who access the internet only from non-mobile devices are native born.

Latino mobile internet users are more likely to be English dominant or bilingual than are Hispanic internet users who do not use a mobile device. Among those who use a mobile device to access the internet, nearly three-quarters (76%) are either English dominant (33%) or bilingual (43%). By comparison, about six-in-ten (59%) of those who access the internet only from non-mobile devices are either English dominant (24%) or bilingual (34%).

Latinos who access the internet with mobile devices are also more likely than Latinos who do not use mobile devices to access the internet to be ages 18 to 29—41% versus 19%. And they are less likely to be ages 65 or older—1% versus 11%.

Educational attainment is also linked to going online with a mobile device. More than four-in-ten (45%) Latino mobile internet users have some college experience. By comparison, three-in-ten (30%) internet users who do not access the web with a mobile device have some college experience.

Similarly, high family income is correlated with using a mobile device for accessing the internet. About three-in-ten (29%) Hispanic internet users who use a mobile device to access the internet have annual family incomes of $50,000 or more. By contrast, just 14% of internet users who access the internet only from non-mobile devices have annual family incomes of $50,000 or above.

During the past three years, the share of Latino adults owning a cellphone increased from 76% in 2009 to 86% in 2012. Today, the share of Hispanics who own a cellphone is no different than the share of white adults who do so (84%) or the share of black adults who do so (90%).

Among Latinos, Who Uses a Cellphone?

Even though Latinos are just as likely to say they own a cellphone as the general public is, among Latinos differences in ownership rates exist. For example, Latino adults with higher family incomes, who are younger and who have a higher educational attainment are more likely than their counterparts to say they own a cellphone.

Cellphone ownership is highest among Latinos with annual family incomes of $ 50,000 or more. Fully 97% of them say they own a cellphone. Latino adults with annual family incomes between $30,000 and $49,999 have a comparable rate of cellphone ownership (95%). By comparison, 83% of Latino adults with annual family incomes below $30,000 say they own a cellphone.

Youth is also linked to cellphone ownership among Latino adults. Nearly all Latinos ages 18 to 29 (96%) own a cellphone. By contrast, Latinos ages 65 and older are the least likely to own a cellphone (56%).

Latinos with higher educational attainment are also more likely to own a cellphone. More than nine-in-ten (93%) Latinos with some college education say they own a cellphone. Among Latino adults with a high school diploma, 88% own a cellphone. And among those with less than a high school diploma, 77% own one.

Additionally, native-born Latinos are 11 percentage points more likely to say they own a cellphone, than foreign-born Latinos—92% vs. 81%. Similarly, Latinos whose primary language is English are 15 percentage points more likely to own a cellphone (93%) than those who primarily use Spanish (78%).

Demographic Characteristics of Latino Cellphone Owners

Latino cellphone owners are demographically different from Latinos who do not have a cellphone.

A third (33%) of Latino cellphone owners are ages 18 to 29, compared with just 9% of those without a cellphone. Conversely, only 6% of Latino cellphone owners are ages 65 or older, compared with 27% of those without a cellphone.

Latino cellphone owners are also more likely to be male (52%) than those who do not own a cellphone (42%).

Educational attainment is correlated with cellphone ownership. Latino cellphone owners are more than twice as likely to have some college education, compared with those without a cellphone (39% versus 17% respectively).

Latino cellphone owners are more likely than their counterparts to have higher family incomes. About one-fourth (23%) of Latino cellphone owners have annual family incomes of $50,000 or more, compared with just 5% of those without a cellphone. By contrast, half (48%) of Latino cellphone owners have family incomes below $30,000, compared with 60% of those without a cellphone.

Latinos who own a cellphone are more likely to live in a household with a dependent child under 18 (50%), compared with those who do not own a cellphone (37%).

Additionally, about half of cellphone owners are native born (47%), compared with about a quarter (24%) of those who do not own a cellphone. Similarly, Latino cellphone owners are more likely to speak English as their primary language (29%) or be bilingual (40%) than are Latinos without a cellphone (13% and 30% respectively).

Among Latino adults, half (49%) say they own a smartphone. Overall, smartphone ownership rates are similar to those of whites (46%) and blacks (50%).

Among Hispanics, Who Owns a Smartphone?

Latinos with annual family incomes of $50,000 or more are the most likely to own a smartphone. On the other hand, Latinos ages 65 and older are the least likely to be smartphone owners.

More than three-quarters (76%) of Latinos with annual family incomes of $50,000 or more say they own a smartphone. This compares with 59% of those with family incomes between $30,000 and $49,999, and four-in-ten (40%) Latinos with family incomes under $30,000.

Educational attainment is also correlated with smartphone ownership. About seven-in-ten (68%) Latinos with some college education or more say they own a smartphone. This compares with 45% of those who have completed high school and 32% of those without a high school diploma.

