As I enter through the doors of my house, without a plan I know that the next words will be in Spanish, the one I know no one will judge. It comes naturally, and it’s easy for the family to understand one another. It’s what I call a home language, because even other Spanish speaking families wouldn’t easily understand mine. All cultures have a way of expressing or defining their identity, but among all they share the qualities that each define those differences. A culture may differ from others because of the way they communicate, food, and even celebrations. A culture may also differ with other cultures by beliefs or religion. Ultimately, cultures may even differ from the different conditions that are expected from individuals. Growing in …show more content…
I went to a very diverse school with many Spanish speaking students. At first I thought we shared similar traditions and culture, but at a young age I learned that it wasn 't true. Many of the families of my Spanish speaking peers were from Guatemala. As some of my friends would speak in Spanish, I feared to answer to them in Spanish. My body would urge me to run home, where I was comfortable speaking it. My Spanish accent was very different in comparison to theirs, and it was even harder to understand some of their words. Eventually, my accent wasn 't a problem anymore, but when I had the confidence in speaking in Spanish; the words I was using sounded “silly” I thought, because they didn 't …show more content…
I thought most of my Spanish speaking friends waking up on a Sunday morning to their fresh homemade empanadas, and then listening to national music as everyone in the house got ready to attend to church. Then, I thought that everyone was as bored as a I was while the priest gave the mass. Perhaps I might of asked my close friend from Guatemala about CCD, but at that moment once again her answer reminded me about our differences. My friend wasn’t going to CCD or going to church events to celebrate a saint’s day, because she was actually Christian. At first with the idea that most Hispanics were Catholic, I definitely felt odd to find out that most of my friends were actually Christian. Their religion wasn 't the problem, but rather my expectations of my Hispanic friends, and it bothered me. I then pictured my friend waking up early Sunday morning to her mom’s breakfast, but it was different than mine. The music played in her house didn’t play the same songs as mine, and maybe she did go to her church’s events but not to the ones I went. However, today I’m reminded to embrace not only my language, but my culture, and most of all the beliefs within my
...on, folk Catholicism. In consequence, Hispanics have in a sense walked a fine line of ambivalence in relation to syncretic religious practices.
Immigrants have helped shape American identity by the languages they speak from their home country. Richard Rodriguez essay “Blaxicans and Other Reinvented Americans” reveals Rodriguez’s attitudes towards race and ethnicity as they relate to making people know what culture really identifies a person rather than their race. For example, in the essay, it states that Richard Rodriguez “ is Chinese, and this is because he lives in a Chinese City and because he wants to be Chinese. But I have lived in a Chinese City for so long that my eye has taken on the palette, has come to prefer lime greens and rose reds and all the inventions of this Chinese Mediterranean. lines 163-171”.
of the native tongue is lost , certain holidays may not be celebrated the same , and American born generations feel that they might have lost their identity , making it hard to fit in either cultures . Was is significant about this book is the fact it’s like telling a story to someone about something that happened when they were kid . Anyone can relate because we all have stories from when we were kids . Alvarez presents this method of writing by making it so that it doesn’t feel like it’s a story about Latin Americans , when
Coping with two different sides of you can be challenging especially in American society. By being bilingual you always have a small character inside of you telling you what to do and how to react. As being an immigrant myself, I agree on the importance of public language. Human beings have a natural instinct to be happy in socially involved activities. To communicate with your peers and have a mutual understanding is a great blessing. However, that doesn’t mean you disregard the importance of your own mother tongue that made you who you are and gave you a unique identity. Using myself as an example, I speak a tribal language that is full of rich culture and identity, signifying the story and history of our people. My father prefers my siblings and I do not speak any English at home and only speak Pashto. I try to go by his sayings because I believe that by living in a western society and going to English speaking schools, I will gradually assimilate into their community and will be able to communicate without difficulty. Contrary, by not speaking Pashto at home and with family, I will not only lose my language, but my intimacy to my unique culture and heritage. Therefore, I believe that you can use your mother language and public language together to only enhance your confidence in both
Throughout Richards early childhood development he quickly understood that in order to succeed in America he would have to learn to confidently speak in English. Richard is Hispanic American and although he was born in America, Spanish was the only language that he was exposed to as a young child. He grew up in a home where Spanish flowed freely, but he soon realized outside of his home the language that he primarily knew was foreign. His parents spoke fluent Spanish along with all of his relatives. The brief encounters he experienced of his parents speaking English were only in public places and the proficiency was very poor. Rodriguez’s home was as a safety net for him and his Spanish speaking family with they are his only real connections to the outside world. It wasn’t until Richards encounter with his teachers that he and his family was heavily impressed on the importance of developing a public language. After the encouragement of the visit home from a teacher as a family
Culture can be found in every aspect of life, even if it is not easily identified. Culture can range from the way someone holds his or her head, to his or her taste in music, to the way he or she speaks. It is truly everywhere. American and Hispanic cultures have a multitude of similarities and differences. These similarities and differences set the two cultures apart. However, their similarities bridge the gap between Hispanic and American cultures. Thomas Wolf once said, “culture is arts elevated to a set of beliefs.” This is true in many cultures, including Hispanic and American cultures. All aspects of culture are either verbal or nonverbal communication, which are both forms of art. Speaking is often seemed as a form of art; however, words
Latinos often use Christian and religious imagery in their writing. The strongly religious memories and values instilled upon during their upbringing are often also used to represent innocence and/or their childhood ( Najarro ). Most Latinos who were raised in the United States had parents who ardently clung to the strict religious beliefs carried with them from their mother country. Therefore as Latinos struggle to connect themselves with their culture they find the Catholic faith strongly rooted in their past.
