I Love Spanish Music Has Good Beats

Spanish-language music enhances the development of self-identity of students in a university setting where the music is uncommon because music builds on culture and makes students more aware of their culture and their roots. In “Reclaiming Latino Identity: An Attitudinal Study of the Influence of Rock En Español on Latino Cultural Identity,” Elisa Sahagan notes that the genre of music has assisted Latinos to maintain Spanish-speaking skills and brought them closer to their culture (1). One reason being is it is a crucial part of shaping individuals’ identities. Listening to Spanish-language music assists Latino students to maintain a balance and shape their identities. First, Spanish-language music, such as Norteñas and Corridos, tell stories

I believe that Hispanic influence is evident through much of the architecture and food found in Texas. Through architecture, Hispanic influence is noticed through construction materials, colors, and design styles. Examples of Hispanic influence on architecture are clear in many of the buildings in San Antonio, Texas, including the Alamo. In addition to architecture, I think there is an obvious Hispanic influence on the food found in Texas. Texas is well-known for our "Tex-Mex", and Hispanic-influenced cuisine can be found in nearly any city. Food has a way of bringing people together and bringing insight into other cultures. I believe that the Hispanic influence in Texas through ranching, and even architecture and food, allows for an intermingling, appreciation, and growth of both

Hispanic culture influences states with a larger Hispanic population. More than half of the Hispanic population lives in California, Texas, and Florida. These are the states in the U.S. that have a larger mix of Hispanic and American culture. The leading state for the Hispanic community in America is California. Out of 37.7 million people 14.4 million are a part of the

To help me understand and analyze a different culture, I watched the film Selena. The film tells the life story of the famous singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. Not only does it just tell personal stories from her life, it also gives insight to the Mexican-American culture. Her whole life she lived in the United States, specifically in Texas, but was Hispanic and because of that both her and her family faced more struggles than white singers on the climb to her success. Even though the film is a story about a specific person, it brought understanding into the culture in which she lived. Keeping in mind that these ideas that I drew about the Mexican-American culture is very broad and do not apply to every single person in the culture, there

Mexicans have been in California before California was even a state, yet they have not always been treated well. However, they continue to come to the United States, so they can hopefully have a better life in the United States. Currently, lots of Mexican immigrants come to California, often to work in the fields and farms. As the bottom of California lines the border between the United States and Mexico, many come to live in Southern California, not Northern California. Latinos are especially prominent in Los Angeles and many of the cities under LA County. Attitudes towards Chicanos have mostly changed for the better over the years, but they are still often considered as “job stealers” and less valuable than other minorities, such as Asian Americans. Even though Latinos help power the economy and are capable of changing election results, some people refuse to see this and see them as invading immigrants. Mexican Americans often have lesser jobs compared to their white counterparts, do worse in school, often live in poverty, and are more likely to be discriminated against.

From this conference, I will get out a better sense of leadership and pride for who I am. Before I went to Southfield and The Park School, I went to a Boston Public School where much of the students were people of color. Now the majority are light-skinned.

The Hispanic population has seen the greatest increase and makes up approximately 36 percent of the state’s population.

> Culture: Hispanic influence here in the US. How is your town influence by the

As most people will agree on, music is essential to life. Music is heard while working, driving, sleeping, and even studying. Music can be a form of expression and also a form of entertainment. Songs can describe the life of a person, or they can describe their hopes and dreams. These songs can be heard everywhere from the supermarket to the bookstore. Just like emotions, music is the world’s universal language. Therefore, Chicano Music represents the lives of Mexican Americans who went through hardships as well as accomplishments.

In my personal experience, Mexican music has revolved around my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a bordertown has its Hispanic heritage. Whether I was at home, school, or even in public places, I would hear Spanish related music playing in the background. I believe Spanish music holds many values when it comes to different occasions. The music can manipulate the minds of its listeners using love, passion, and outstanding rhythms. After reading an article online, I can explain how three different genres of traditional Mexican music influence people’s culture.

Latin Americans are considered as minority in the USA because they have a great diversity regard with race, culture and language. They helped build this country since their cultures have been adopted in this country and them also apport help to this country. Latin Americans have made a lot of contributions to the USA such as military, language, fine arts, literal arts, music, politics, food and others.

This is important to the county of Riverside, because this will ensure Riverside will continue to be alive as long as people don't pay attention to the color of skin. In another article by Bluebag Media,” Longtown founder descendent proud of his ancestry” it talks about how Connor Keiser is proud of his ancestry/heritage. A quote from the article shows how him stating his pride in his mixed race ancestry,” I'm proud of my ancestry...in fact I share it with everyone, whether they want to hear it or not.” Connor shows bravery by being proud of his ancestry, even when some people don't appreciate him because of his ancestry. Everything could use bravery, but Riverside needs bravery to expand and improve the racial diversity in the county. In the end there are many other lessons that can be learned from Longtown Ohio. The main lesson though, is that color and race do not matter. If we learn to accept that, our world will become more like home, just like Longtown Ohio was to the families living there 200 years

The Hispanic population has grown significantly over years. This ethnicity has been a culture that has dominated the U.S. Nearly, 16 percent of Mexican Americans make up the U.S. population. The Hispanic culture has had an influence in life itself. This varies from expanding its religion, foods and customs. However, Mexican American has influenced other cultures but still remains at the bottom of the social pyramid. They continue to stay at the bottom of the social pyramid due to their lack of education, resources and beliefs of stereotypes. The Hispanic community continues to receive the lowest income by farther than any other culture. The Hispanic community shows a clear example of the gap between the richest and the poor. The Mexican culture cannot advance due to some problems.

Hispanics comprise California’s largest minority group. They make up 37.6% of the total population (US Census, 2011). The term Hispanic defines a

I enjoyed seeing my classmates and friends in this class and felt that within this classroom we could really make a change for the better. One thing that I felt could be altered to make the class more beneficial is to reduce the amount of films we watch in class so we have more time to discuss the reading. The interview and project are definitely good parts to keep for the next time this class runs. I think more experiential learning opportunities, such as the field trip to Old Church, would be beneficial. I suggest that the class take a trip to the cemetery or to the Rosenwald school as well and get a tour of those sites. I think the cemetery would be especially interesting if given tours from both black and white members of the community, because throughout this class we have talked about different perspectives and the narratives told with a focus on the marginalized individual. It has helped me to see that community does focus on the personal and social connections we harbor and the narratives we bring to the table. Building on these connections, these strategies, and meaningful conversation, community can grow and