Cultural Diversity in American Society - Essay Example

Running Head: CULTURAL DIVERSITY Cultural Diversity In American Society This study describes, analyzes, and compares twocultures existing in the United States. They are namely the Filipino-American and Mexican-American culture. This study presents their language, values, beliefs, and norms. It shows that both cultures have similar family values and beliefs largely due to their shared Catholic faith. It demonstrates how they are different from each other in terms of experiences in discrimination, Mexican-Americans having experienced a greater degree of discrimination as compared to their Filipino counterparts in the United States. Mexican-Americans also tend to be more in touch with their culture mainly because of their proximity to their native country. Filipino-Americans have a better grasp of the English language as compared to the Mexican-Americans. This fact is attributed to the fact that English is a primary medium of instruction in the Philippines CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN AMERICAN SOCIETY This paper aims to engender an understanding and acceptance of the cultural differences in the minorities that exist alongside the American culture. Specifically it features the Filipino-American and the Mexican-American cultural communities. This paper describes their culture in terms of the language, values, beliefs, and norms that distinguish them from all other racial groups and communities. It aims to open this researcher’s mind to the essence of these cultures and how they contribute to the richness of life in America. Principle Findings The Filipino-American Culture The Filipino-Americans are Americans who trace back their roots to the Philippines. They may be migrants now permanently living in the United States, or descendants of Filipino migrants, or children of Filipino migrants who married Americans and now call the United Stated their home. The Filipino-American community is the second largest Asian-American cultural minority in the United States today. The highest concentration of Filipino-Americans is found in California, Hawaii, Washington, New York and New Jersey. They contribute to the American economy and the American way of life through their beliefs, traditions, family values and other unique practices. Language. Most Filipino-Americans speak English and Filipino. English is the second language in the Philippines; hence migrants do not have too much trouble speaking the language in the States. They have a good grasp and command of the English language. There are many other dialects that Filipinos speak depending on what province they hail from. However, the Filipino migrants oftentimes do not teach these dialects to their children. Most children of migrants raised in the Philippines and later brought to the States are bilingual. And it is good to note that some Filipino-American children grow up listening to the Filipino language in their homes, thereby making it possible for them to have, at the very least, a basic comprehension of their native language. Values. Filipino values are rooted in their Catholic and religious upbringing. Filipino families are traditionally patriarchal, with the father acting as head of the family and from whom all decisions originate. He is considered as the provider of the family and the mother is the caregiver who takes care of the children and other household concerns. However, economic difficulties and more practical concerns have paved the way for the working mom. The mother is no longer the stay at home figure in the family. She is out in the world earning a living to help provide for the family’s needs. Filipino families are extended, meaning its members do not just include the father, mother and children in one household, oftentimes, the grandparents, uncles, aunts, grandchildren, cousins live in one household or in adjoining houses. They have a “penchant for adopting relatives however distantly related” (Francisco, 2001). It is an accepted norm that a child may not leave the family home at the age of majority. He may opt to live with his parents while he is going to college, or while he is working, or even while he is not doing anything. Filipino families are very close knit. They are known for putting their family first before all other considerations. Elders are given much respect and importance; as they grow old, they are cared for by their children and grandchildren. Filipinos have very conservative values. Public display of affection and pre-marital sex between couples is frowned upon. The traditional white wedding is given great credence and is much preferred over judge-presided proceedings. Beliefs. Filipinos are largely Catholic with a very small percentage belonging to the Protestant sects. They believe in the immortality of the human soul. They are very devout in their religious beliefs and practices. They value the education of their children. They recognize that as parents, it is their primary responsibility to send their children to school and to help them finish their degrees. They consider it a matter of great pride to be able to claim that their children have all finished their studies and are now titled professionals. Norms. Filipinos are known for their hospitality. They welcome their guests grandly and lavishly into their humble homes. They celebrate many occasions with