Andean Culture

Were any of your answers to the survey questions impacted by your culture and how? What culture do you belong to? Explain.

A misperception of the global community is that countries are comprised of a single culture. In this compartmentalized worldview, a country has the same food, ideas, and traditions as if our national borders are the only aspect to define us. However, Mexico is far from a homogenized culture or identity; there is a myriad of differences within present day Mexico and the Mexican-American Community. In Chicago, the Westside neighborhood of Pilsen showcases the rich diversity of Mexican culture. Pilsen has changed hands as many immigrants thrived in its streets throughout the century and is now predominantly Latino/Mexican. The small neighborhood’s vibrant culture is encapsulated in the brilliantly colored painted murals featured on many building,

The culture I choose to explore is the Hispanic culture. I choose this culture because many of the people I work with and many of my friends identify with the Hispanic culture and I feel it would be interesting to know more about a culture that is so relevant to my life. A few of the big things in Hispanic culture that I found interesting are language, traditions and food. Hispanic refers to a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture.

Every culture has their own unique and distinguishing characteristics. One’s cultural identity defines who they are as an individual, group, and community. Their cultural identity may be reflected in numerous ways such as: language, communication styles, religion, beliefs, values, clothing, or other types of aesthetic markers. Cultural identity is formed by many of these traits but is not limited to these specifically. This essay will provide detailed information on Mexican Americans, and their ancestry and heritage. I will also explain about this cultures central beliefs and values, while incorporating information on Mexican Americans, cultural patterns, cultural identity, and their cultures communication characteristics and styles.

The Latino culture takes a more monistic approach to the mind-body problem. This may affect the ways in which depression is experienced and expressed. For example, studies have found that Latinos are more likely to express psychological distress in somatic terms such as lack of energy, sleep disturbances, and body aches (Martinez Tyson, Castaneda, Porter, Quiroz, & Carrion, 2011). Additionally, studies find that Latinos are more likely to take a holistic approach to healing as evidenced by the principle of “mente sana en cuerpo sano y alma sana’ (healthy mind in healthy body and healthy soul) which communicates the strong connection between mind, body, and soul (Comas-Diaz, 2006). This suggests that a purely physical approach to therapy may not be well-received by the Latino client, and is supported by studies showing Latino patients feel apprehensive towards being treated with anti-depressants even when they have positive attitudes towards receiving treatment for depression (Cabassa, Lester, & Zayas, 2007). Understanding the client’s perception of the self is important in diagnosing and treating depression. Therefore, an effective therapist must be able to understand and incorporate the client’s worldview throughout the therapeutic process.

Since 1970, United States of America has seen a considerable amount of immigration because of economic chaos and civil wars in Latin American countries. The fight between the government of El Salvador and leftist guerrillas in 1980 brought about 500,000 immigrants to United States. They settled primarily in California, Florida, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. The civil war in Nicaragua in the year 1980 drove an estimated 800,000 Nicaraguan immigrants to the United States

Mesoamerica lies in the northern tropical latitudes. From the slopes of Pico de Orizaba, it is the 3rd highest mountain in North America that has dramatic gradations of altitude, temperature and rainfall. Mesoamerica’s earliest urban society was built by the Olmec. These centers include modern Mexico City. Another was in the fertile Oaxaca Valley in the mountains of southern Mexico. Finally another came to the low lying Yucatan Peninsula and upland areas of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. This population mostly spoken a language in the Maya family. Mesoamerica became a zone of dynamic intercommunication. The exchange soon tapered off to the north. The rainfall was much lower and farming was smaller. In 1800 years, people did not migrate

The way a person views body image is greatly influenced by the individuals that surround you. Different cultures have different expectations of how someone should look, act, and dress. Girls are especially targeted by this stereotype of having to look a certain way or else they feel as if they don’t belong, which cause them to be ashamed of their body and feel ugly. Mexican-American girls in the United States are struggling to balance morals of two completely different cultures, concerning not only body image but a way of life.

The everyday life of the Aztecs depended on what part of society you were born into because in the Aztecs you were born into and it was either a commoner or a lord, there was also another social class but it wasn't exactly considered a class and this were the slaves; slavery came upon people through debt or punishment and many people sold themselves into slavery when they found themselves unable to support themselves, this mostly happened during famines such as the one in the 1450's. Within the commoners there were two classes, the peasants and the calpolli and the urban commoners. The calpolli were small groups of family composed of peasants who worked for the same lord. In this case the commoners were dependent upon their lord and their land

The Olmec traded with people who lived hundred of miles away from them. They traded celts,masks,figurines, and small statues. As a result of their trading the Olmec Culture spread through much of Africa. That is what they mainly were known for their trading.

The Olmec culture is one of the oldest cultures in Mesoamerica. The Olmecs were known as one of the oldest cultures, as well as, the mother culture of mesoamerican cultures and were estimated to be around from 1000 to 500 BC. The name Olmec comes from the Mexica cultures that came after. It was not the name that the people of this culture named themselves, the name they called themselves has been lost through history. The Olmec culture was the culture that produced rubber, and had great workmanship in which they were able to create jade masks, celts, ornaments and tools using different materials such as gold.

The Shaman is defined by a person who can mediate between the natural and supernatural world, can foretell the future, and most importantly, can ‘magically’ cure illnesses and injuries. Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca was known throughout the Native American culture as this Shaman, or medicine man. He used illogical means to cure the Native American illnesses that ended up saving his life. “We did our healing by making the sign of the cross on the sick persons, breathing on them, saying the Lord’s prayer and a Hail Mary” (124). The surviving Spaniards used these methods in order to survive, but they did not know what they were doing. A typical Shaman uses metaphysical means of healing, which is exactly what the Spaniards did in order to stay alive.

A country rich in history, tradition and culture, Mexico is made up of 31 states and one federal district. It is the third largest country in Latin America and has one of the largest populations—more than 100 million—making it the home of more Spanish speakers than any other nation in the world. Despite the political and social changes that have occurred over the centuries, evidence of past cultures and events are apparent everywhere in Mexico. Many of Mexico’s rural areas are still inhabited by indigenous people whose lifestyles are quite similar to those of their ancestors. In addition, many pre-Columbian ruins still exist throughout Mexico, including the ancient city of Teotihuacán and the Mayan pyramids at ChichénItzá and Tulum. Reminders of the colonial past are evident in the architecture of towns like Taxco and Querétar.

the Mother Culture of the Mesoamerica, this is how the Olmec are considered. the name Olmec means “rubber people “in Nahuatl, the Aztec language. Olmec were the first civilization in the America, the time they were arrived is still not know but a guess that is around 1500 B.C. According to, the Olmec civilization see developed within a very limited geographical zone of 18130 square kilometers-about 7000 square miles- (Adams 50), their heartland lies on the golf coast of Mexico within the states of Veracruz and Tabasco, particularly at the sites of San Lorenzo and La Venta. And centering on the volcanic uplift called Los Tuxtlas Mountains. The mountains are primarily composed of extinct cinder cones and larger volcanoes, perhaps the largest caldera of which today contains Lake Catemaco (Adams 50). They were the first inhabitants of America to construct monumental architecture and to settle in town and cities, however, they were also the first people

Terrance Baker 10/6/ 2014 Test One HIS 111 Fall 2014 Part 1 Terms used for the test Olmec’s- Early Mesoamerican society that centered on sites at San Lorenzo La venta and Tres Za Potes and that influenced later Maya. Harappan – Early brilliant Indian society centered in Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.