After World War II, the entire world fell into depression. The depression led to a high level of labor shortage in most agricultural industries in America. America sourced most workers from Mexico through a guest worker agreement between the two countries called The Bracero Program, Mexicans later formed permanent settlement schemes in Texas, Idaho, and Colorado. During the Spanish-Mexican war, The US defeated Spain and took control of Spain’s empires like Puerto Rico. By 1965, Hispanics in the US were mainly from Mexico and the Caribbean. With time, more immigrants from Spanish colonies flocked in the US in search of employment, escaping the war in their countries and adventure (Feros, 2017).
America is the third largest country in the world with a population of over 300 million people. The country is the most culturally diverse in the whole world. The population of America is built by immigrants from all the continents. The different immigrants’ cultures in the country integrate in so many ways. The country does not have an official language. Almost every language in the world is represented in the US. However, 90 percent of the population speak and understand English. All official programs are also conducted in English. 71 percent of the poulation are christians. The clothing styles, food and arts varry across the different states depending on the people living there.
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Hispanic is the most extensive minority group in America compromising of 6 percent of the total population in the country. Hispanic is a term that described a group of people who are descendants of Spain or are from Spanish speaking countries. They may be of any race: African, Asians, European or Native Americans. Mexicans occupy the largest population of Hispanics followed by Puerto Ricans and Cubans. Other groups making up Hispanics are the Dominicans, Tejanos, Chicanos, Hispanos, Central and South Americans There are five states in the USA with Spanish names where most Hispanics live. They include California, Florida, Nevada, Colorado and Montana. California has the largest population of Hispanics.
The traditional family structure of Hispanics is patriarchal. The father is the head and will always have the final say in most family decisions. Fathers also have the primary responsibility of providing the basic needs of the family. However, most modernized Hispanic families in America have a modified way of earning a living where the mothers also contribute to the family’s economic growth. Hispanics value extended families. In most cases related families either live together in the same house or proximity. Hispanic parents exhibit strong relations with their children and high levels of strictness. Every child is entitled to punishment as a consequence of the wrong action. According to The Democratic Staff of the Joint Economic Committee (2015), most Hispanics work in low paying jobs than non-Hispanics. The high rate of unemployment and low income make most Hispanic families to live below the poverty line. Therefore, adolescents may take up adult roles by working due to the high economics demands.
The Mexican style of the building inspires Hispanics' architectural design. Architectures and builders in Florida, the southwestern American states, and California make plans with the Spanish heritage. Their structures are usually smooth-walled, flat-wall surfaces, shadowy arcaded promenades, and curvaceous cables. Interior walls are usually stucco-plastered with terra cotta, whitewashed or sometimes painted with bright lime based paints (Leornard & Lugo-Lugo, 2015).
Language goes hand in hand with culture. In most cases, people who speak the same language share the same cultural values. Hispanics are not only known to speak Spanish but they are also fluent in English. However, the modern generation of Hispanics uses more of English than Spanish. There is also an emergence of an informal hybrid of both English and Spanish commonly known as Spanglish. It is widely spoken by young Hispanics aged between 16 and 25.
Hispanics’ culture is rich in customs and traditional celebrating. These celebrations are significant in keeping their culture alive, connecting with family, friends and the entire community. The festivals are both religious and patriotic. For instance, like many other cultures with Christianity as the central religion, Hispanics celebrate the “Naiad” yearly, commonly known as Christmas. However, their Christmas is unique with the prominent role of the "Nacimiento" which is the nativity scene. The Hispanics also celebrate a religious holy week called “Le Seaman Sate”. This is the week of lent that comes before the Easter celebrations. They also observe the Hispanic heritage month every 15 th September to 15 th October to promote and appreciate their cultural heritage. The “Quince Anos” celebration, also called the “Quinceanera” is a traditional Hispanic celebration that marks the passage of a young girl to womanhood. Modernity has disrupted this celebration. Nowadays most girls choose to celebrate it in a non-formal and untraditional way by going for a vacation with only close friends or family (Leornard & Lugo-Lugo, 2015).
