African American Culture And The Hispanic Culture example essay topic

Comparing and Contrasting the African American and the Hispanic American Cultures The majority of the Hispanic American culture came to America looking for a better life and a better chance at making a living for their families. So the Hispanic came to America looking for hard work and more money. From the culture being so different and poor this made them the lower class. This also made it harder for Hispanics to get a good education and hard to get jobs. In a different aspect facts show that the divorce rate is very low in Hispanic American families. In the Hispanic culture the family life is very important.

Studies have shown that less than sixty percent of Hispanic American household contain only the immediate family. It is a proven fact that because of such a strong family surrounding that only forty -two percent of Hispanic women engage in pre-marital sex. One characteristic that is of paramount importance in most Hispanic cultures is family commitment, which involves loyalty, a strong support system, and a belief that a child's behavior reflects on the honor of the family, a hierarchical order among siblings, and a duty to care for family members. This strong sense of other-directed ness conflicts with the United States' mainstream emphasis on individualism (Vasquez, 1990). Indeed, Hispanic culture's emphasis on cooperation in the attainment of goals can result in Hispanic students' discomfort with this nation's conventional classroom competition. Hispanic adolescents are more inclined than Anglo adolescents to adopt their parents' Hispanic adolescents are more inclined than Anglo adolescents to adopt their parents' commitment to religious and political beliefs, occupational preferences, and lifestyle (Black et al., 1991).

Spirituality, the dignity of each individual, and respect for authority figures are valued throughout Hispanic culture. I also found that in this culture that men appear to be more dominant but the women have a lot of say so in the family businesses, the home and with the children. So the roles of men and women are equal in some aspect. The women are also really submissive to the men. The men main role is to work and bring home the money for the family and the women is mainly supposed to help in raising the children, support the husband, and help out in the family business if there is one owned. They children are really taught to get a good education and to value that education.

The grandparents play a big role in the family. The grandmother teaches the mother how to be a good mother and how to be a good wife. She teaches the grand children about who they are and there heritage. The grandfather teaches the husband about how to support his family and how to be a good husband and what are the good things and bad things that may and may not come.

Both of the grandparents play major roles in the grand children lives. The Hispanics are mostly known for the very big interest in food. If there is any type of celebration its main priority is the food. Food is a very big part of there culture.

It is almost how they are recognized worldwide. The is an important thing because this is what mainly brings there family together. Dinner is a very important time because no matter what is happening they family makes sure they all eat together just to get the fellowship and share the love between the families. The Hispanic culture base most of everything on there religion. The seventy percent of the 35.4 million Hispanics are Roman Catholics, twenty-two percent are Protestant and sixty-one percent are Evangelical Christians. Religion is a big part of the culture that is a lot of who they are.

The women held the religion up high; they made sure that they prayed for everyone and not just for themselves. The women were also responsible for making sure the children get a good since of religion. The women also played major roles in the young girls lives within the culture. They taught them how to be ladies and how to perform as wives and also how to raise their children. The men really do not have much to do with the children except when it comes to the big decisions like whom they are dating, where they are going to school and who they are going to marry.

The men are very dominant in the family as far as what takes place in the home, and who comes to the home and also what the women can and can't do. It was said that normally the families that come to the United States are sometimes wealthy but the majority of them were poor. The wealthy families normally already have a plan, but unlike the rich the poor do not they just take what they can get. This is were Americans get the cheap labor because these people are willing to do anything because over here they are making way more money than they every made in their own country. After establishing jobs the men send for the rest of the family. It is also said that the majority of the Hispanic culture are on some type of government assistance.

Hispanic adolescents are more inclined than Anglo adolescents to adopt their parents' commitment to religious and political beliefs, occupational preferences, and lifestyle (Black et al., 1991). Stereotyped sex roles tend to exist among many Latinos: the male is perceived as dominant and strong, whereas the female is perceived as nurturing and self-sacrificing. Note, however, that in Latino cultures, the term "machismo" (used by Anglo to refer to male chauvinism) refers to a concept of chivalry that encompasses gallantry, courtesy, charity, and courage (Baron, 1991). Hispanic male adolescents display more and earlier independence than the male adolescents of the general U.S. population. However, some researchers (Black et al., 1991) have found that Chicano secondary school students often exhibit lower levels of self-esteem than their Anglo counterparts. Research generally has indicated that Mexican-American and other minority students are more field dependent than non-minority students.

Hispanic middle and secondary school students were more field dependent than Anglo students; Hispanic female (and African-American male) students had a greater internal locus of control than other groups; and Hispanic male (and African-American female) students had a greater external locus of control than other groups. Counselors and teachers can be aware that, although there are common characteristics in this population, Hispanic Americans are a very diverse group and include distinct subcultures that differ significantly as to custom, values, and educational orientation. It is also important to recognize the limitations of research. Demographic variables other than gender and ethnicity that impact on learning style may not be isolated in studies. These variables include socioeconomic class, geographical region, primary language, religion, family structure, and number of generations in the U.S. The case of Amistad was the prime example of how the Hispanic Americans are being treated now. The two cultures have sort of a similar story.

