PREVALENCE OF MEXICAN CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA
SPECIFIC PURPOSE: To inform the audience of the widespread presence of Mexican culture in the state of California.
Introduction
Good morning everyone, I’d like to start off by asking a question. If Jesus was a Jew, how come he has a Mexican first name? That joke was originally told by Billy Connolly by the way. Now that the mood has been lightened we can proceed to more serious matters. Culture is very rarely regarded even though it plays an important role in our lives. From my experience this is due to the fact that we are never really taught what “Culture” means.
According to Douglas M. Fraleigh & Joseph M. Tuman, authors of Speak Up: An Illustrated Guide to Public Speaking, culture is “The values,
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California is a huge mix of different cultures due to its diversity and the Mexican-American culture is one of the biggest influences.
During the twelve years I spent living in Mexico I never had a chance to experience how the traditions that I grew up with were celebrated by others. When I came here I was a bit scared of what life would be like but when I noticed the many similarities in culture that exist I realized that even though I’m seventeen hundred miles away from where I’ve spent most of my life, I’m not far from home.
To better understand the way the Mexican and American cultures have come together I conducted research at my local library and drank a ton coffee in the process.
My research ultimately condenses into three main points which are: Why the Mexican-American culture has such a great presence here. How this has affected my life and why the Mexican-American culture is important.
Body
Why is the Mexican-American culture so big in
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I was so scared because I thought I had to leave everything I knew as home behind.
However that was not the case, soon after arriving here I noticed that many of the characteristics of the Culture I grew up with were still present here.
As stated by Jaime Suchlicki in his book Mexico: From Montezuma to the Fall of the PRI “Mexican-American influences can be found in every aspect of the American culture.” I found that to be true and helped me adapt to this country.
Why it is important.
In his book A Traveller’s History of Mexico Kenneth Pearce describes the interaction between Mexico and The United States as special and colorful. I agree completely from what I have experienced throughout my whole life.
The fusion between the two cultures facilitates the interaction between them. Which brings people together and helps us understand each other more.
The mix of cultures adds to the diversity of California and makes it what it is now, one of the most beautiful states of the country.
In Richard Rodriguez’s “Proofs,” Mexican immigrant’s destination is described, as well as their perceptions and expectations of America. Rodriguez describes the passage to the United States as difficult, yet worthy. He states: “The city will win. The city will give the children all the village could not- VCR’s, hairstyles, drum beat. The city sings mean songs, dirty songs. But the city will sing the children a great Protestant hymn.You can be anything you want to be.” He also states: “Mexico is poor. But mama says there
Most importantly, I wanted to understand why people are so dedicated to their heritage even though they are apart of the United States culture. Even though this does not personally impact me, I have known other people who can relate to this first-hand so I wanted to become more aware, as well as, connect with what they go through and feel. During my reading 3 placement at Morse Elementary School in Poughkeepsie, I worked with two boys who were Mexican and fluently spoke both languages. When both students presented a poster about themselves, they described many aspects of their Mexican culture and when asked to identity themselves, they said they were “Mexican.” After reading the article and having this first-hand experience, this allowed me to understand what Casares is describing. This is another reason why I selected this reading because I wanted to see the connection and if there were any similarities or
She explains how Mexican and Chicano literature, music, and film is alienated; their culture is considered shameful by Americans. They are forced to internalize their pride in their culture. This conflict creates an issue in a dual culture society. They can neither identify with North American culture or with the Mexican culture.
In the years following the Spanish conquests, the southwest region of the United States developed into Spanish colonial territory. Indians, Spaniards, and blacks occupied this territory in which the shortage of Spanish women led to the miscegenation of these cultures. The result of mixing these races was a homogenization of the people of various cultures that came to be called mestizos and mulattos who, like present day Mexican Americans, inherited two distinct cultures that would make their culture rich, yet somewhat confusi...
Mexican American struggles in the United States date back to the Spanish discovery of the New World in 1492. For over five hundred years, Mexicans have endured social injustices and inequalities at the hands of their superiors. The mistreatment of the native people of this land is constantly overlooked for "…the main goals shaping Spanish colonial policy were to maintain and expand political control and to convert Indians to Christianity." (Vargas p.30) With this mindset, the basic nature of relations between the dominant Anglos and the inferior Mexicans was that of suppression, rejection, ignorance and separation as opposed to establishment of ideals that would foster cultural relations and produce the true definition of a "melting pot" society.
Camilla's point that Mexican Americans have had a long constant battle in America is very true. I agree with Camilla' that because Mexican Americans have had to endure so much they have been able to form a strong sense of culture. Growing up in Los Angeles I have always been around Mexican American culture. However, not until the readings did I realize the hardships Mexican Americans have had to face and how those hardships have been represented through their art. It is important for all Americans to be taught the hardships Mexican Americans have faced either through books, videos or art. Once Americans become aware they will realize the beauty of the Mexican American culture.
Clutter, Ann W., and Ruben D. Nieto. "Understanding the Hispanic Culture." Osu.edu. Ohio State University. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. .
