Hispanic American Diversity Essay - 1,074 words

Hispanic American Diversity Hispanic Americans are a large ethnic group that can be divided into four big sub-groups: Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Dominican Americans. The representatives of these groups can be known as Latinos, and have Spanish roots. First people of Hispanic background have appeared in the United States since 17th century. It is the fastest-growing minority group in the United States. Though the representatives of four groups belong to the same Hispanic Americans group, but their cultures and social statuses differ greatly. Almost 60 per cent of Hispanic Americans are Mexican Americans. The group includes citizens of the United States with Mexican ancestry and Mexicans immigrated to the country.


Because of the near proximity of the border, a lot of immigrants are from Mexico. They settled mostly in the Southwestern part of the United States. For a long time Mexican workers have been used as cheap labor, and work as service workers, manufacturing workers and farm laborers. Nowadays, Mexican Americans as usual work as restaurant workers, janitors, truck drivers, gardeners, construction laborers and material moving workers. But sometimes Mexican Americans are discriminated and are displaced because of racial profiling. Often Mexican Americans are regarded to the lower social ladder and are considered to be poor and full of socioeconomic difficulties.


However the representatives of present generation are more successful and take higher positions in the society. The majority of Mexican Americans vote for Democrats though Texans prefer Republican candidates. The voters form Mexican Americans are 13% of all. Some representatives occupy higher political positions. In 1928, in New Mexico the first Hispanic, Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo, was elected to the United States Senate. Almost all Mexican Americans are Roman Catholics but there is a big Protestant group.


Family plays an important role for all Hispanics. Gender differentiation and male dominance are evident. The head of the family is the father. Women run the household, shop, and prepare the food. Mexican Americans are bicultural; thats why they have little interest to their Mexican heritage and have adopted American culture. Though they speak Spanish language but there is some difference.


Most of all Mexican Americans are bilingual. The other large group of Hispanic Americans is Puerto Ricans. The representatives of the group were born in Puerto Rico or have ancestors from the island. It should be pointed that Puerto Rico has all constitutional rights, privileges and immunities provided by the Constitution of the United States of America. The main stream of immigration was in the mid-1940s and 1950s. People went to the United States looking for good jobs.


Most of them were poor, uneducated and rural laborers. Many Puerto Ricans are in New York City, Philadelphia, urban New Jersey, Chicago, northern Ohio, and Florida. As usual they resided in the poorest, over-crowed areas of big cities. The main language is Spanish but there are some words and phrases come from Africa. Puerto Ricans experienced discrimination and racism and often were denied employment opportunities. Extreme poverty has led them to drugs and crime.


Puerto Ricans have been regarded to the lower social-economic ladder and often have no excess to higher education. However, ther ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Essay Tags: mexican americans, mexican american, united states, puerto rican, united state

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