In identifying the linguistic, political, social, economic, religious,
and familial conventions and/or statuses of four Hispanic groups living
in the United States; the following four groups have been chosen,
Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and El Salvadorians. Each
group has a rich cultural identity but has been placed in the same
category, Hispanic Americans, on the basis of language. All these
groups share the Spanish language, though each has a different
dialect and some words spelled and pronounced the same have
different meanings. For example, sopa means soup in some countries,
but in others it means soap.
Mexican Americans
Mexican Americans language is made up of a mix of their national
language Spanish and English, sometimes referred to as Spanglish.
Politically Mexican Americans were very active in the Mexican American
Civil Rights movement spearheaded by Mendoza, V. “…Reies López
Tijerina and the land grant movement, is picked up by Rodolfo "Corky"
Gonzales in Denver who defines the meaning of Chicano through his
epic poem I am Joaquin, embraces César Chávez and the farm
workers…”(2000). The movement as defined by Mendoza, V. “The
Mexican American Civil Rights Movement…” “…encompassed a broad
cross section of issues—from restoration of land grants, to farm
workers rights, to enhanced education, to voting and political rights…”
Socially Mexican Americans seem to want what all immigrants who
come to this country seeking; the American Dream. (Alba, R. 2006).
Educationally, Mexican Americans, no matter the generation rarely go
past High School; according to the reading, Alba, R. “Huntington
presents data that appear to show very low levels of Mexican-
American educational advancement beyond high school, regardless of
generation.” And that;
Through out the immigration of Mexicans to America it seems that
little progress is made for Mexican Americans to move up from
immigrant status to mainstream social status. Due in part to the
amount of discrimination and poor educational systems that were
provided to them, Mexican Americans have not really assimilated
themselves into the American mainstream culture. (Alba, R. 2006)
Economically, Mexican Americans are pushing for fair pay. This
plays out most predominately in the Mexican American Civil Rights
movement as discussed earlier with Cesar Chavez. (Mendoza, V.
2000). Fair pay, benefits and adequate wages are still an issue for
Mexican Americans.
Family for Mexican American seems to focus on the Grandparents,
especially the Grandmothers, they appear to be the staple of the
family according to González-Clements, A. in Mexican American
traditions in Nebraska, “Grandmothers, those special women who held
them and fed them and healed them, grandmothers who knew the
remedies, the stories, the crafts, the foods, and the language that
some of us have forgotten.” American Christmas traditions have been
adopted, in place of their traditions such as Gonzalez-Clements, A.
“The traditional Mexican posada, a house-to-house celebration of song
and food that replicates Joseph and Mary's search for shelter on
Christmas Eve…”
The Puerto Ricans language is Spanish. According to Tara- Ivette,
O. in his essay on Puerto Rican Migration and the Puerto Rican
Political Experience in the United States; Puerto Ricans began in what
was known as Class Politics, where no matter what ethnicity people in
the same working classes banded together. Eventually this lead to a
movement called the socialism movement, Tara-Ivette, O. “The early
immigrants who settled in the United States were influenced by radical
political ideas like nationalism, internationalism, and socialism.” Still
though many Puerto Ricans stayed out of politics and did not vote
even though they wished to improve their circumstances in the United
States.
Tara-Ivette, O. “I agree with Richie Rodriguez when he states that
"[Puerto Ricans] used their ethnicity as their basis for being a
separate entity in America and sought to improve their socio-economic
and political status as an ethnic group through
politics"(frontpage.trincoll.edu/rrodriguez).” Unity is a big part of
Puerto Ricans socioeconomic and family backgrounds. They tend to set
themselves apart from the United States mainstream culture and
remain their own entity within the U.S.
Puerto Ricans place family very important and respect plays a big
part in family relations; according to Jones Syracuse, C. Cultural
Diversity: Eating in America Puerto Ricans
Cuban Americans main language is Spanish, according to a study
done by Jason Cato Cuban Americans have adapted parts of the US to
their culture. Cato, J. “In rising to dominate the centers of power in
Miami, Cuban-Americans have reversed the traditional cycles of
assimilation and acculturation.” Even though they seek freedom from
the oppression of their country they still have extremely strong ties to
their homeland and instead of adapting to the mainstream culture
they have adapted parts of the US to their culture.
Cuban Americans religious ties are mainly with the Roman Catholic
Church, however according to Answers.com; “Yet, there are many
Protestant, spiritualist (involved in Santeria), nonreligious, and Jewish
Cuban-Americans.” Family ties are close as they are a source of
holding onto their traditions and cultural heritage.
El Salvadorians primary language is Spanish; economically
speaking they are extremely poor. El Salvadorians immigrated to this
country to flee war and poverty. They often come to this country
looking for work so that they may send money home to their family.
Politically El Salvadorians are not very active and generally do not
participate in elections, especially due to the fact that a large
percentage of El Salvadorian immigrants are illegal residents of the
US.
Their social standing in the US is limited to work related
interactions and for the most part other El Salvadorians. They are not
much interested in assimilating to the mainstream culture. Most are
here merely to work and send money home. Since most of their pay
checks are sent back to their country the daily living income is
minimal. Not to mention that wages for them are extremely low. Since
most are here illegally and have no papers for working they really have
no standing politically or legally to fight for better salaries and
working conditions.
El Salvadorians primary religion is Roman Catholic; however there
are some who follow the Pentecost religion because the religious
beliefs are similar to their own. Family is very big among their people.
Generally the woman cooks and cleans and takes care of the children.
Female children are relegated to caring for their younger siblings and
men and boys are higher up in the family order. Everything in their
culture revolves around their religion and family. Every aspect of their
life in this country has to do with providing for their family. There are
cases where some immigrants want to bring their entire families to
the US for better opportunities but for the most part they are here for
work, for even though wages and working conditions are relatively
poor, they are still better than in their country.
Similarities seen among the four Hispanic ethnic groups discussed
here are mainly around family, language, religion and the reasons that
brought them to this country. Common factors such as opportunity and
a better life is prevalent in each of this cultures, hopes of a better life
and achieving the ‘American Dream’ are very relevant to all four
cultures. Family and religion are very important to all of the cultures.
Similarities in what religion they follow are easily seen throughout the
research. Finally, as everyone can agree language is a definite
similarity for all of these groups, all share the Spanish language,
which is their primary language and what categorizes them as
Hispanic.
Alba, R., Mexican Americans and the American Dream., PS: Political Science & Politics
June 2006., Retrieved July 23, 2006 from
www.apsanet.org/imgtest/PerspectivesJun06Alba.pdf
Cato, J, Becoming American in Miami: Reconsidering Immigration, Race and Ethnic Relations.,
Center for Latin American Studies., 2004, Retrieved July 23, 2006 from
socrates.berkeley.edu:7001/Events/fall2003/11-20-03-stepick/index.html
González-Clements, E., Mexican American Traditions in Nebraska., Nebraska State Historical
Society 1998 Retrieved July 23, 2006 from www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-
arch/whadoin/mexampub/traditns.htm
Jones Syracuse, C., Cultural Diversity: Eating in America Puerto Ricans., Ohio
State University Extension Fact Sheet., Retrieved July 23, 2006 from
ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5257.html
Mendoza, V., Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement., The
Journal for Multimedia History. Vol. 3 – 2000, Retrieved July 23, 2006 from
www.albany.edu/jmmh/vol3/chicano/chicano.html
Tara-Ivette, O., Puerto Rican Migration and the Puerto Rican Political Experience in the United
States. Puerto Ricans., 1999., Retrieved July 23, 2006 From
www.trincoll.edu/~tosorio/puerto.htm
Class paper on Hispanic Diversity
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