Kanellos, Nicolás, Felix M- Padilla, and Claudio Esteva Fabregat, eds. Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States: Sociology. Houston: Arte Publico Press, 1994. Print.
Hispanic Americans are one of the biggest culture groups in California. Hispanic Americans have very strong ties when it comes to their culture background and food. Food represents a strong symbol for Hispanic Americans, bringing the family together by providing a plate of rice and tacos with rich protein. Hispanic culture also comes with religious background that calls for time with family and praying a lot to Jesus. In Florida, the Hispanic culture is also major. Especially with the Cuban Americans living in south beach, Miami over more than 75 years. Hispanic American culture has changed Florida in significant ways. What is more, Hispanics have a very beautiful and inspiring way of representing their culture. In Florida, they celebrate national Hispanic heritage month through September 15 to October 15, and this event happens every year. The Hispanics who celebrate this culture, start it by kicking it off with music, dancing and a lot of delicious food from a variety of Hispanic countries. Also, one of the biggest well-known festivals is celebrated during national Hispanic heritage month that goes well throughout Miami and through specific streets like Calle Ocho and three
The strong Spanish influence did not allow us to fully assimilated within the culture that the US shared with us. When you take a domestic flight from any state of the US to Puerto Rico, as soon as you arrive at our main airport in the capital city of San Juan, you can already feel the sudden shift of culture. From language, hospitality, and the way of living. The place is still a part of the US but the ambiance can tell it is not because it displays a totally different façade. In this strange scenario, being a Puerto Rican makes me feel blessed with a double dose of cultures because it gives me the fluidity to grasp their benefits that can enrich and improve my
side of a border town made Smeltertown residents American, Perales looks at how they also never left their Mexican culture and customs behind. The San Jose’ de Cristo Rey Catholic parish served as a place for Esmeltianos to reimagine what it meant to be racially and culturally Mexican in an American border town. The Catholic chapel on the hill became the locus of what it meant to Mexican in a border town. Through their sense of community and the Catholic parish, Esmeltianos retained many aspects of their Mexican culture: Spanish language, Mexican patriotism, Catholicism. “Blending elements of national and ethnic pride, shared language, and a common experience with Catholicism provided a foundation on which Esmeltianos reconfigured what it meant to be Mexican in a U.S.
To help me understand and analyze a different culture, I watched the film Selena. The film tells the life story of the famous singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. Not only does it just tell personal stories from her life, it also gives insight to the Mexican-American culture. Her whole life she lived in the United States, specifically in Texas, but was Hispanic and because of that both her and her family faced more struggles than white singers on the climb to her success. Even though the film is a story about a specific person, it brought understanding into the culture in which she lived. Keeping in mind that these ideas that I drew about the Mexican-American culture is very broad and do not apply to every single person in the culture, there were very obvious differences in their culture and the one that I belong. Mexican-American culture identifies with their family rather than individualized or spiritual identities and the culture has gone through significant changes because of discrimination and the changing demographics of the United States.
Despite having to battle discrimination and poor neighborhoods, second and third generation Mexican-Americans have made a great strife to overcome large obstacles. Mexican-Americans are finally gaining representation in city government representing the 9.6 million Mexican residents of Los Angeles. White politicians can no longer ignore Mexicans in Los Angeles, as former mayor Richard Riordan saw in the elections of 1997, in which his re-election was largely in part to the high turnout of Mexican voters in his favor. Although Capitalism still exists in the greater Los Angeles, its influence is not as great as it was fifty years ago. Los Angeles continues to serve as the breeding grounds for new cultures, ideologies, and alternative lifestyles. The pursuit of the American Dream becomes a reality for most immigrants in LA. LA is a great place to live, party, and be from. I knew little about the history of Los Angeles prior to this course, but now I am well prepared to answer the question of, “What makes Los Angeles, Los Angeles?”
The United States of America and Mexico have been trading partners since the late 19th century. Throughout time, the culture and everyday lives of American citizens has changed because of the influence of Mexican culture through trade. When trading with Mexico, the U.S. imports and exports more than just goods, but also ideas. So, how does trade lead to cultural change? When you think of Mexican culture, you probably relate the idea to how it is resembled in the United States- for example, Mexican restaurants.
The ethnic- Mexican experience has changed over the years as American has progressed through certain period of times, e.g., the modernity and transformation of the southwest in the late 19th and early 20th century, the labor demands and shifting of U.S. immigration policy in the 20th century, and the Chicano Civil Rights Movement. Through these events Mexican Americans have established and shaped their culture, in order, to negotiate these precarious social and historical circumstances. Throughout the ethnic Mexicans cultural history in the United States, conflict and contradiction has played a key role in shaping their modalities of life. Beginning in the late 20th century and early 21st century ethnic Mexicans have come under distress from the force of globalization. Globalization has followed the trends of conflict and contradiction forcing ethnic Mexicans to adjust their culture and combat this force. While Mexican Americans are in the struggle against globalization and the impact it has had on their lives, e.g., unemployment more common, wages below the poverty line, globalization has had a larger impact on their motherland having devastating affects unlike anything in history.