Personal Experience: I Am A Mexican-American Woman

To be Mexican-American is to unconditionally love one’s family and all it stands for. Mexican-Americans are an incredibly close-knit group of people, especially when it comes to family. We are probably the only culture that can actually recite the names of our fourth cousins by heart. In this respect our families are like clans, they go much further than the immediate family and very deep into extended families. (p. 173)

I am Mexican-American. I am also happy to identify myself as such. My parents came to America when they were teenagers so up until this day, some of those traditions from Mexico are still carried with them today. These traditions were then brought down to me. They also became accustomed to the way people do things here in America, so it was very easy for me growing up, having the best of both worlds.

My cultural identity, as I know is Mexican American because both my parents are born in Mexico and I was born here. I can also be defined as a Chicana because that is another way used to call a Mexican American. My culture can be seen in so many different ways like for example it can be seen in food, music, religion, dance, art, festivals, and even more. Most of these traditions have changed a little bit over time as they were brought to the U.S. What I mean by that is that some of those traditions were brought from Mexico, and had a little change into them because they were combined with some traditions that have already been here in the U.S.

Being Hispanic to me means traditions. It means my home and my loving family. Being Hispanic also means being hard working. I was born in a humble small town in Michoacan, Mexico. My parents decided to come to the United States looking for a better future for our family. They had to leave the land that had watched them grow in order to come to an unknown land, where the future was a giant blur. But what they didn’t leave behind was their love for their native country. I grew up in a household where Spanish was only spoken and tortillas were always at the table. I grew up loving authentic Mexican food and speaking Spanish fluently. When I was in kindergarten my teacher was afraid that I would be behind the rest of my classmates. My parents couldn't help me learn English since they didn’t know it either. I was fortunate to have a kind teacher who was willing to tutor me for free everyday after school. By the end of elementary school my English improved. As I grew

The culture of Mexico reflects the country’s complex history and is the result of the gradual blending of native culture with Spanish culture and other immigrant cultures. Mexico’s culture revolves around and is most prominent in music, food, and celebrations. The combination of beliefs and customs creates the unique Mexican culture.

Hispanic Heritage is an important concept that surrounds my entire life. Mexico is a wonderful and beautiful country. This culture has been important in my life because it helps me define who I am and how I view the world in many ways. At the age of 16 my parents crossed over the border to the U.S in order to give a better life to me and my siblings. They came at different times my mom came with my grandma then later on that year my dad came with his parents. My parents didn't know any english to start off just spanish but time passed and my parents learned and understood english. They came over with nothing, my dad would have sleepless nights worrying about what their next meal will be. Till this day both my parents are hard workers, I appreciate and love them for everything they have done. I fit into the Hispanic community by

Growing up in a Mexican household has many definitive factors. Growing up an Hispanic child means being awoken by loud Spanish music every Sunday morning which sent a reminder to your brain telling you that it was cleaning day. It means having your parents call you names such as precioso, mi rey, and gordo at any age. Growing up in a Mexican household means never having to buy outside food because “there’s food at home”. Growing up in a Mexican household means many things but all these things make us who we are.

This class has not only reinforced my cultural beliefs, but it has also challenged some preconceived notions of all cultures. I am a first generation Mexican American. My parents were born in Mexico and came to American 25 years ago. In contrast, I was born and raised in California with my older and younger brother. My brothers and I constantly struggled between two distinctive cultural norms— the Mexican culture, and the American culture. My parents are from a small town called San Juan De Los Lagos in Jalisco, Mexico. San Juan is centered on religion¬– it is the home of La Virgin De San Juan, Henceforth, both of my parents were reinforced with strict religious values. My mother attended an all girls catholic primary school. My father was less fortunate and had to attend public primary school, however, since San Juan is grounded on religion, public schools also integrated reliogious values. My parents constantly compare and complain about the lack of values schools in the Unites States teach in their curriculum. Things like: respect your elders, and proper etiquette skills. Due to stricter boundaries here in the U.S, I can see why integrated such things can become problematic. For example, both of my parents experienced physically getting scolded with a ruler for things like: talking back to professors, being disruptive, and even for having dirty fingernails or a messy appearance. Although my parents were raised in strict catholic environments, they have not reinforced

