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Find Out How Some Hispanic Cultures Acclimate to the Mainstream American Culture

Analyzing Hispanic groups in America is a long and informative journey. Hispanics are not just one culture of people; they are a multitude of different cultures with different political views, customs, religious, familial, and other conventions that make each group unique and at times similar to the others. In this paper the author will introduce you to four different Hispanic groups. The Mexican Americans, a culture that is rooted in Mexico and trying to blossom in the United States; the Puerto Ricans, already considered United States citizens, but not always treated the same; Cuban Americans, who have left a country in political and economical turmoil to make a better life for themselves; and the Central Americans, consisting of people from many different Central American countries.

Mexican Americans

Mexican Americans have been in the United States for many years. They have traditionally been viewed as migrant workers who would come and do farm work or work in orchards and then return to Mexico. They have changed from the role of migrants to immigrants. Mexican Americans typically speak Spanish and are being taught, in bilingual classes, the English Language.

Mexican Americans have many values that differ from the values of a typical U.S. citizen. According to Mexico: language, culture, and etiquette, (2004), the familial values of Mexican Americans are different than those of the normal values held by U.S. citizens. The core of the Mexican-American social structure lies with the family. Women, while greatly revered, are still seen as secondary to their husbands; the husbands are seen as the authority figure and the decision-maker for the family. Families are typically very large and the extended family is considered just as important as the immediate family.

Catholicism is the religion of choice for a large portion of Mexican Americans. According to Weisman (2004), “…Mexicans endorse holding greater moral-religious values than do their Anglo-American counterparts.” In U.S. politics the Mexican American people where left outside, until Alberto Gonzales, a Mexican American, was appointed as the United States Attorney General. Many Mexican Americans do not make typically make as much money as their Anglo-American counter parts. “Among third- and higher-generation men in 1989, Mexicans averaged 21 percent lower wages than non-Hispanic whites…” (Trejo, 1997) These figures are a bit aged, but one can almost count on the fact that the figures have been reduced over the years; there is still a significant economic gap. Language barriers may be part of this, though as the years pass this is becoming less of an issue.

Puerto Ricans

Puerto Ricans are considered U.S. citizens, as Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States. Puerto Ricans are typically very proficient in both English and Spanish, making life for them in the United States somewhat easier. In contrast to Mexican Americans, according to Fukuyama (1993) forty-percent, now probably more, of Puerto Rican Families are headed by women. Religion for Puerto Ricans is as diverse as their Anglo-American counterparts. Puerto Ricans may be Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Muslim, or any of the other worlds religions. Many Puerto Ricans that live on mainland United states live in or around New York city. “The term ‘Nuyorican’ is used to identify New Yorkers born in Puerto Rico or of Puerto Rican descent who live in or near New York City. The word Nuyorican derives from a combination of the words ‘New York’ and ‘Puerto Rican’” (Magaly, 2006).

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