According to the Mexican Movement Right (2009) 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 Lopez 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 Cesar Chavez and the farm workers…”(2000).
The movements as defined by Mendoza, V.
“The Mexican American Civil Rights Movement” compassed 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 information that appears to show very low levels of Mexican- American educational advancement beyond high school, regardless of generation.
” And that; “Thus, he cites numbers reported from the National Latino Political Survey, conducted at the end of the 1980s, to show that no more than 10 percent of Mexican Americans of any generation earn a credential beyond high school and only 4 percent of the fourth generation attains the baccalaureate; 40 percent of this generation fails to obtain the high school diploma. ” (2006) Throughout 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.
The Essay on United Farm Workers and Mexican Americans
The 1960s was a turbulent decade in the American history, filled with conflict over issues brought up by many different minority groups to form the various Civil Rights Movements. In this decade, the Chicano Movement started to gain a mass following and became a dynamic force of social change. Similar to blacks, Mexican Americans were plagued by police brutality, poverty, and inequality. In the ...
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 rushing 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 Gonzalez- 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.
The Term Paper on Mexican Culture
Food if one of the aesthetic identification of culture and tradition as it marks its progress from generation to generation, and history to history. Mexican cooking began with the arrival of humans in Mexico and as various cultures influence their cuisine, the tradition and cultural background of their menu have began to evolve. Mexican food, as we know it today, has had its primary origin in the ...
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” 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 “Respect for family is critical in the Puerto Rican culture. Mothers and elders are adored and duty to the family, including the extended family, is essential.
Family ties are strong. Families often gather for holidays, birthdays, and weddings. Machismo is a critical element of the society. Women usually make decisions on foods purchased and served. Traditionally meals are served when the entire family is together. “(Syracuse) 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, 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.
The Essay on Family Culture Change
The depression era family culture demonstrated a close knit community which spent large amounts of time together (Craig 2006). Many families used to gather around the same radio and listen to entertainment or news and the fire side chats then President Roosevelt gave provided reassurance for a worried public (Craig 2006). The lifestyle of a nuclear family with close contacts has developed to a ...
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.
