In many commercials that target the Latinx population, the Spanish language is a major way of making connections with the Latinx community¹. This commercial demonstrates a way in which language forms part of this family's identity.


As a woman is preparing the meal, she uses canned soup instead of an old traditional recipe. Her son walks in speaking English, asking to eat in his room. As the mother notices her mother-in-law arriving, she demands that he speaks Spanish and that they all dine together as a family. As the grandmother arrives and the family begins to eat, the grandmother compliments her daughter-in-law about the food, saying that she notices her daughter-in-law still uses her old recipe, but the son is confused and asks, "What recipe?" The commercial uses humor as the mother replies, trying to change the subject, "Why don't you tell your grandmother how you did on your math exam?"

The irony of the commercial lies in what defines "cultural identity" for this family. In this case, what ties the family together is Spanish rather than any typical foods. The mother values her language much more than trying to make a traditional meal from scratch. On the other hand, she may also be struggling to figure out how to create the other recipe and finds a way through other means. There is a struggle in finding her way back to her culture, perhaps because she might have not been able to learn the recipe authentically so she had to develop a new method. So Spanish for her is the way in which she keeps herself connected, although other aspects of her culture are drifting apart. Additionally, the slight head turn as she notices the grandmother arrival creates a different atmosphere for her. Something in her realizes that at this point she must overcompensate for her Latinidad (her Latina-ness). Thus, she demands the switch in language and emphasizes the importance in dining with family.

In the commercial, Progresso, as a brand, is trying to offer more modern ways for the newer generations of Latinx families to preserve some aspects of their traditions, like “homemade” flavors, in order to better adjust to the new society and the American way of life. As new generations start to appear, there are less people that can truly identify as Latinx who have been raised and have learned their original countries cultures through people from that country. Culture begins to blend into American customs, creating a hybrid of sorts. But Progresso's soup shows that not all things can be lost, and even if one has lost touch with their mother's long-lost recipe, it is still possible to make "Traditional" chicken soup.





1. Paula A Arriagada’s article, “Family Context and Spanish-Language Use: A Study of Latino Children in the United States,” states that “even though most immigrants lose their native language, a sizable portion of Spanish-speaking groups continue to use their native tongue [. . . ] Furthermore, according to the 2002 National Survey of Latinos, 24 percent of the first generation, 47 percent of the second generation, and 22 percent of the third or later generations are bilingual (Pew Hispanic Center, 2002)” (600). Spanish is greatly retained amongst later generations, showing that it’s a huge importance to Latinx families.