The Hispanic culture is seen in American as the people who are known to be maids, cooks, gardeners, and maintancepeople. The African Americans are seen in the same light. The Hispanic culture are people who are known for taking pride in what ever they do even if the majority culture sees this job as scrapping the bottom of the barrel. The African American people are also known for being the lower class as well. The African American culture was held down with slavery and seen as a wild animals by the majority culture as well as some other cultures are, but on there other hand they are a culture that is very family orient as well as the Hispanic Americans. The African Americans hold there family in very high esteem, when one person show bad behavior it comes back on the whole culture.

So this means the younger generation has it hard because you have to protect your culture with your attitude, performance in school, your work experience, and your love of religion. The story of African-American religion is a tale of variety and creative fusion. Enslaved Africans transported to the New World beginning in the fifteenth century brought with them a wide range of local religious beliefs and practices. Cultures and linguistic groups from which they had come. The majority came from the west coast of Africa, but even within this area religious traditions varied greatly.

In the sixteenth century, Islam had a great impression over Africa so some of the African that were enslaved participated in the Muslim religion as well as the Catholic religion. Preserving African religions in North America proved to be very difficult. The harsh circumstances under which most slaves lived -- high death rates, the separation of families and tribal groups, and the concerted effort of white owners to eradicate "heathen" (or non-Christian) customs -- rendered the preservation of religious traditions difficult and often unsuccessful. Isolated songs, rhythms, movements, and beliefs in the curative powers of roots and the efficacy of a world of spirits and ancestors did survive well into the nineteenth century. But these were increasingly combined in creative ways with the various forms of Christianity to which Europeans and Americans introduced African slaves. In Latin America, where Catholicism was most prevalent, slaves mixed African beliefs and practices with Catholic rituals and theology, resulting in the formation of entirely new religions such as vaudou in Haiti (later referred to as "voodoo"), Santeria in Cuba, and Candombl'e in Brazil.

But in North America, slaves came into contact with the growing number of Protestant evangelical preachers, many of whom actively sought the conversion of African Americans. Soul Food, This term originated from the cuisine developed by the African slaves mainly from the American South. A dark and despicable period in the history of the United States resulted in a cuisine fashioned from the meager ingredients available to the slave and sharecropper black families. The meat used was the least desire able cuts and the vegetables, some bordering on weeds, were all that was available for the black slaves to prepare nutritious meals for their families. From these meager ingredients evolved a cuisine that is simple yet hearty and delicious.

Historically, African-American rites revolved around food. The society is based on religious ceremonies, feasting, cooking, and raising food. Many of these foods are rich in nutrients, as found in collard greens and other leafy green and yellow vegetables, legumes, beans, rice, and potatoes. Other parts of the diet, however, are low in fiber, calcium, potassium, and high in fat. With high incidence of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and obesity, some African-Americans have paid a high price for this lifestyle. Economically disadvantaged families may have no other choice but to eat what is available at low cost.

Fresh fruits and vegetables lean meat, and seafood is not as readily available at low cost. The presenter or educator may want to discuss ways of obtaining quality foods despite economic limitations, such as growing small gardens in community sites; shopping at roadside garden markets; shopping at large supermarkets rather than small corner stores; developing budgeting clubs and food co-ops; and participating in food bank programs. The African American culture is basically structured around food because anytime there is anything there is food. This is sort of a way to spend time with the whole family, celebrating holidays, and even worshiping God. Dinnertime in an African American household at one time was held very high. This was the time when all they only had each other.

Still today the culture respects the aspect of dinner as family time no matter what happens. The African American children is also seen as below average as well as the Hispanics. This is because a lot of the places that the schools are located are supposedly low-income areas so they do not receive the education, as they should. Researchers say that qualified teachers do really not employ the school district that the African Americans and Hispanics are in and that the plan of studies is not what it should be. The African Americans are also at a disadvantage when it comes to school because the good qualified teachers are not willing to come in and work in such a low income based school system.

It is the same with Hispanic children because normally they are at the same school because of their family's economic status. In conclusion, the African American culture and the Hispanic culture and both very much alike because of the way they are both seen in the same social class and the way the hold there family in such high esteem. They are also very different because of the fact that Hispanics came to America for a better chance for there children and just there family in general, but the African American culture did not have much of a choice in what was to come of there life in the beginning. These two cultures have both been oppressed by the majority culture but still have the respect and pride to try to strive for excellence regardless of what has happened in their past or future.