food like ‘adobo’ (pork or chicken cooked in soy sauce and vinegar), ‘pancit’ (noodles), ‘lumpia’ (egg rolls), roasted pig, and grilled pork and fish. Their holidays and celebrations very much follow the Catholic calendar. They mark the passing of Good Friday through fasting and abstinence. They also observe the nine nights of midnight masses leading up to Christmas called the ‘Misa de Gallo’. Filipinos use the words ‘po’ or ‘ho’ at the end of sentences as a sign of respect. This practice is however only applied when they speak with other Filipinos; it is not integrated into their conversations with non-Filipinos. These added words are very much similar to using ma’am or sir in our sentences in deference to an authority figure or to someone older. Some Filipino gestures are considered rude by Americans, and vice versa. Filipinos consider it rude to beckon with a finger. On the other hand, some Americans may be offended when “Filipinos gesture with their lips to point things” (Claudio-Perez.1998). Filipinos are also known to raise their eyebrows in recognition and to answer ‘yes’ and nod upwards as a sign of greeting. Most Americans however think these rude and challenging gestures. Mexican-American Culture Mexican-Americans represent 9% of the U.S. population. They form the largest Hispanic group in the United States forming and building communities mostly in Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Tucson, Las Vegas, and other underlying communities. Language. Mexican-Americans speak Spanish and English. Most of the younger generations speak English with a little Spanish integrated every now and then. Most migrants are bilingual. Some Spanish expressions and words would sometimes find their way into the way they speak English creating the so-called ‘Spanglish’ language. Spanglish is the “logical outcome of a collision between two supercultures”(Stavans, 2003). It is now an accepted norm of language for the Hispanic communities bordering the States. Values. Mexican-Americans have very traditional family values. The mother is considered the central figure in the family home. She defers to her husband in major decisions and is responsible for giving emotional support to the different members of the family. Mexican-Americans have been known to have special emotional bonds with their mothers and grandmothers. On the other hand, the father is the provider, the breadwinner of the family needs. However, these traditional values have seen a gradual change. Due to practical considerations, the women of the family have now been seen working outside their homes to help provide for the needs of the family. Mexican-American families are also extended families, with many members living in one household. They value family relations not just with their immediate family but with the score of relatives that make up their big family. Beliefs. Mexican-Americans are mostly Roman Catholic. As a result, they have very conservative values and beliefs. They consider public display of affection as vulgar. However in politics, Mexican-Americans have been known to vote liberal. This may be due to their wanting to ease racial discrimination and segregation in the communities they live in. Mexican-Americans have been stereotyped as illegal migrants, drop-outs, and dope-pushers. Their hopes of making a better life for themselves and their families are sometimes overpowered and crushed by the way society labels them. Lately, Mexican-Americans have been known to lobby the government to ease restrictions in immigration laws and for bilingual education programs. Norms. Mexican-Americans have very traditional norms. Before a man asks for a woman’s hand in marriage, he should first seek permission from the woman’s family. A “young man is expected to communicate with the parents of the girl when he wishes to announce his intentions for matrimony…” (Rubel, 1966). Traditionally, the family of the groom should pay for the wedding, however, modern times now allow for a sharing of the expenses. ‘Portadores’ or intermediaries are the ones who would discuss the details of the upcoming wedding with the family of the bride. Usually, these are priests or physicians, or schoolteachers. The lavishness of the wedding is based on the social status of the couple to be wed. In weddings, we usually witness the ‘dollar dance,’ where the guests would pin money onto the dress of the couple while the latter would be dancing. Marrying at very young ages is not unheard of for Mexican-Americans; and it is hearty to note that few marriages among Mexican-Americans end in divorce. Mexican-American food is known popularly as Tex-Mex. Mexican-Americans are known for their chili, cheese, tortillas, margarita, tequila, and for their large portions. They are also known for their good hardworking ethics seen in blue-collar industries like dry cleaning, construction, dish washing, fast food chains, and the garment industry. Discussions and Conclusions Similarities The Filipino-American and Mexican-American culture are similar in the sense that they are largely Catholic and they usually have extended families. Due to the three centuries of Spanish occupation, the Philippines shares the Catholic faith with the Mexicans. Because of this, they have similar conservative beliefs and traditions. They are devout believers and both observe practices based on Catholicism. Because of their Catholic