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Mexican stereotype within
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Personal Narrative Knowledge is Bliss
Just a few days before I had to do this essay, my mom shared a story with me. In the middle of a Spanish lesson, one of her students asked her a completely unrelated question: Why do Mexican children always wear frilly dresses and slippers to the supermarket, and why do the men always crowd in the back of pick-up trucks to go to work? Although some of the students thought it was funny, my mother, of course, couldn't pass up this opportunity to respond and teach a more important lesson, interestingly enough, about stereotypes. She reminded me of our trip to Mexico some time ago and related those experiences to her students.
I was very young when I first visited a very large, cultural, and modern city. The streets were wide, and the buildings hustled and bustled with life and technology. There were huge malls with the latest fashions and subway stations with centuries of history carved around them. Paris, you say? No, Mexico City! A far cry from the dusty roads and grungy men with poor English accents we often see in the media. This is, in fact, a stereotype. From my childhood recollections of having visited Mexico and seen it for myself, none of these stereotypes are further from the truth.
When we speak of the "typical Mexican" we might first want to ask ourselves: What is a typical Mexican? Did you know that there are Mexicans of Chinese descent and African descent, for example? There is a region of Mexico called Veracruz which is inhabited by a large population of Black Mexicans (when we visited Mexico, my mother videotaped these people and places). We were pleasantly surprised, to say the least. Many Mexicans also speak very clear English, their official Spanish language, and the ...
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...d, they would know that Mexico is not a dusty, mosquito-infested town. It is a country with many states, diverse in their population and even racial heritage.
As with all groups of people, there is a wide range of traits, tendencies, and habits in the Mexican population. There are also, of course, factors that bind them together like the food they eat, the traditional clothing they wear, and many of the ancient customs they have kept; however, branding an entire group of people based on Taco Bell commercials, slanted magazine ads, and ignorant television and movie producers who have never associated with Mexicans is damaging as it leads to the social ills of racism and prejudice. The only way to combat ignorance is to make conscious efforts to ignore the preconceptions of stereotypes and learn the facts about a group of people. Ignorance is not bliss, knowledge is.
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
In David Lida’s journalistic chronicles of Mexico City, he divulges a wealth of information to the reader through a number of sources and in a variety of ways. Lida paints the picture of Mexico City for the reader using anecdotal evidence, statistical data, and knowledge gathered from his own research of Mexican history and other published works that complement his work. And ultimately, his goal is to let us all in on what the city that he calls home is all about.
In conclusion, for many, Mexico is simply a country on a map. Even becoming a place that they wish to keep from and forget. For others like me, however; it was a place that hasn’t only reconnected me with my culture, but a home where I had the good fortune of reuniting me with my loved ones. Also, having had helped me come to terms with myself, my trip allowed me to find myself and recover what I had left
Mexicans, as constructed by Menchaca, are a predominantly mestizo population whose mixed ancestry she traces to early Latin American civilizations. In 200 BC the largest city in the Americas, Teotihuacán, was founded. Teotihuacán would one day be the site of Mexico City, and by 650 AD there were between 120,000 and 250,000 inhabitants. (2) Groups that inhabited the region fro...
When we hear discussions or read articles about drug wars, killings, and illegal immigration into the United States, many of us immediately think of Mexico. As a nation, Mexico is a much greater country than these commonly referred to issues. Mexico is a country with a broad history, deep family culture, and an economy fueled by oil and tourism. The United States Department of State (USDS) offers a broad range of information on countries outside the US, including Mexico. I found a wealth of information about Mexico through the USDS Background Note provided on their website located at www.state.gov. I will outline for you the key information found in this report, and others, related to the Mexican economy, culture, and more.
If one were to visit different countries and societies throughout the world, they may notice the many differences and similarities each region shares. This makes the world a very unique place because there is constant change and diversity everywhere we look, no matter the distance traveled. A prime example of this would be the similarities and differences between the United States of America and Mexico. Although the two are neighboring countries, there is a great deal of diversity amongst them that deserve a thorough examination.
