Hispanic Culture And United States Culture

At my understanding, the term Hispanic is wrongly used when referring to a race. Being Hispanic is, of course, to belong to an ethnic group, but it is much more than that. It is not about the color of your skin or your hair, but about culture, tradition, and manners. All started with the Spanish and Portuguese colonization of South and Central America. From Europe came the adventurous men, full of ambitions and courage. These attributes blended with the strength and energy of African slaves and the Native Americans, and this mixture led to the born of this new culture that we called Hispanic.

America is a growing country with people and technological advancements. As the country grows, the population increases, which involves a mixture of cultures. Hispanic and Latino Americans now stand at 17% of the population, which is the smallest percentile. (Latino/Hispanic Culture in the U.S...Interchange) Even though Hispanics and Latinos are the smallest ethnic group, they have influenced America. Through traditions and cuisines, the culture is changing and adjusting to modern America, which changes the originality of the culture. The cultural changes have also occurred in their celebrations, superstitions, and family. Traditions that began generations ago are still evolving and prospering.

Frequently, we do not put too much attention to our own cultural values and traditions until we are exposed to a different culture, and start comparing. In order to have a more productive and fruitful life I believe we need to become more self-aware and more sensitive to the culturally and ethnically diverse community we live in. Two cultures that have been sharing the same living space for centuries are the Hispanic and American culture. In this paper I would be analyzing each culture giving a brief background and pointing out some aspects in how they differ, like the perception of time, family, orientation, and others. American culture has a couple of aspects in which it differs from the Hispanic culture, which for the

This paper will be addressing the differences between American and Latino culture. American culture is an individualistic culture in which everyone tries to be unique from one another and more successful. Success in the American culture typically means being wealthy. Americans make decisions based off of their own personal needs unlike Latino culture. Latino culture is based off of collectivism where the family is the most important aspect in their lives. Latinos are more likely to make decisions based off of the best interest of their families not necessarily themselves. The primary language Americans speak is English whereas Latino Americans typically speak Spanish. One thing that both cultures share is the importance of a good education.

Imagine someone is lost, standing in a checkout line at a corner drugstore. They need directions to get back on the road. The couple in front of them is having a very engaging conversation, fluently, in Spanish. Most would not even give an effort to talk or ask where to go, but why not? Too often the assumption is made that people who speak Spanish are immigrants, and do not speak English well. Hispanics are, persons of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American descent, other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race. Too often the assumption is made that Spanish-speakers are unamerican, lazy, receive low income, or are uneducated in any way. Hispanics are also demonized in the media as people who are stealing American jobs. That is the belief that some Americans associate with Hispanics.

After reading the article, my understanding of the terms have changed drastically, when i personally think about Mexican-American or Chicana/O’s, i think that they choose to identify as a certain culture that represents them best.

When thinking about Hispanic parties, most people think of piñatas, traditional hollow papier-mâché creations filled with candy. Each child at the party is blindfolded and given a stick to try and break the piñata, spilling the candy onto the ground for all the children to collect (Explore Hispanic Culture, 2012). However, researchers believe this tradition extends back to Mayan times, where clay pots filled with gifts were broken open and considered to be favors from the gods (EHC, 2012).

A group that I believe has its own culture and the group I identify with is the Latino group. Latin countries include Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, and many more. The reason why we all fit into that group is that we share common values, practices, and of course, we speak a common language.

I'm originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where there is an abundance of Hispanic culture. Hispanics are often defined as people from Spain or any country that is Spanish speaking in Latin America. In this essay, I will share with you some affects that Hispanic culture had on me and how it opened my eyes to better understand diversity. Among the United States, New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanics according to The U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanics are estimated to be 48% of the total population of people living in New Mexico, which is the highest of any other state. Hispanicization is the process by which a place or a person absorbs characteristics of Hispanic society and culture.

The culture of the Mexican people has been resilient in Southern California. The Mexican culture is a culture of pride, courage, and humbleness that is exhibited at LA Plaza De Cultura Y Artes. This resilient culture was exhibited during the tumultuous times of the early 20th century throughout Southern California. The early 20th century specifically the twenty’s through the forties was a dangerous period as many Mexican-Americans experienced levels of racial discrimination that went against their rights of being American citizens. Incidents range from forced cultural assimilation, beating, and lynchings, to mass illegal deportations. Still, after all these injustices Mexican-Americans responded by standing up and not letting racism and fear

The Hispanic culture is intricate and understanding the dynamics of behavior, beliefs and practices offers insight for

First and foremost it should be stated that in today’s society the Latino/a culture is both highly esteemed yet also suppressed. In a contradictory state it is hard to acknowledge that many fail to realize what is brought upon an individual with the sole fact of being a Latino/a in Anglo America. The definition of what is a Latino/a can very on a personal level; however it can be established that to be a Latino/a is typically to be a native or inhabitant of Latin America, or a person of Latin American origin living amongst us in the United States.

I think that Hispanic Americans are changing American culture more so than they are assimilating. One of my good childhood friends, Jonathan Arenas, was 100% Mexican. Both of his parents were born and raised in Mexico before moving to the United States to start a family. I can recall going to his house all the time and thinking how different everything was. His family was one of the most kind and genuine group of individuals that I have ever met. Everything from the smell of their house, the food they made, and they way they spoke was unlike any other household that I grew up around. His birthdays were always a fun event to go to as well because they had traditions like no other. Every year there was always a piñata and we all got to take turns

Hays and Erford state that “undocumented U.S. Latino/as are most likely to be shut from economic, educational and physical wellness, and that is not mentioning the stigma that comes being termed illegal; creating a stress from fear of deportation”(323). Being Mexican is hard all together. There are constant battles and discriminatory acts from individuals who feel superior to the Latino community. The racist remarks and common stereotypes make Latinos look superfluous within the American culture. As of now, Alejandro states that he has not been discriminated to his persona. On the other hand, he has seen discrimination to individuals of the same race. His personal oppression comes from his legal status. It is common for individuals of

People of Hispanic origin have already made their presence felt in various fields of human endeavor in the United States. Whether it is their involvement in politics, corporate management or even sports, Hispanics have showed that they have what it takes to perform at par with any other racial group. When it comes to the involvement of a particular minority in any activity there are bound to be certain issues. This paper will explore the themes of sporting identities to analyze the experiences of Latino males in sport. An attempt will be made to understand the barriers and prejudices that Latino males have had to encounter in the field of sports in the United States of America.