Younger Latinos are more likely to own a smartphone than older Latinos are. Two-thirds (66%) of Latinos ages 18 to 29 own a smartphone, compared with 51% of those ages 30 to 49, 35% of those ages 50 to 64, and 14% of those ages 65 and older.

Native-born Latinos are 21 percentage points more likely to say they own a smartphone, compared with foreign-born Latinos—61% vs. 40%.

Demographic Characteristics of Hispanic Smartphone Owners

Half (50%) of Latino smartphone owners have some college education or more, compared with about three-in-ten (29%) of those without a smartphone.

Latino smartphone owners are more likely than their counterparts to have higher family incomes. Latino smartphone owners are 17 percentage points more likely to have family incomes of $50,000 or more compared with those whose cellphone is not a smartphone—32% versus 15% respectively. Conversely, 41% of Latino smartphone owners have family incomes below $30,000, compared with 56% of those without a smartphone.

Additionally, a majority of smartphone owners are native born (54%), compared with less than half (42%) of those who do not own a smartphone. Latinos who do not have a smartphone are nearly twice as likely to be Spanish dominant (41%) than those who do own a smartphone (21%).

Nearly three-in-four (72%) Latinos say they own a desktop or laptop computer, according to the Pew Hispanic Center survey. Compared with the general public, computer ownership among Latinos is lower—79% versus 72%.

Overall, whites have the highest desktop/laptop ownership rate—83%. By comparison, 70% of blacks say they own a desktop or laptop computer (Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, 2012b).

Among Latinos, Who Owns a Computer?

Computer ownership rates are highest among Latino adults with annual family incomes of $50,000 or more (95%), those with some college education (89%) and those with annual family incomes between $30,000 and $49,999 (87%).

The lowest ownership rates among Hispanics are among those ages 65 and older (35%), those with no high school diploma (51%) and those who are Spanish dominant (59%).

The Pew Hispanic survey reveals a few other notable patterns of ownership among Latinos. The native born are more likely than the foreign born to say they have a desktop or laptop computer—83% versus 64%. Similarly, English-dominant Latinos and bilingual Latinos are more likely than Spanish-dominant Latinos to say they own a computer—82% and 78% versus 59% respectively.

Educational attainment is also closely related to computer ownership. Among those with less than a high school diploma, half (51%) own a computer. Among those with a high school diploma, the share rises to 76%. And among those with some college education or more, nearly nine-in-ten (89%) say they own a desktop or laptop computer.

Demographics of Latino Computer Owners

Latino computer owners, compared with Latinos who do not own a computer, are more likely to be young, to have higher levels of educational attainment and to have higher family incomes. They are also more likely to be married and to live in households with dependent children. Also, they are more likely to be U.S. born and to be bilingual or English dominant.

About one-third (34%) of Latino computer owners are ages 18 to 29. By contrast, just 17% of Latinos who do not own a computer are ages 18 to 29. Conversely, only 4% of Latino computer owners are ages 65 or older, while 20% of those without a computer are in the same age group.

Latino computer owners are three times as likely as Latinos who do not own a computer to have some college education or more—44% versus 14% respectively.

Computer ownership is linked to family income. About one-fourth (27%) of Latino computer owners have annual family incomes of $50,000 or more, compared with just 4% of those without a computer. In addition, 44% of Latino computer owners have annual family incomes below $30,000, compared with 67% of those without a computer.

There is also a difference in marital status and household structure between Latinos who own a computer and those who do not. About half (51%) of Latino computer owners are married, compared with about a third (35%) of those without a computer. Similarly, Latino adults who own a computer are more likely than Latinos adults who do not own a computer to live in a household with a dependent child under 18—52% versus 36%.

Additionally, half of Hispanic computer owners are U.S. born (50%), compared with 27% of those who do not own a computer. Similarly, Hispanic computer owners are more likely to be bilingual (41%) or English dominant (30%) than Hispanics without a computer are (31% and 17% respectively).

Two-thirds (68%) of Latino internet users say they use Facebook, Twitter or other social networking sites, according to the Pew Hispanic Center survey. By comparison, 58% of all U.S. internet users say they use Facebook, Twitter or other social networking sites (Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, 2012a).

Who among Latinos Online Uses Social Networking Sites?

Just as with other technologies, use of social media varies across subgroups of Latino internet users. Latinos ages 18 to 29 are most likely to say they use social media sites—84% say they do. By contrast, those ages 65 and older are the least likely to use social media sites—just 27% say they do this.

Other differences across demographic subgroups are present. Native-born Hispanics are more likely than foreign-born Hispanics to use social networking sites—73% versus 63%. English-dominant Hispanics are more likely than bilingual Hispanics or Spanish-dominant Hispanics to use social media sites—76% versus 67% and 61% respectively.

Educational attainment is also linked to use of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Hispanics with a high school diploma (72%) or some college experience (73%) are more likely than those with no high school diploma (54%) to say they use social media.