Being mexican in a small town is hard because people just assume all those stereotypes are true because of the race in the town is hated. For example one experience I had was in the library with my friend studying for the SAT when a white man came and asked if he could sit next to us. So we are studying and he asked us if we are mexican and says he knew to the town and hasn't seen very many mexicans around. This is hard to believe for the town I live in is most dominated by hispanics. However when we study we over hear him say “all these mexicans stealing jobs in America” we let this brush by us. Then we stumble upon a problem that we didn't know how to solve than
The American dream, as some may call it, is a cherished idea by those who may lack opportunities. For those in Mexico, it is something that is sure to have crossed their minds sometime in their life. The United States, to foreigners, has been looked at as a sign of opportunity and freedom from oppressive governments or unfortunate living conditions. The Other Side of Immigration takes a look at the Mexican nation and provides thought-provoking interview segments about the people still living in the nation who experience and observe the effects of immigration to the United States.
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.
There are many stereotypes set from race to race. Personally when it comes to Mexican immigrants, I feel like they have it rough as far as being called worthless basically implying that they have no intelligence. According to Murillo and Villenas the New Latino Diapora are “areas without traditional Latino presence to which Latinos have increasing moved over the past 15 years (Wortham, 3).” For a better understanding there are areas that are not set to a specific race or ethnicity. According to the reading it is normally located in Pennsylvania and other parts of the world. Many people these days believe that all Mexicans are the “same” in terms on who they are and what they do . This is where racialization comes into play. The dynamics of the different populations over the past years have implemented that there is a difference between the new Latina/o immigrants and other people who have been in the same space. In the Worthham article it stated that Meixcan-Americans African Americans do not work as hard as Mexican Immigrants. This actually makes sense to me because immigrants ha...
Mexico is one of the most populated and industrialized of the third world nations, yet it remains very impoverished in comparison to it’s northern neighbor. Recently Mexico has been the third largest trading partner of the United States, has become an important exporter of petroleum and plays a pivotal role in the politics of the region. Yet Mexico is frequently treated with neglect and misunderstanding by the United States. This treatment is why Mexico is hesitant about United States influence and investment in Mexico. While many foreign countries acknowledge the United States as a protectorate and a blessing, Mexico sees the United States as a problematic source. The idea of the United States overshadowing Mexico was best stated in Pofirio Diaz’s famous quote. From the Pofiriato up until today Mexico is still in the shadows of the United States; but with the creation of NAFTA the intentional distance between the United States and Mexico has begun to close.
Mexican immigrants are one of the most discriminated ethnic group in the United States.Mexican immigrants are the nation’s largest minority group and they are a growing population.For example,In 2012 there was 53 million Mexican immigrants ,making up 17% in the U.S. Mexican immigrants are the 2nd most discriminated against there ethnic group after African americans.Mexican immigrants are the most discriminated at work and are faces of a 21st century with witch hunt.
The modernization of Mexico brought oppression to Mexico’s poor and riches to the Elite class. Diaz looked to the U.S. as a template of what he wanted to create for Mexico. What set Mexico and the U.S. apart was the Diaz tried to modernize Mexico without all of its citizens having the same objective. Diaz’s first action was to open up the country to foreign investment to develop Mexico’s vast resources, from the U.S. and other European countries. The U.S. had invested highly in mines and the oil reserves of Mexico, France set up large textile factories, and even the Germans had set up drug and Hardware industries in Mexico.[3] Diaz had established an economic boom by allowing foreign countries to develop Mexico. The economic boom brought the country to now have rail roads and silver...
Judith Ortiz Cofer, a professor of english and creative writing, tackles gender roles as well as cultural stereotypes in “ The Myth of the Latin Woman” and challenges them by attempting to replace the stereotypes with the realities. In “The Myth of the Latin Woman” Cofer discusses her life in America as a Puerto Rican woman. She also shares her stories of when she was stereotyped and how gender roles play a role in how Latinos are viewed. Stereotypes will follow you around because of your appearance and how the media portrays Latinas.
Crime in Mexico is one of the most urgent and serious concerns facing Mexico today. Crime statistics in Mexico show that even over the years, the crime rate has decreased. Over the last 100 years or more there has still been a huge upswing in drug related crimes, especially within the last few decades (Tuckman). Crimes as of today are not all reported, so the rates may be higher than statistics indicate. The government is not able to catch all of these drug and violent crimes going on throughout the country. The vast majority of these crimes are due to assault and theft. Mexico is known as the “gateway” for illicit goods and all things illegal; many criminals take that to the extreme advantage. Many drug trafficking organizations have taken over the Mexican underworld, while other small groups traffic contraband (Tuckman). Seven in ten residents in Mexico believe that these horrible crimes and violence have changed Mexico forever.