While the far-away North American tribes were having their land taken away, and being harassed by white American expansionists, they also faced another threat: Spanish occupation. During the early-1500’s, many Spanish explorers and conquistadors, such as Cabeza de Vaca, wished to find gold and riches and, in the process, they harassed, oppressed, tortured, and spread deadly diseases to the Native tribes. They often used the excuse of racial class-separation, known as “castas,” to justify their rotten, atrocious crimes. Throughout the 1600’s and 1700’s, the focus of the Spanish explorers experienced a shift from conquistadors wishing to acquire gold and wealth to Catholic missionaries wishing to religiously convert the Native tribes and, as a result, they built up many churches on the land. As one might guess, the …show more content…
Most noticeable would be the shift from speaking ancestral native languages to speaking Spanish. Just as well, Spanish architectural influence can be seen through the gorgeous tiled roofs, proud steeples, and light yellow-orange interiors of their churches and homes. The Spaniards also left an environmental impact, such as the introduction of Spanish horses and other Spanish plant and animal species, which, in turn, sparked the famous “cowboy culture” of the Southwest. This “blended” Spanish and indigenous Mexican culture is commonly known as “Hispanic” or “Latino.” Today, this culture is still very much alive and can be seen all throughout both Arizona and the Southwest as a whole. One can clearly see the cultural impact of both the Mexicans and Spanish, through the architecture, restaurants, traditional foods, and the religious traditions and ceremonies celebrated by Mexican people in the region, such as The Day of the Dead and Cinco de Mayo. Also, there are many Spanish-named streets, towns, cities, and
Native American civilization was not always a pit of terror and agonizing torture for every single being. The Spanish arrived in Hispaniola, during the early 1500, with the seemingly good intention of introducing to the indigenous the Christian faith. Unfortunately, their mission turned into an almost complete annihilation of a culture unlike their own. Bartolome de la Casas, depicts a graphic and ultimately disturbing castings of the happenings during their expedition. The Spanish Christians involved in these happenings can be seen as hypocritical, heartless, and close minded. Although, in the minds of these men, they were completing their God assigned duties, such as
Thus began the story of the European invasion and conquest of the Indian settlements in the Americas. A story of conquest, slavery, and adventure. The search for wealth, fame and power is not modern; it is rather traditional. The story begins when Christopher Columbus asked for financial backing for an expedition to the Atlantic. Already, rivalry existed between Portugal and Spain concerning who had more power in Europe. Playing on this rivalry, Columbus met with the king of Portugal seeking sponsorship but was refused and therefore had to convince the rulers of Spain in order to carry out this expedition he much wanted. Luckily for him, King Ferdi...
When someone say’s “hispanic,” what definition comes to mind? Hispanics are not one nationality, nor one culture. Instead, Hispanics are greatly diverse people. Our language and cultural origins are Spanish and Latin American, regardless of race and color. Hispanics can be European, Indian, or of African descent, or any combination of the three. The culture could be linked to Mexico, the Caribbean countries, Central America, South America and Spain. Hispanics were once considered a rarity in the United States, now we are found throughout the country.
Hispanic culture is used to name the Spanish-speaking, Latin American countries. It also refers to the beliefs, values, norms, language, arts, practices, history, etc. of those countries. Some countries such as Brazil and Haiti are also considered part of Latin America, even though Spanish is not their primary language.
In the Preface of Major Problems in Mexican American History Zaragosa Vargas writes, "Nearly two thirds of Latinos in the United States are of Mexican descent, or Chicanos- a term of self definition that emerged during the 1960's and early 1970s civil rights movement. Chicanos reside mainly in the Southwest, the Pacific Northwest, and the Midwest. Their history begins in the precolonial Spanish era, and they share a rich mestizo cultural heritage of Spanish, Indian, and African origins. The Chicanos' past is underscored by conquest of the present-day American Southwest first by the Spanish and then by the United States following the Mexican American War" (xv). When one thinks of a Chicano one thinks of the Mayans and Aztecs, the conquests, New Spain, Mexico, Spanish empire, Mexican American War, the Alamo, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, negative stereotypes, missionaries, borders, struggles, resistance, disappointments and injustice. These are some of the important issues which has deeply affected the history of Mexican American's. Vargas covers all of these issues and issues of identity, their fight for their land rights, the issue of Americanization, how stereotypes became Anglos justice for their conquest, and he also focused on the women's role throughout history.
Whether driven by greed or ambition, Americans desired to expand their country from the Atlantic coast all the way out to the Pacific coast and the fact that lands in the western parts of the continent were already inhabited by and settled for centuries by Native American Indian tribes, as well as Spanish-speaking Hispanics, was ignored in American’s plans to expand. Nevertheless, through the “Manifest Destiny”, white settlers found numerous Native American tribal settlements that had long been before established but unknown to most Americans. The regions of the Great Plains, the Great Basin, and many others in the West were home to nearly 325,000 Indians (George and David), and Mexicans inhabit...