Demographics of Hispanic Social Networking Site Users

Among Latino internet users, those who use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are more likely than those who do not to be U.S. born—54% versus 43%.

Latino social media users are also more likely than Latinos who do not use social media to be English dominant—34% versus 23%. On the flipside, Latino social media users are less likely than those who do not use social media to be Spanish dominant—25% versus 34%.

Educational attainment is also correlated with social media use. Among Hispanic internet users who use social networking sites, 44% have some college experience. By contrast, among Hispanic internet users who do not use social networking sites, 36% have some college experience.

Social Networking Sites and Language Use

English is the language most used among Hispanics who use social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter. According to the Pew Hispanic survey, most Hispanic social media users (60%) say they mostly or only use English. An additional 29% say that when they use social networking sites, they do so only or mostly in Spanish. And 11% say they use both English and Spanish equally when using social networking sites.

Foreign-born Latinos make up 46% of all Latino social networking site users. Among them, more than half (55%) say they mostly or only use Spanish when posting Facebook updates or tweets. By contrast, among U.S.-born Latino social networking site users, 86% say they mostly or only use English when engaging with social media.

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Results for this study are based on telephone interviews conducted by Social Science Research Solutions (SSRS), an independent research company, among a nationally representative sample of 1,765 Latino respondents ages 18 and older, conducted from Sept. 7 through Oct. 4, 2012. In order to facilitate a more comprehensive analysis of non-Catholic Latinos, the sample includes interviews with an additional 438 non-Catholic respondents, for a total of 967 non-Catholics.

For the full sample, a total of 759 respondents were native born (excluding Puerto Rico), and 1,006 were foreign born (including Puerto Rico). Of the foreign born, 482 were U.S. citizens, 256 were legal residents, and 264 were neither U.S. citizens nor legal residents. For results based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

For this survey, SSRS used a staff of Spanish-speaking interviewers who, when contacting a household, were able to offer respondents the option of completing the survey in Spanish or English. A total of 805 respondents (46%) were surveyed in Spanish, and 960 respondents (54%) were interviewed in English. Any person ages 18 or older of Latino origin or descent was eligible to complete the survey.

To ensure the highest possible coverage of the eligible population, the study employed a dual-frame landline/cellphone telephone design. The sample consisted of a landline component (yielding 880 completed interviews) and a cellphone component (885 interviews)⁶. Both the landline and cellphone components consisted of a stratified sampling design, oversampling areas with higher densities of Latino residents. The same sampling plan was used for the main sample and the non-Catholic oversample.

For the landline sampling frame, the sample was run against InfoUSA and other household databases, and phone numbers that matched to known Latino surnames were subdivided into a Surname stratum. The remaining unmatched and unlisted landline sample was divided into the following mutually exclusive strata, based on census estimates of the density of the Hispanic population in each: Very High Latino, High Latino and Medium Latino.

Marketing System Group’s (MSG) GENESYS sample generation system was used to generate the cellphone sample, which was divided into High and Medium Latino strata. Overall, the study employed eight strata.

Samples for the low-incidence landline and cell strata were drawn from previously interviewed respondents in SSRS’s weekly dual-frame Excel omnibus survey. Respondents who indicated they were Latino on the omnibus survey were eligible to be re-contacted for the present survey. In addition, the incidences in the Very High and Medium landline strata of the non-Catholic oversample were lower than anticipated, so additional interviews with Latinos⁷ prescreened from the Excel omnibus survey were used to gather additional responses in these strata. Altogether, a total of 293 previously interviewed respondents (17%) were included in this sample.

It is important to note that the existence of a surname stratum does not mean the 2012 National Survey of Latinos was a surname sample design. The sample is RDD, with the randomly selected telephone numbers divided by whether they were found to be associated with or without a Spanish surname. This was done simply to increase the number of strata and thereby increase the ability to meet ethnic targets and ease administration by allowing for more effective assignment of interviewers and labor hours.

A five-stage weighting design was used to ensure an accurate representation of the national Hispanic population.

• An adjustment was made for all persons found to possess both a landline and a cellphone, as they were twice as likely to be sampled as were respondents who possessed only one phone type.
• The sample was corrected for a potential bias associated with re-contacting previously interviewed respondents in certain strata.
• The sample was corrected for the likelihood of within-household selection, which depended upon the likelihood that the respondent’s age group would be selected, and within that age group, the particular respondent would be selected.
• The sample was corrected for the over sampling of telephone number exchanges known to have higher densities of Latinos and the corresponding undersampling of exchanges known to have lower densities of Latinos.
• Finally, the data were put through a post-stratification sample balancing routine. The post-stratification weighting utilized national 2012 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, March Supplement, on gender, age, education, census region, heritage, years in the U.S., phone status (i.e., cellphone only, cellphone mostly, mixed/landline only/landline mostly) and density of the Latino population. After the data were raked, the weighted data were used to determine the benchmark for a Catholic/non-Catholic parameter, which was used in the second stage of raking.⁸