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Mexican American Culture Analysis

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Mona and I had an interesting talk about how her family mixed the American and Italian cultures together while they were raising her. She told me that many of the traditions and rituals to commemorate a death in Italy are not practiced in the United States. This is mainly due to the villages in Italy being so small, allowing the people to be more familiar with each other. A funeral in Italy depends a great deal on the family and their financial position in the village. The more money, the more prestigious and elaborate the event would be. Mona said that the deceased is kept in a casket at the family home, and that people come to the house to remember the dead. The family decorates the door of their home indicating that a death has occurred, and they also put a table outside, in front of the house, with pictures of the deceased on it. They also post notices all over town telling that a death has occurred, and about the life of the deceased. These things are the families way of letting the village knows that someone has died. After everyone has visited the deceased they all go to the church where a service is held, including a full mass. After the service the pall bearers carry the casket from the church to the cemetery, and everyone follows. As the procession passes by the people in the village …show more content…

The United States have obituaries instead of notices all over town to let people know of a death. Also, in the Unites States, at a Catholic funeral they have a full mass, as they do in Italy. Mona said that her belief in God and the afterlife offer her comfort in times of loss. She said that she only believes that people's souls can go to a better place, heaven, and that there is no hell. This helps her feel better about where her loved one has gone. Mona feels that she has not beliefs that add to the pain of a

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