Hispanic American Diversity
David Weems
Axia College University of Phoenix
There are many different Hispanic groups living in the United States. Each of these has their own characteristics and culture depending on where they came from. The four groups that will be discussed are the Mexican Americans, the Puerto Rican Americans, the Cuban Americans, and the Columbian Americans.
The Mexican Americans have had a rough time since they started to immigrate into the United States. At one point in history, a judge compared them to animals. This changed during the Second World War. This event showed that they were equal to other Americans therefore allowing them into politics. The most widely accepted religion of Mexican Americans is that of Roman Catholic. These beliefs come from their Spanish heritage and religion still plays a huge role in their lives. The economic side most Mexican Americans make far less than their Caucasian counterpart does. This is because of the high school dropout rate. The language that most Mexican Americans speak is Mexican Spanish. This dialect is derived from Castilian Spanish and the indigenous languages that were spoken when Spanish conquistadors landed. Mexican Americans have a very strong sense of family. There is a strong sense of loyalty toward family and elders (Englekirk & Martin, .n.d.).
The Puerto Ricans lack of political activity is a concern of the Puerto Rican leaders. There are a couple reasons why this might be. First is that of the lack of minority turnout in voting. The second is that most politicians do not court the Puerto Ricans. The main religion is Roman Catholic. This dates back to the time of the conquistadors. The economic side of Puerto Ricans still tends to work in factories or service jobs. The later generations have moved away from the east coast and have taken up white-collar jobs. Education is very important to the Puerto Ricans. In the United States, they face the same educational...