Preceding her youth, in 1977, Anzaldua became a High School English teacher to Chicano students. She had requested to buy Chicano texts, but was rejected to do so. The principal of the school she worked for told her, in Anzaldua’s words: “He claimed that I was supposed to teach “American” and English literature.” She then taught the text at the risk of being fired. Anzaldua described, “Being Mexican is a state of soul – not on of mind.” All in all, the reprimanding she had to endure only made her stronger: “Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself.” It led to Anzaldua embracing her Mexican culture even more, contrary to shoving it aside. Anzaldua transformed her beliefs into something both cultures can applaud, and be honored
Although our society is slowly developing a more accepting attitude toward differences, several minority groups continue to suffer from cultural oppression. In her essay “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” Gloria Anzaldúa explores the challenges encountered by these groups. She especially focuses on her people, the Chicanos, and describes the difficulties she faced because of her cultural background. She argues that for many years, the dominant American culture has silenced their language. By forcing them to speak English and attempting to get rid of their accents, the Americans have robbed the Chicanos of their identity. She also addresses the issue of low self-esteem that arises from this process of acculturation. Growing up in the United States,
Child rearing and family structure within the Hispanic culture is noticeably different than what is present in the mainstream Western culture of today. One apparent difference is in gender roles. There exists a vastly different expectation in Hispanic culture for males and females. The male is considered to be the independent breadwinner, and the head of the household. Accordingly, the female role is one of submission and provider of childcare. In contrast, it is more than acceptable in Western culture for a female to maintain a non-traditional role. Hispanic culture additionally differs from Western culture in the traditional makeup of the family. Within Hispanic culture the extended family plays a huge role
Growing up as a Mexican-American, I was exposed to a completely different range of foods, people, and customs. My household was largely filled with images of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and other numerous saints. These images as well as a number of different candles and incenses demonstrated my cultures’ strong belief in the Catholic faith. Even the food had a distinctive Mexican taste as the flavors combined with the spiciness of peppers produced an overall mouthwatering meal. Spanish was regularly spoken at home in everyday conversations with family and friends. It was not until I started kindergarten and – to a lesser extent, preschool – that I became fully fluent in the English language. However, I began to acquire English long before by watching educational television shows such as Caillou, Dragon Tales, and Clifford the Big Read Dog. I developed a routine pattern of religiously watching these educational shows where the main characters became like close friends constantly teaching me new things and show...
Something that has always fascinated me is the confrontation with a completely different culture. We do not have to travel far to realize that people really lead different lives in other countries and that the saying "Home sweet home" often applies to most of us. What if we suddenly had to leave our homes and settle somewhere else, somewhere where other values and beliefs where common and where people spoke a different language? Would we still try to hang on to the 'old home' by speaking our mother tongue, practising our own religion and culture or would we give in to the new and exciting country and forget our past? And what would it be like for our children, and their children? In Identity Lessons - Contemporary Writing About Learning to Be American I found many different stories telling us what it is like to be "trapped" between two cultures. In this short essay I aim to show that belonging to two cultures can be very confusing.
An article reviewed, described the term spirituality among Latinos, rather than Latino spirituality, was used to denote different perspectives that may exist across various Latino populations. Multiple, socially constructed phenomena such as racialized and gendered identities, class, immigration status, language, and adherence to Catholic Church doctrine or another religious denomination all may contribute to diversity among Latinos ' expression of spirituality. Personalismo is an important Latino cultural value that is characterized by warmth, closeness, and empathy in one 's relationship with others. In faith experiences, this translates to a direct and intimate relationship with one 's conception of a universal being, which may include Christian concepts of God, Jesus, the Virgin Mary, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and/or various saints
Folklore is a collection of stories passed down from generation to generation that includes Legends, Myths and Fairy tales. Legends are a semi-true story, which has been passed on from a person to another person that has an important meaning. Myths are a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon. A Fairytale is a children's story about magical which they have imaginary beings and lands. Hispanic Folklore is the traditional is mostly about beliefs, legends, customs and stories of the community of the hispanic culture. Hispanic or latino culture encompasses the traditions, language, religious beliefs and practices, legends, music and history.
I grew up in a predominately Hispanic neighborhood, where I was one of the twelve Asian students in my grade of three hundred and fifty and the only Chinese student in my class. I struggled to understand what my classmates, friends, and teachers talked about because they spoke primarily Spanish outside of the classroom, and I could barely count to ten. Fitting in was hard not only because of the language barrier but also the racial and cultural differences. Making friends with people who have little or nothing in common is difficult, so I attempted to copy whatever my classmates would do. I ate what they ate, watched what they watched, and played whatever sports they played. I took Spanish lessons with the family who lived below me, and in exchange I taught them a bit of Mandarin. By the second grade, I had eased into the community around me despite only having two close friends. They helped me to embrace my Chinese side while being assimilated. I could stop being someone I wasn’t, and I was not scared to be myself with them because they were fascinated by my unique characteristic from having Chinese heritage. I enjoyed living in Corona, since everything I needed was so close, and this i...