Meet Gen Zeta
The 18 Million People Redefining Hispanic America
Over the past year, we’ve spent a lot of time talking to marketers about the consumers they’re most interested in understanding. Two groups keep coming up again and again: Gen Z and U.S. Hispanics.
Nearly 18 million young Latinos find themselves at the intersection of both demographics. Their experience brings together two forces that are reshaping American culture as we speak.
We call them Gen Zeta™.
Gen Zeta refers to U.S. Hispanic Gen Zers born between 1997 and 2012. They make up 1 in 4 Gen Zers and nearly 1 in 3 U.S. Hispanics.
They grew up immersed in American culture while staying connected, in very different ways, to their Latino roots and identity. That combination is reshaping how they see themselves, participate in culture, and relate to brands.
How Gen Zeta Is Building a New Latino Identity
For much of my career, marketers have understood U.S. Hispanic identity mostly through acculturation, or how closely someone held onto their Latino culture while adapting to American life.
During my time at NBCUniversal Telemundo, we used the term “200%ers” to describe the duality of Latino identity: 100% American and 100% Latino. Gen Zeta is an expansion on that idea.
A Gen Zeta twentysomething can be Dominican, American, Black, a gamer, a K-pop fan, and a Greenpeace volunteer, all at the same time.
For marketers, that is the point. The word “Hispanic” alone tells us very little about which creators someone follows, what entertainment they love, which communities they participate in, or which brands feel most relevant to them.
Understanding Gen Zeta means seeing the full mix of identity, interests, communities, and subcultures that form every part of who they are.
Shaping The American Youth Culture
You can see this dynamic in UGG’s collaboration with Mexican American designer Willy Chavarria. The collection brings Chavarria’s unique Chicano point of view to one of America’s most recognizable youth brands. Its campaign places Danny Trejo, Eva Longoria, Becky G, and Ivan Cornejo inside a family inspired by Married… with Children.
Chavarria takes a classic American sitcom and makes it unmistakably Chicano, showing how naturally Latino culture can live within American pop culture.
UGG is one of many brands tapping into the cultural fluency of Gen Zeta, where Latino identity, Gen Z culture, and mainstream pop culture all intersect.
Our forthcoming book, Gen Z AF: A $12 Trillion Market Opportunity, co-written with Adriana Waterston, dedicates a full chapter to Gen Zeta and what this generation tells us about the evolution of Latino identity and American culture.
Coming out early 2027 from Paramount Books.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gen Zeta?
Gen Zeta is the term New Majority Ready uses for U.S. Hispanic Gen Zers born between 1997 and 2012. It describes a cultural overlap, not a separate generation.
Is Gen Zeta the same as Gen Z?
No. Gen Z is everyone born between 1997 and 2012. Gen Zeta is New Majority Ready’s term for the U.S. Hispanic members of that generation, about 1 in 4 Gen Zers.
How many people are in Gen Zeta?
Roughly 18 million people, according to New Majority Ready’s analysis of the March 2025 CPS ASEC data.
Why does Gen Zeta matter to marketers?
Because the label “Hispanic” alone does not explain which creators, entertainment, communities, or brands matter to someone. Gen Zeta gives marketers a clearer way to see the mix.
What comes after Gen Zeta?
Gen Alpha, born between 2010 and 2024. New Majority Ready calls Gen Z and Gen Alpha together Generation ZALPHA.
Related Reading
Who Is the New Majority Audience?
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