Almost all Hispanics identify themselves with a particular religion. Most of them pray nearly every day. Besides, the majority of parents give religious names to their children. Most Hispanics identify themselves with the Catholic and Protestant religions. Although Christian faith is shared among all Hispanics, there are religious practices that differ depending on the location or family upbringings. For Instance, reading the bible, praying every day and evangelism are not common religious practices to everyone. The University of San Diego center for the study of Catholism is consecrated explicitly for studying theology and Catholic doctrines. Some Hispanics are Muslims. According to Medina (2014), the Hispanic Muslims find a lot of common characteristics between the Hispanic culture and Islam. Some of the Islamic customs among Hispanic include Creole folklore, prioritization of family values and culture.
Hispanics’ foods are slowly influencing the American cuisine. Hispanic food is a representation of different countries. Some traditional Hispanic food includes paella, grilled corn, stuffed peppers, and tacos. Hispanic menus also vary in ingredients and flavors depending on the region. The meals are spicy with Chile-based sauces for chicken and pork. Hispanics living in Central America within areas like Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica drift away from the original Hispanic cuisine. Chicken and pork dishes are more prevalent, beans are rarely refried, and white rice is served more than yellow rice. Most Hispanic indigenous roots like sweet potatoes are only served as accompaniments to the main meal of breakfast. Hispanics originating from the Caribbean areas like Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic eat a lot of seafood (Feros, 2017).
Most Hispanics fear the evil eye which they call “mal de mojo”. They believe that a mere look can curse somebody. They wear amulets, and bracelets for protection Hispanics in central America think that the only cure for a curse is rubbing around the eye socket with an umbilical cord. Hispanics do not accept salt shakes handed over to them because they believe it is a sign of bad luck. They also think that cutting a baby's hair early before he or she learns to walk will delay the walking process. A large percentage of American Hispanics believe in the existence of evil spirits. Others believe that magic, witchcraft, and sorcery have a strong influence in the lives of people. Besides, communicating with evil spirits is easy and a usual practice.
The central principle of leadership among Hispanics is "personalismo". This principle upholds the original belief that everybody has inherent values and they have to be treated with respect. Other principals include personal awareness and collective purpose. Leadership in Hispanics is meant to bind together the community. Effective leadership has to invite other people to be part of the culture. Therefore, Hispanics are firmly against racism and discrimination of other groups.
Some of the Hispanic beliefs have a direct impact on health, for instance, they baptize infants when they are very young. They also anoint the sick especially when the disease is non-life threatening. People with strong relationships with the church have a negative attitude towards family planning. Moreover, they view illness as God's will to humanity or divine punishment for doing wrong. They regard mental illness as an imbalance between the environment and an individual. Sometimes sick people may either prefer home remedies for treatment or consult folk healers called curandero (Medina, 2014). Death Amon Hispanics is a sad moment that gathers together family and friends. They bury the dead in the cemetery. Most families hold a church service the next day. Celebrations honoring the dead continue for a long time with functions like Novena Rios, death anniversary and All Souls Day.
Summary
Hispanic Americans mostly speak the Spanish language. However, most second generational Hispanics are multilingual. They speak English as well. The group is rich in culture and traditions that are not only unifying but entertaining. Their beliefs are the foundations of their behavior patterns. For instance, Hispanics are known for poor access to health facilities due to their belief in spiritualism and divine healing power. Hispanics share a lot in common from the Mexicans since Mexicans make up a large percentage of the Hispanics in America. Furthermore, their cuisine, music, language is gradually being adopted by Americans.
Conclusion
I had a particular interest in the Hispanic culture due to its well-rounded customs and traditions. Besides; it is one of the minority groups in America with the fastest growing population. Understanding the Hispanic culture is essential to draw assumptions and conclusions of what happens to individuals. Hispanics are an inspiration from the way they preserve and protect their culture, family and traditional customs from one generation to another. This study will help me to value and appreciate my culture more.
References
Democratic staff of the Joint Economic Committee (2015). The Economic state of the latino Community in America.
Feros, A. (2017). Speaking of spain: the evolution of race and nation in the Hispaic world. Cambridge : Harvard University Press.
Leornard, D. J., & Lugo-Lugo, C. R. (2015). Latino history and culture: an encyclopedia. London: Routledge.
Medina, C. (2014). Beliefs and traditions that impact the Latino Healthcare. Delta Region AETC , 1-62.
