Similarities And Differences Of The Hispanic And American Culture

Being Hispanic, for me, is to have an everlasting relationship with our past, but always looking toward the future. As Hispanic people, we must keep alive

American culture is heavily influenced by the Hispanic culture because when Hispanic people move to America they bring their culture with them. Their culture has influenced our religion, cuisine, social media, etc. Hispanic people make up 15.8% of the population in America so it is no surprise that they are the leading minority group to have influence on American culture.

Food is a major part of every culture, some very different and some very similar. American and Spanish cultures are very different because of eating habits, meal times, and how people interact over food. There are several differences between American and Spanish food, but there is one similarity: it brings people closer together like nothing else.

This paper will be addressing the differences between American and Latino culture. American culture is an individualistic culture in which everyone tries to be unique from one another and more successful. Success in the American culture typically means being wealthy. Americans make decisions based off of their own personal needs unlike Latino culture. Latino culture is based off of collectivism where the family is the most important aspect in their lives. Latinos are more likely to make decisions based off of the best interest of their families not necessarily themselves. The primary language Americans speak is English whereas Latino Americans typically speak Spanish. One thing that both cultures share is the importance of a good education.

The Hispanic population has experienced an incredible growth in the past decade in the United States of America. In 2006 it was estimated that the Hispanic cover 11 % of the population in North America. Their Origin is in Mexico and the few Spanish speaking countries in the Caribbean. American culture is derived from people who originated from the European nations like Italy and the Great Britain. Cultural identity is very important for every ethnic group as it shapes the culture of that particular faction and therefore, a certain culture cannot realize its own values until it is exposed to another one.

An immigrant's culture and beliefs take a shift, sometimes going extinct, or they evolve to include elements from both countries; where they grew up, and where they’ll grow old. Transculturation is key in order to fit into a new society, those who do it well have a smoother time transitioning. For example the Hmong and Mexicans both had to flee their country, but the Mexicans found it easier to transition to the American culture than the Hmongs.The Hmongs never thought they would leave their home in Laos, they were happy and thriving on their lands. Unfortunately war struck and the Hmong agreed to help the US fight back, due to their involvement in the war, they were seen as traders, therefore they were persecuted by the Vietnamese. Due to this the Hmong people suffered in

Imagine someone is lost, standing in a checkout line at a corner drugstore. They need directions to get back on the road. The couple in front of them is having a very engaging conversation, fluently, in Spanish. Most would not even give an effort to talk or ask where to go, but why not? Too often the assumption is made that people who speak Spanish are immigrants, and do not speak English well. Hispanics are, persons of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American descent, other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race. Too often the assumption is made that Spanish-speakers are unamerican, lazy, receive low income, or are uneducated in any way. Hispanics are also demonized in the media as people who are stealing American jobs. That is the belief that some Americans associate with Hispanics.

Hispanics have greatly influenced U.S. culture. Their contributions have impacted just about every aspect of society and they have become a part of our nation’s diversity. Hispanics are typically defined as people from Spanish speaking countries or directly from Spain. According the to U.S. Census Bureau (2015), Hispanics make up more than 17% of the population with 55 million living in the United States.

For the past three years I have been learning about industry and underserved communities; the political framework of organizations; and cultural differences between Latinos and Americans. The purpose of this is to create social change at the systemic level to transform communities.

While Texas leader Stephen Austin initially had no contempt toward Mexicans, the Anglo-American citizens in the area did. The American Texans of the 1800’s defined Mexicans as “a race alien to everything that Americans held dear” (De Leon 4). This sentiment would serve as the primary catalyst to the Texas secession from Mexico. When Austin began colonizing the area, he envisioned a place in which Anglo-Americans and Tejanos, Mexicans living in Texas, could live together. Eventually, though, the public opinions of North American settlers in the territory and in Washington would make him realize that the goal of unity between the two groups was impossible.

People identify themselves with many different labels that society gives. When it come to cultural identity people label themselve based on their background. Like your family heritage or your DNA. In society there's a line between every culture making each one different even though everyone is the same. Mexican and American cultures are different but people of those cultures are the same. I?m a girl who has a mexican culture. I identify as mexican even though i'm not as connected to my culture as i used to be.

A person is incomplete if they are not aware of the history behind their heritage. Growing up in a predominantly white community, I felt like I was only American due to my lack of exposure of Hispanic culture. Yes, I knew I was different from the rest of the people I grew up with - my brown skin, the language my parents spoke to me, and the music I heard when I walked into my grandparents’ home reminded me that I was a part of another heritage too. But how could I fully identify with being Hispanic if I rarely participated in Hispanic tradition?

During the time I spent in the lessons of talk study time I actually enjoyed it. I learned quite a bit from it ranging from new Spanish words and culture gestures that some Spanish speaking countries have. For an example I understand how important the common catchphrase “act as if” after couple meetings with people at talk study time and talking to Spanish speakers elsewhere expressing a neutral feeling of your condition is not common to some native Spanish speakers as it would in the United States of America. In comparison to citizens of the United States we are much more reserved than the Spanish speaking countries that I know of. I admire their custom and I kind of wish people of country were more like this to a certain degree.

I selected this particular program, Fordham Granada, because I am interested in learning more about the culture of Spain and European politics. I saw that there is a class in Granada that talks about the political system of the European Union which is something that caught my attention. I am also excited to explore Spain and see their history in addition to being able to practice my Spanish. Although I am a native Spanish Speaker, I know that there is a different root of the Spanish language that is used in Spain, furthermore, making me curious to learn and be able to see the small differences between the Spanish language that I know versus the original Spanish language.

Everybody has their own definition of Culture – and when this word is used generally, most audiences have a rough idea of its meaning. Culture usually refers to the beliefs, ideas, languages, rituals and traditions by certain communities, that are passed from generation to generations continuously over the past many centuries. In society, two cultures cannot be same if one is located on the west coast and the other one is all the way to the East. As we compare, the American and Indian cultures have very vast differentiation between them. While the culture of America is a mixture of different cultures since each immigrant internally packed his or her previously