Executives from People en Espaol, the Spanish-language edition of People magazine, unveiled a new survey yesterday that they say is a major step in business and marketing research among Hispanic communities.

Speaking at the Graduate School of Education, Lisa M. Quiroz '83, publisher of People en Espaol, and Roan Kang '96, the magazine's marketing manager, said the consumer data, which was collected over the past two years, could be used by businesses to target a growing new market of Spanish-speaking consumers.

The data, which is based on a telephone survey of 1,500 Hispanic Americans during the last year, revealed a strong desire to read and watch Spanish-speaking media.

"It's this new population that's stealing the show. It's the 'Nuevo Baby Boom,' the Latino Wave," Quiroz said.

According to Kang, 84 percent of Hispanics speak English at the workplace, but 87 percent of them speak Spanish at home.

"This is a very bilingual community. This is of great importance for businesses: Do you want to speak to these people in the language of business, or the language they use with their family and spouses?" Quiroz said.

But Hispanics strongly dislike being characterized as "Hispanic first, American second," Quiroz said. "Latinos don't want to be seen that way. It's very easy in our minds to be both."

Kang said the survey was the first of its kind. "It's fully national--not just isolated to certain pockets of Hispanic communities. We made every effort to make this represent Hispanic Americans nationwide."