Hispanic American Diversity

Hispanic American Diversity

Title: (1) Hispanic American Diversity Name: Jordan Miller Course: ETH 125 Due Date: Sunday, July 4th, 2010 Instructor: Sheila Farr (2) Many people today have a particular mentality regarding Hispanics. Many people seem to think that all Hispanics are the same. This is not the case. There are in fact many different Hispanic cultures. This mentality is just like saying all white people are the same, all Asians are the same, and all blacks are the same. There are in fact several different Hispanic cultures. Some of these Hispanic groups include Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, Colombian Americans, Dominican Americans, and Puerto Ricans. Each of these groups follows their own religious practices, cultural practices, social practices, and speak their own distinct dialect according to their particular region of nationality or heritage. Their language, however, may sound similar in some ways to other Hispanic speaking people, but they usually have particular differences, just as American and British citizens speak English, we each have certain differences in word choice or meanings of certain words. Mexican Americans have been in the United States for a very long time. They have gone from being known as migrant workers to the role of immigrants. Mexican Americans now make up the largest immigrant group in the country. According to a 2006 American Community survey, of the more than 28 million Hispanics in this country, 64% of them are Mexican American. Regarding Hispanics and their families, Hispanics are considerably more family oriented than many other ethnic groups or nationalities. The next largest Hispanic group that live in the United States are Puerto Ricans. Puerto Rico itself is closely linked to the United States and is sometimes considered part of this country, although it is a self governing territory. Puerto Ricans are considered to be American citizens due to this voluntary relationship, so they are known as migrants, although many people still see (3) them as immigrants as well. Of all the Hispanic groups occupying the United States, Puerto Ricans are the most successful in education, yet are the most economically deprived. Even though Puerto Ricans are typically considered Americans, they are extremely proud of their heritage and culture. The major religion of Puerto Ricans is Catholicism with a small percentage practicing Protestantism. As with Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans also maintain very close family ties and relationships. In todays society, Puerto Ricans continuously seek more rights in political positions, as well as more political power. The third most prevalent Hispanic group in the United States are Cuban Americans. The most concentrated locale of Cuban Americans is in Miami, Florida, where they first migrated from Cuba long ago. While most of the contributions of Cuban Americans are mostly seen in cultural and social fields, Cubans brought to the country, Miami particularly, their customs, which today nearly single handedly make Miami and nearby locations what they are today. The Cuban American community is largely comprised of blue-collar workers, but also consists of business men and women, artists, and scientists as well. Of all of the Hispanic American groups, Cuban Americans are the most economically secure. Due to their high economic status, Cuban Americans have more resources to pay for education than any of the other