According ,to google Hispanic means: spanish speaking countries especially those of Latin America. Being Hispanic for me means: being proud of how diverse and strong my culture is.The foods, music ,language and the special love we all share. or instance, fiery, hot nourishment is basic in a few weight control plans and moderately truant in others. When it comes to Hispanic Heritage Month or any special celebration(Mexico Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo,etc…) . During these celebrations it make everyone in the culture to bond in a way that make it so easy to be friends with other Hispanic in the different areas of the neighborhoods.My life experiences shape my answer because people think I look Indian based on the color of my skin, but once

Mexican culture dates far back as the 13th century. This is when the Aztecs were prevalent in northern mexico. Aztecs were a people who were all about war and honor. They made many enemies going to war with smaller tribes and brutally killed their enemies. In the 16th century the Aztecs Empire crumbled due to the invasion led by Hernan Cortez. Disease, superior weapons, and aid of the Aztec’s enemies were all contributing factors to the Aztecs downfall. Fast forward September 16th 1810 when Mexico gained its independence from Spain Mexico's identity started to develop. Mexican culture is defined by many things, its food, its language, its clothing, its art. However, There is one aspect that defines Mexican culture and that is family life. Mexicans have a very rich family life that defines the culture. The way that family is organized and the way each member acts can be traced back to the very beginning. It's a mixture of the indigenous peoples culture as well as the Spaniards culture. The indigenous peoples pass on their ideas of honor and machismo and the Spaniards pass on their ideas of catholicism, and family value and structure. I fit into this because I grew up on these ideas and my family still practices some of these ideas today.

My Hispanic culture is exceedingly unique contrast to other cultures because we have countless of beliefs, holidays, lifestyles, etc. My world of Hispanic culture raised me to become an independent and determined person because being the first generation of a Hispanic family to attend college has my family beyond thrilled for me to put value to our heritage. Putting value in our heritage is a magnificent emotion because people anticipate Hispanics to fail; but, we prove them wrong when we accomplish our goals. The Hispanic culture’s strength is unbelievably astonishing because we are ambitious of our dreams and we don’t cease until we fulfill our wish. Including the Hispanic culture at University of Washington may open people’s mind that we

Hispanic heritage is an important concept that surrounds my entire life. I have lived in Puerto Rico during my whole childhood. This culture has been important in my life because it helps define who I am and how I view the world. Both of my biological parents are Dominican, but I lived with my mother and step-dad in Puerto Rico. It was not until I moved to the United States that I began to become more aware of different ethnic groups. The United States has been called the “melting pot” society. Newcomers to this country were expected to adapt their “old world” values and culture to fit the values and lifestyles of the “new world” (An Overview of Diversity Awareness, n.d.).

To me being Hispanic means so much more than how I look, how I dress, and how I act. To me being Hispanic is the pride that I have in myself, for my culture, and the connection we as Hispanic/Latinos have as a community. With being Hispanic/Latino one grows up with traditions that have been around for many years. Quinceañeras being one of them. For my family having a quinceañera was the way of telling family and friends that I was turning into a woman. On the other hand, those that are not in the Hispanic/Latino community can throw a Sweet Sixteen party for their children to show their adulthood. Other things that may vary within heritages are traditions for certain holidays. For example, Christmas, every year we as a family travel to each

This is a narrative of one Mexican American woman’s experiences and her views on the importance of passing down the cultural beliefs of her ancestors. In the section of the country in which I live there is a large population within the community of Mexican American culture. Although I have frequent contact with people of Mexican American heritage either through employment or interaction out in the community, I have a limited understanding of their culture. For this reason, I chose to learn more about the population of people I have frequent contact with and as a professional work with as clients in the field of mental health counseling. The quest of finding someone knowledgeable to discuss the population, their cultural background and some of their necessities, as well as some past experiences, led me towards contacting a church. This took calling two different churches before the person at the second church informed me that I needed to speak with, Mrs. Socorro Garcia head of their Hispanic Ministries. Unfortunately, Mrs. Garcia was on vacation when I called, but I was able to speak with her over the phone the following week, setting up an interview in person at her office a couple days later. This was a relief because I was becoming concerned about locating someone for a personal interview.

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.