Mexican culture is currently the leading foreign influence on American daily life. Here are some compelling facts, with sources provided at the end:
• Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language after English, with over 40 million native speakers using this tongue at home. Over 60% of Hispanics are of Mexican origin or ancestry. Additionally, the percentage of total Spanish speakers in the US population grew from 5% in 1980 to 14% by 2015, indicating the rapid biculturalization of American society.
• Mexican cuisine is the most popular ethnic food in the country, with 11% of restaurants in the US being Mexican-themed. Americans simply love taco Tuesdays and Super Bowl guacamole! Some rapidly growing consumer packaged goods brands in the food and beverage categories include Topo Chico, Takis, De La Rosa candy, Electrolit, and Tajín.
• Modelo, a Mexican beer, has recently claimed the dominant position as the best-selling beer in the US market.
• Tequila, primarily produced in the state of Jalisco, has been growing at a rate of around 40% per year. It is on track to surpass vodka as the most consumed liquor in the US, either in 2023 or 2024. Last year, approximately 259 million liters of tequila were exported from Mexico to the US!
• Mexican music, specifically the new sub-genre of corridos tumbados, is currently the hottest trend not only in the US but also worldwide.
@_PesoPluma, an artist from Guadalajara, currently has three songs ranked #1, #2, and #4 on Spotify's Top 50 Global streaming chart. These three songs also appear in practically the same order on Billboard's Global 200 chart.
• Mexican athletes are leaving a significant mark in the sports world. Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, also from Guadalajara, is arguably the best active boxer and was the 5th highest-paid athlete overall last year. Alexa Grasso, another Guadalajara native, has become the best pound-for-pound female fighter globally. Sergio "Checo" Pérez, yet another Tapatio (as people from Guadalajara are called), is a successful Formula 1 driver with a strong and growing international following. Brandon Moreno is the current UFC flyweight champion. The list goes on...
• Americans travel to Mexico more than to any other country on Earth. According to Statista, in 2019, 39.3 million Americans traveled to Mexico for an overnight stay. The next most popular country for American tourism was Canada, which received a distant 15.0 million visitors.
• Mexico and the US are each other's top trading partner, with nearly $800 billion USD of bilateral trade conducted in 2022!
• Nearshoring: The US is the largest source of foreign-owned capital stock in Mexico, with nearly $200 billion USD in assets. The level of foreign direct investment into Mexico, led by the US, is expected to explode in the coming years as companies from America, Europe, and even Asia reshuffle their supply chains away from China.
• The US and Mexico share by far the busiest border in the world, with an incredible 350 million documented border crossings annually.
• Yes, we must also acknowledge that difficulties exist in this relationship, as in any other. The illegal drug trade is a significant issue for both countries. On the American side, drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for people aged 18 to 45, with more than 100,000 individuals dying from drugs—both legal and illegal—in 2021 alone. The majority of these deaths are caused by illicit substances. Many drugs that end up shattering lives and families are trafficked into the US from Mexico. Meanwhile, an estimated 200,000 firearms are illegally brought from the US into Mexico each year, and cartels and other criminal groups heavily rely on this influx of weapons to carry out their deadly activities.
Where is this all headed? The massive growth in the popularity of all things Mexico may further accelerate in the coming decades. This will lead to much tighter integration and cross-pollination of the two countries' economies, lifestyles, and ethnicities. It is evident that Mexico is a natural ally for the United States; collaboration and cooperation between the two nations are a tremendous net positive for everyone involved.
This macro phenomenon presents significant opportunities for businesses, entrepreneurs, artists, creators, and essentially everyone else to leverage what is arguably the most important neighborly relationship on planet Earth. Additionally, the rise of Mexican culture, including the products, experiences, and services that come with it, is not limited to the United States but is spreading around the world. Pay attention and don't miss the 🇲🇽 train!
Bonus: Did you notice that tequila, Peso Pluma, Canelo, Checo, Alexa Grasso, and many other things not mentioned above all hail from the state of Jalisco? I guess cool vibes and people originate there...
Sources:
Spanish language:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lang…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispan…
Food:
chefspencil.com/most-popular…
mexicali-blue.com/exploring-…
Beer:
nbcnews.com/business/busines…:
theiwsr.com/whats-next-for-t… and see screenshot
Music:
bloomberg.com/graphics/pop-s… and see screenshot
Sports:
forbes.com/profile/canelo-al…
lowkickmma.com/alexa-grasso-…
Travel:
statista.com/chart/18742/mos…
Trade:
americanindustriesgroup.com/…
Nearshoring:
state.gov/reports/2022-inves…
Border:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico… hklaw.com/en/insights/public…
Crime:
nida.nih.gov/research-topics…