Being A Mexican-American Research Paper

What people label us is not always what we are and it could be rather offensive at times when people label us because of one’s looks or background. For instance, if I we’re to be asked “what are you?” In my head I would think to myself “I’m a girl, a breathing thing living on Earth.” but of course the one asking might not be awaiting such answer. I would simply say I am Mexican-American, Hispanic-American, or Latina.

One thing I can never deny is my heritage. I am a Mexican American. I was born in America, but nurtured in an all-Mexican Household. I speak Spanish at home and English elsewhere. I eat authentic Mexican food that my mother makes, and American fast food when I go out with friends.

DB # 8 1) What is machismo? How does it impact interactions within Mexican American marriages? Please elaborate and explain your answers. Machismo is more like a masculine pride.

If I was to march it would be to help Mexican that live in America to let them work and to let them live like American citizens and not let them do stuff that American citizens can do just because there Mexicans. I think this is important because a lot of Mexicans come to America to give their children a better life but the parents don 't have good choices to work to provide food and stuff for their kids.

Selena appeared at a time when the Hispanic community desperately needed someone to remind them of their roots. Many Mexican Americans born in the 1900s were not accepted, and were practically invisible to the community. 1990s Chicanos and Latinos in America were facing a lot of legislation across the country that would leave them excluded and often times without any rights. Having someone in the entertainment business for Latin Americans to identify with caused a sense of pride, and a sense of belonging. Other reasons being their lack of cultural knowledge.

the article written by Claudio Sanchez, it is stated that researchers have determined that Mexican American toddlers do not develop as quickly as Anglo American children. Mexican American children have a delayed development in their ability to speak, read and the development of their senses. I can look back on how many times my parents read to me, engaged me in their conversations and interacted with me; and see the positive affects it had on me. However, my younger cousins did not have to same interaction with adults and only engaged with children of their own age. As a result, I see a difference in how much slower they are developing than I did.

Traditional healers are individuals that are a part of the community and it is less expensive. Money is not the only factor that deters people away from seeking out western medicine, culture is the other. Traditions of the family are respected and a combo of western and traditional medicine are used (Smith, 2000). Of the Mexican immigrant culture, a little more than half of the population self-treat their symptoms and conditions while the other forty-nine percent seek folk healer or western health care professionals (Smith, 2000). Although it is in culture to use folk healers, many do not tell their health professionals about their traditional healer (Smith, 2000).

Mexican Americans share some historical experiences with that of the Chinese American experience. Mexican Americans first arrived in California in 1917 as well as the large movement of Asians to the western hemisphere in the early 19th century. Mexicans and Asians were not accepted when they first immigrated to America. We have seen this before when African Americans came to America. Orientalism refers to the way in which non-western cultures are perceived by the west.

Throughout my life, I have always considered my grandparents to be the foundations that allowed me to establish a sense of who I am and what is important to me; thus, my grandparents (on my mother’s side in particular) are my key ancestors. As my parents were often occupied by work when I was younger, I spent much of my childhood with my grandparents at their house in Madera, CA. Indeed, the fondest childhood memories I have are simply the moments I spent interacting with my grandparents. Past the fond sentiment my grandparents hold in my heart, I can objectively conclude that they are the sole connections I had to my Mexican heritage- without them, I would have had nowhere else to learn how to connect to my heritage. Everything from the family

For a majority of cultures in the world, change is inevitable. The influences that lead to change occur along the cultural borders of the given culture. According to Pérez-Torres (211), cultural borders are the differences unique to a culture vis-à-vis other cultures. Cultural changes can occur when other cultures influence a given culture or when it resists the interchange with another culture and instead change emanates from within. The latter explains the changes in the Mexican American cultural identity.