Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month, annually observed from September 15th to October 15th, coincides with the independence day of a number of Latin American countries. It recognizes the independence anniversaries of El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates their Independence Day on September 16th while Chile celebrates theirs on September 18th. Celebrations throughout the month honor and acknowledge the rich culture, significant contributions, and powerful traditions of the Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States, representing a number of countries including Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and various Central and South American countries. Celebrating this month can include seeing a local parade that honors Hispanic and Latino cultures, visiting cultural exhibitions that showcase art and heritage, and enjoying your favorite Latin dish.

Hispanic Voices – A Powerful Voting Bloc

In 2020, the Hispanic and Latino communities (including some that identify as Latinx) were the second-largest racial group in the United States, making up 18.7% of the total population or 32 million in the country. Their political influence represents a significant voting bloc that could impact elections at various levels of government. Candidates looking to connect with this audience need to prioritize authentic and culturally-relevant content, messaging, and have Hispanic & Latino voiceover artists reflected in their campaigns and spots. Like many groups, they are not a monolith, and investing in ads that focus on specific issues that they care about is one way to energize their voting power.

Connecting with Hispanic Heritage Communities for Your Next Campaign

Enacted during the Civil Rights Movement, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 addressed discriminatory practices by ensuring minority communities had more access to voting, including making voting materials available to individuals with limited English proficiency and removing literacy poll taxes.

It paved the way for more equal voting rights but recent developments have highlighted the need to continue to protect and expand these rights for all communities. In 2006, as Congress voted to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act for an additional 25 years, the reauthorization faced severe opposition and several provisions were weakened. In the 2013 landmark case of Shelby County v. Holder, the United States Supreme Court struck down a section that led to a wave of restrictive voting measures such as voter ID laws and a reduction in early voting days that still impacts Latino and other minority communities today.

In light of this, political campaigns must prioritize addressing the concerns of Hispanic and Latino communities and speak to what matters most to them early in a strategy and not later. By recognizing the specific challenges that this population faces in accessing the ballet box, campaigns can provide critical information, engage with them on issues that are important to them, advocate for policies that protect voting rights, and ensure their voices are heard throughout the democratic process.

Hire Latino and Hispanic Heritage VO Talent

By working with professionals from these communities your message can go a long way in establishing trust, conveying authenticity, and ensuring there is cultural sensitivity throughout the campaign. These professional bilingual voiceover artists bring an innate understanding of the cultural nuances and regional dialects–details that can make all the difference in resonating with the target audience. They also understand the subtleties of pronunciation, intonation, and pacing specific to Spanish-speaking regions, and can offer voiceovers for bilingual campaigns.

Authenticity, cultural sensitivity, and relevance have become critical factors in building trust with today’s voters. Working with a professional voiceover artist from Blue Wave Voiceover can ensure that a campaign isn’t only heard, but embraced by this quickly-growing and influential population.

Explore demos and samples from a wide range of talent at Blue Wave Voiceover who can help you connect with this audience including Rosi Amador, Brian Amador, Issa Lopez, André Santana, Carolina Hoyos, Robb Moreira, Zia Amador, Andrea Balsa, Antonio Fornaris, and Javier Prusky.

At Blue Wave Voiceover we’re focused on elevating authentic voices from the Middle Eastern and North African / MENA community so they can give voice to their experiences and the issues they care about. 

Recognizing MENA

The federal government has historically categorized people who have origins in the Middle East and North Africa as white although they do not identify with the white experience, leading to underrepresentation. According to this PBS News Hour article, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines “white” as anyone with origins in Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. For decades, representatives from this community have called for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to be recognized as a new category in the United States Census to inform funding, gain access to research, allocate resources, and develop policies to serve the MENA community. 

The Diversity of the Middle East

Spanning Asia, Europe, and Africa, the Middle East comprises countries that represent a diversity of languages, religions, and cultural traditions. Over the past years, the Middle East has witnessed an expansion of their political presence in the United States, embracing its heritage while actively engaging in global affairs. As the world becomes even more interconnected, its impact on pop culture, politics, and language continues to grow and leave a lasting impact on American culture.

The Middle East region is comprised of countries and a British Overseas Territory that vary in size, population, and cultural heritage including Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. As the birthplace of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, these faith traditions have strongly influenced Middle Eastern history and culture.

Arabic is the primary language in the Middle East and includes various dialects spoken in different countries. Additional languages spoken in countries throughout the Middle East include Hebrew, Turkish, and Kurdish.

Growing MENA Representation

According to a 2018 report, the Arab American Institution Foundation estimated the Arab American speaking population at more than 3.6 million people. Since the 1880’s with the first wave of migration, immigrants moving from the Middle East to the United States have brought and shared their culture, traditions, food, and perspectives. The second wave of migration came following political turmoil including the Arab-Israeli war in 1948 and then the passing of the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1965 brought a third wave of MENA immigrants to the United States.  Like many immigrant communities, motivations for moving to the United States include seeking economic opportunity to pursue a better life for themselves and for their families. In addition, political turmoil and civil unrest in their countries have prompted many to seek refuge in the United States with the promise of freedom and hope. A report from the Migration Policy Institute noted that close to 30 percent of immigrants from the MENA region live in California or Michigan.

Voting Power in America

According to a report from the Arab American Institute, 40% of Arab Americans surveyed identify as Democrat compared to the 24% who identify as Republicans. In states with large Arab-American populations like Michigan, California, and New York, the community has become a large voting bloc with significant voting power to influence outcomes in local, state, and national elections. Candidates have spoken on issues that resonate with the Arab-American community including immigration reform and foreign policy related to the Middle East, and according to PBS, cities such as Dearborn and Hamtramck in Michigan have begun providing ballots in Arabic. Recent elections in these cities have resulted in electing their first Arab American mayors. In 2022, five Arab Americans were elected to the US Senate, representing South Dakota, Maine, Michigan and New Hampshire.

In Pop Culture

In addition to gaining prominence for international events, the Middle East’s influence on pop culture continues to grow. Arab-American actors, filmmakers, and musicians have made incredible contributions with television shows like Mr Robot, which aired from 2015-2019 and starred Rami Malek and created by Sam Esmail, who both come from immigrant Egyptian families, and Monk featuring Tony Shalhoub. Musicians like DJ Khaled, whose parents are Palestinian immigrants, and Paul Anka, whose parents were of Lebanese descent, have made significant contributions to the music industry. Comedians including Mo Amer, and Ramy Youssef have also paved the way for diverse representation.

Highlighting Middle Eastern and North African Voiceover Actors

We’re proud to feature voiceover actors representing the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) community. Bringing in an authentic voice to your project ensures that you bring a cultural sensitivity and understanding so that your message resonates authentically and avoids unintentional misrepresentations or cultural insensitivity.

If you’re looking for a Middle Eastern or North African voice actor to reach this audience with a campaign, please contact us at casting@bluewavevoiceover.com. We’re happy to provide you with all the information and voiceover samples that you need!