Hispanic/Latino Culture

Hispanic/ Latino Culture with Emphasis on Mexican­American
Hispanic or Latino is a term used to refer to the ethnicity of the people that have common cultures and have a historical link to Spain. The “Hispanic/Latino” people have originated in
Spanish­speaking countries including Mexico, Brazil and Costa Rica. The focus of this study is to look deeper into Mexican­American culture that is referred by the United States government in the early 1970s as “Hispanic.” Later on, due to the popularity of the term “Latino,” in the western part of the United States, the government also adopted the term in 1997, the terms have since used in the 1980 and 2000 respectively. Mexican­Americans consist of 64% of the
Hispanic/Latino population in the United States which comprise of 14.50% of the total nation’s …show more content…
The fusion between global and local gave birth to Latino foods (Pilcher, “Coming Home to Salsa”).
Although the progress shows to be limited, the Mexican economy shows resilience in the face of a challenging global economic environment. Undoubtedly, the country is rich in natural resources like oil, copper, and agricultural products; however, the political failings have continued to keep the population in poverty. With this reason, many Mexicans (Hispanics) believe that the “best chance for a better life” lies in the country of United States. Many
Mexicans come to the U.S., in ways of legal and illegal, every year to search for work.
Despite of the laws related to education, the country of Mexico continues to struggle with educational failure. Students are retained or drop out after primary and secondary school. In rural communities that have high rates of poverty, many children drop out of school to work and support their families (McLaughlin, “Schooling in Mexico”). The Mexican school system consists of basic, secondary, and higher education. Basic education (preschool, primary …show more content…
This ethnographic study was conducted in two ways: via telephone with a woman who was born inMexiconamed“Belen,”andinpersonwithaco­workernamed“Julio.”
Belen emigrated to the United States withherfamilyattheageof5.SheconsideredMexicoand
United States being her homes because she’s going back and forth every coupleofyears.When she turned 12, herfamilydecidedtostayinUnitedStatesandvisitsMexicoonceinawhile.Julio moved to UnitedStateslaterinhislifeandhavemethiswifeinCalifornia.He’sbeenintheU.S. for 20 years and have only visited Mexico a couple times. The phone interview withBelenwas conducted on a Saturday afternoon and lasted an hour. The inpersoninterviewwithJuliolasted a week about 10 minutes every day after work.
Although Belen has spent most of her life in the U.S., she still grew up respecting and valuing her family’s opinion mainly on the biggest decisions she has made in her life. For example, before she was married to her spouse, her boyfriend at that time would have to ask