Hispanic women's dreams don't end with themselves. They want their children to have a better life

Seven out of 10 Hispanic women believe that their children or the next generation will be better off financially than they are, according to a study by Kantar and the Latino Donor Collaborative. The expectation of intergenerational mobility coexists with a new definition of success: achieving financial independence, caring for the family and creating opportunities for those who come after them.

For many Hispanic women, success does not end with what they achieve for themselves. The goal also lies in what they can leave for the next generation.

A new study by Kantar and the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC), which analyzes the aspirations and behaviors of Latina Generation Z and millennial women in the U.S., reveals a strong expectation of intergenerational mobility: 69% of Latina women believe that their children—or the next generation—will be better off financially than they are. Among non-Latina women, the proportion is 57%.

This expectation holds steady across generations. Sixty-six percent of Latina Gen Zers believe their children will be better off financially than they are, compared to 55% of non-Latina women in the same generation. Among Latina millennials, the percentage reaches 72%, compared to 55% of their non-Latina peers. Among Latina entrepreneurs, it reaches 80%.

The report describes this aspiration as a form of intergenerational mobility. For the Hispanic women studied, personal success can become a tool for improving opportunities for the family and linking the sacrifices of the previous generation with the possibilities of the next.

From parents' sacrifices to children's opportunities

This shift is also evident when Latinas compare their own definition of success with that of their parents.

For their parents' generation, "providing my family with greater opportunities" ranked first among the factors used to define success. For the current generation, that priority remains, but it ranks behind other goals such as achieving financial independence, reaching personal goals, maintaining physical and mental health and having time for family.

The report interprets this evolution as a shift in priorities. Younger generations, it notes, grew up witnessing the sacrifices of their mothers and grandmothers, and as they achieve higher levels of education and financial stability, they believe they can turn those sacrifices into new opportunities.

It is not, therefore, a matter of abandoning the family aspect of success, but rather of broadening its meaning.

Financial independence now ranks first in Latinas' definition of success. It is followed by achieving personal goals, maintaining mental and physical health, and having time for family. "Providing my family with greater opportunities" ranks fifth.

Building for two generations

This forward-looking perspective is also reflected in how Latinas understand wealth. Seventy-nine percent say they are focused on building generational wealth for themselves and the next generation, compared to 71% of non-Latina women.

The study also identifies a reality that goes beyond the mother-child relationship: 28% of Latina women serve as caregivers for adults, compared to 20% of non-Latina women. The report describes them as figures with responsibilities that span different generations.

This role helps explain why the concept of success is linked both to their children's future and to their parents' stability. The study summarizes this perspective as the pursuit of greater security for parents and a starting point with more opportunities for their children.

In other words, progress is not conceived solely as individual advancement, but also as ensuring that the next generation does not have to start from the same point.

More than just saving: Learning to build

The study also finds differences in these women's approach to financial planning. Sixty-six percent of Latina women say they actively seek out information on financial planning and enjoy learning how to manage their money, compared to 59% of non-Latina women. Among Latina entrepreneurs, that percentage rises to 71%.

In addition, 61% say they are more focused on saving for retirement, investing and planning than their parents' generation, compared to 52% of non-Latinas.

The report notes that 71% of Latina women consider themselves entirely self-taught in their financial journey. In this context, wealth-building appears to be linked to seeking information, investing and creating diverse sources of income.

The logic described by the study is clear: money is not viewed solely as a tool for managing the present, but as a mechanism for creating opportunities and stability for future generations.