Hispanics are now the largest minority group in the U.S. Many businesses are discovering that this segment of the population is an important part of the customer base, and since it is growing at a rapid rate, it will be even more important in the future. But for many companies, the Hispanic population is not well understood, making it difficult to market to them.

Examining the use of computers, the Internet, and telephones by Hispanics, each section of this report compares Hispanics with the overall population. The most-relevant differences within the Hispanic population are examined, such as nativity, heritage, language spoken at home, age, gender, and household income. Also included is a summary of key demographic characteristics of U.S. Hispanics.

Hispanics are now the largest minority group in the U.S. Many businesses are discovering that this segment of the population is an important part of the customer base, and since it is growing at a rapid rate, it will be even more important in the future. But for many companies, the Hispanic population is not well understood, making it difficult to market to them.

Examining the use of computers, the Internet, and telephones by Hispanics, each section of this report compares Hispanics with the overall population. The most-relevant differences within the Hispanic population are examined, such as nativity, heritage, language spoken at home, age, gender, and household income. Also included is a summary of key demographic characteristics of U.S. Hispanics.

Computers, the Internet and telephones are to some varying degrees related elements of the evolving U.S. society, culture, and commerce. Having a telephone line is still the primary means of accessing the Internet (and generally the least expensive) and is also important in itself, not only as means of communicating with family and friends, but as part of employment and commerce. The role of the Internet and computers in U.S. society is still evolving, but it is increasingly clear that it is becoming central in many ways. To the degree that the Hispanic population still lags behind other segments of society in their use and ownership of these technologies, it is likely that they will have more difficulty taking advantage of their benefits and may not be able to fully engage in many activities, including some forms of commerce, or have access to important information.

The report is divided into three parts and includes the following:

Computers: ownership of a home computer and use at work; types of computer peripherals and accessories owned; average amount of time spent on the computer per week; types of software programs owned.

The Internet: use of any online services; length of time subscribing to an online service; purposes of internet usage.

Telephones: ownership of telephone equipment and subscription to telephone services (i.e., caller identification, call forwarding); ownership of cellular phones.