The Mexican culture is interesting with various valuable attributes that make it unique. As a people, Mexicans form part of the Hispanic community found in North America. For a long time, Mexicans have deemed as some of the poor minorities in North America, however, this is not entirely true given that they are descendants of the original inhabitants of the North American region prior to the colonization by Western powers (Vásquez, Pease-Alvarez, & Shannon, 2007). Their culture is highly collective and patriarchal. The sense of community has been the Mexican culture's strongest base. Over a hundred languages are spoken in Mexico, but Spanish happens the dominant dialect that many of the Mexicans converse in.
Time is a relative element within the Mexican culture. Mexican people are hailed for being hard workers. As such, they have learned over the centuries to harness seasons and weather patterns to maximize their productivity. That is whether it is at the farm or in other socio-economic ventures. The community has also set time for rites and social events that are celebrated annually. Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead where dead family members are remembered is a major event that is commemorated on an annual basis (Vásquez, Pease-Alvarez, & Shannon, 2007).
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When it comes health practices, the Mexican culture had its systems and beliefs that defy modern medicine. They use plant-based medicine which is administered by the medicine men (Tafur, Crowe, & Torres, 2009). They also have rites dubbed Curanderismo that are carried out by Shaman or traditional healers that have been known to cure trauma, emotional stress et cetera. A number of the rites have been proven over time to be effective in curing modern-day ailments such as the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Tafur, Crowe, & Torres, 2009). The herbs such as Aloe Vera that have been used extensively in the culture have been pivotal even in the modern-day society as they have antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. However, some of the herbs have been established to aggravate symptoms of diseases.
There are some differences observed between the Mexican and American cultures. Much of the former's culture is grounded on community and family ties while the American culture is highly individualistic (Vásquez, Pease-Alvarez, & Shannon, 2007). The Mexican society is patriarchal with the man being the head of household and other social institutions. In the U.S, women enjoy a high degree of autonomy which has served to neutralize patriarchy. The U.S culture is notably materialistic while the Mexican society is collective and focused on the growth of communal ties and bonds.
The Mexican culture is interesting. Despite much of the society being westernized in terms of dress and holiday traditions, it has gone to influence the modern-day popular culture. Traditional Mexican dressing has been incorporated in modern day fashion (Vásquez, Pease-Alvarez, & Shannon, 2007). For instance, the famous Mexican Huipil has become an international trend due to the comfort and being fashionable as a tunic. The Mexican sound, on the other hand, has gone to influence the pop sound with genres such as raggatone taking over globally (Vásquez, Pease-Alvarez, & Shannon, 2007). Halloween as an international holiday draws its roots from the Mexican celebration dubbed Day of the Dead.
References
Tafur, M. M., Crowe, T. K., & Torres, E. (2009). A review of curanderismoand healing practices among Mexicans and Mexican Americans. Occupational Therapy International , 16 (1), 82-88. doi:10.1002/oti.265
Vásquez, O. A., Pease-Alvarez, L., & Shannon, S. M. (2007). Pushing Boundaries: Language and Culture in a Mexicano Community . Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