The term Hispanic is one used in today's world as a description of the culture and people from all countries which were at one time under Spanish rule. In America the influence of Hispanic culture is evident. Hispanic culture affects certain things such as media, food, people, and in particular education. In certain states at least half of the population is full of Hispanics. With every passing day, the Hispanic population increases rapidly. Because of this Hispanics increase more and more jobs have become bilingual; schools have changed curriculum to meet the needs of Hispanic students, and the Spanish culture is being taught to American students. As the Hispanic population grows, the increase in changes of American education has grown as well.
Acceptance and understanding are major factors that must be met in order for people to come together. In many circumstances, it is up to the minority whom are joining the majority to adopt and change its customs and practices in order to assimilate into the majority. However, there are some circumstances in which the minority somehow becomes able to overpower majority and take control. This is the situation which occurred between the Natives and the Europeans during the 1513 conquest. The Spanish Conquest of Central and South America and the voyage to the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492 brought the Spanish crown a great amount of wealth. The native inhabitants which resided in the Americas prior to the discovery, saw what was once their home being taken away from them and being completely devoured by the Conquistas. In Defense of the Indians by Bartolome de Las Casas and On the Cannibals by Michel Eyquem , Seigneur De Montaigne are two recounts of how the Conquistas treated the native inhabitants. This purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the realistic truths of both documents, and compare what each author had to say about how the Europeans saw the natives’ religion and who the true barbarians were.
Individuals in certain social groups are able to absorb and interpret everything that surrounds them. People are able to ascribe to the culture and perspectives that seem to be the best option for them. Personally, I didn’t know which culture I was a part of until I chose when I was 13 years old. I always thought I was Mexican American because my parents told me that’s what I was. More specifically, it became apparent that there’s more classification to what my cultural identity was. Basically, I was considered a northerner since my family is from Durango and it’s a huge difference when compared to the south. This self identification was tremendous since I was able to relate strongly to other people from the north as well. Furthermore,
The periods of Prehistoric America, slavery, Antebellum America, and Reconstruction had the most change regarding the definition of white. Yet, periods such as the imperialism of America and Third Wave Immigration served to maintain factors of whiteness. For example, America’s participation in the Spanish-American war proliferated the superiority and manliness attached to whiteness. This can be seen through rhetoric discussing the Spanish foe and the Filipino child. For example, when contemplating going to war with Spain, imperialist described Spain as ill-suited to govern considering they lacked manhood because they were governed by a queen and had the self-restraint of a boy (Hogenson, 11). Thus, America needed to go to war with them to free
The history and culture of Mexican-Americans is unique just like any other. The story of Mexican Americans is linked to the fortunes of the United States. During the war, treaties, and land purposes roughly 100,000 Mexican came under the jurisdiction of the United States. Despite regular cycles of nub immigration and deportation millions of Mexicans have continued to make the U.S. their home.They play a vital role in our culture and economy, filling many blue collar jobs and serving their country honorably. But Mexican Americans still continue to struggle as second class citizens (Wes from pbs,org on Investigations). Today even, Mexican Americans are behind on income, education, and a stable home environment. What’s so great about the History/Culture
We all know that there’s a border between Mexico and America but, do we all know how and why we actually have that? Throughout these few weeks, we learned about the causes and effects of when cultures collide. Which, might I add, had different causes and effects for every tribe/culture that got mixed up. When cultures collide, there’s war, trading, or progress.
Latin American immigration is a difficult political, economic and social issue today. It has brought about lot of thinking minds to questions its importance and significance to the immigrants immigrating to the United States.This paper focuses on the recent actions that have been taking place over the past decade concerning immigration and the uprising of social movements regarding immigration near the US-Mexico border and in certain areas in the United States including the Dream Act and its benefits.
Being Hispanic is not just an ethnicity, or a classification for a person's origin; it is a way of life that molds an inspires future generations. It gives an individual a unique perspective in two countries, two cultures, and different hardship. My grandparents raised me in their ranch in Nuevo Laredo Tamaulipas; a border town in Mexico. During my years in Mexico I got to witness, and bathe in a truly impressive culture. I went to several festivals, cavalcades, and rodeos. Met many fascinating individuals, saw impressive architecture, and dinned in many fancy restaurants; such as the pickup truck turned mobile taco establishment. Furthermore, none compare in importance than the lesson my grandpa taught me; nothing comes free, life is but a
When we rewind time and go back further in history, we begin to review a historic pattern of brutish colonization, to which the oppressors took it up themselves as champions pursuing a manifest destiny. For the most part, it was all about gaining a foothold on a region's resources and programs of asceticism for the locals. Our first example can be found in Central America with a young man named Deigo de Landa. Shortly after 1519 when the Spanish conquistadors conquered the Aztec Empire and stripped its temples of gold and other riches, a motivated young Landa was sent in with a group of monks whose task was to convert 300,000 natives on the Yucatán Peninsula. Wanting to serve the catholic church the best he can, he learned the Mayan language with such proficiency, that he was able to deliver his holy dogmatic message in a way that the locals could understand.