faith, they also frown upon public display of affection and pre-marital sex, preferring the traditions of a white church wedding first before consummation. The modern Filipino-Americans and Mexican-Americans are however known to drift further and further away from these traditions, choosing more liberal ideals and practices rampant in the greater and more influential American society. Filipino-Americans and Mexican-Americans are also known for their extended families. It is common to see large families in one household. Even distant cousins are not distant at all, they are still considered cousins. They are known to keep in constant touch with their parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, and other relatives. Occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, christenings, weddings, wakes, funerals, graduations, are known to draw families together to celebrate and keep in touch with each other. Again, this similarity may largely be due to the Spanish influences on the Filipinos during their occupation of the Philippines. Differences The Filipino-American and Mexican-American culture is different in terms of language. Filipinos have been known to have a better grasp of the English language than Mexicans. This is due to the fact that English is a second language in the Philippines and it is a major medium of instruction in the school system in the Philippines from the grade school up to college level. Another difference is the greater history of discrimination against the Mexican-Americans as compared to the Filipino-Americans. Although discrimination has been present at one point or another for both cultural minorities, there has been a greater prejudice against the Mexican-Americans particularly due to the history of illegal migrants that have found their way into American soil. As a result, they have been forced to deal with cheap labor in sweat shops and other menial workplaces just to be able to find work. Filipinos however have found their way into the States in some less controversial way or even largely through legal means. Filipinos are known now to be more than domestic helpers and seafarers, they are now doctors and nurses and caregivers in many American hospitals. They have not had a hard time dealing with discrimination as compared to their Mexican-Americans counterparts. One last difference in the two cultural minorities is that Mexican-Americans are not as detached to their culture as Filipino-Americans. Due perhaps to their proximity to their home country, Mexicans are more inclined to know how to speak in Spanish. Filipino-Americans are more prone to speak in English in the United States. They are more unlikely to learn the Filipino language from their families. The more traditional Mexican families speak Spanish with their children ensuring that the next generation knows how to speak the language. Classroom Application The information gathered in this research can help the teacher understand gestures and words of students which the former might find offensive, but might not at all be offensive in the mind of the student. This research can also help identify activities which might not be applicable to some Filipino-American or Mexican-Americans. Their refusal to participate might not be because of insolence but as a matter of belief or principle. Lastly, this research can help the teacher avoid cliché and assumptions about students. A teacher’s mind should be open to other possibilities, other beliefs and thoughts. Just because a student is Mexican-American does not make him automatically an illegal migrant. And just because a student is Filipino-American does not make him good in English. References American Community Survey. 2000. Retrieved from the Web on April 24, 2008 http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/p20-535.pdf. Andres, T. (1996). Dictionary of Filipino Culture and Values. Michigan: Bookhaus Publishers. Bautista, V. (2002). The Filipino Americans (1763–Present): Their History, Culture, and Traditions. 2d ed. Naperville, Ill.: Book-haus Publishers . Claudio-Perez, M. (1998). Filipino-Americans. Retrieved from the Web April 24, 2008 http://www.library.ca.gov/services/docs/filipino.pdf. Courtships, Weddings, and Marriage in Mexican-American Culture. Retrieved from the Web April 25, 2008 http://www.msu.edu/~vanlooka/mexican_american.pdf. Duldulao, M. (1987). The Filipinos: Portrait of a People. Quezon City: Oro Books Publishing. Francisco, J. (2001). The More, The Merrier. Retrieved from the Web April 25, 2008 http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/jopayil Gilbert, M. (2000). Latin Americans in the USA. Retrieved from the Web April 25, 2008 http://goinside.com/00/4/latin.html. Menchaca, M. (2002). Recovering History, Constructing Race: The Indian, Black, and White Roots of Mexican-Americans. Texas: University of Texas Press. Munoz, A. (1971). The Filipinos in America. Los Angeles: Mountainview Publishing. Rubel, A. (1966). Across the Tracks: Mexican-Americans in a Texas City. Texas: University of Texas Press. Sanchez, George. (1995). Becoming Mexican-American: Ethnicity Culture and Identity in Chicano Los Angeles 1900-1945. Oxford University Publishing. U.S. Bureau of the Census. The Asian Population: 2001 Retrieved from the Web April 24, 2008. http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/c2kbr01-16.pdf. Personal and Professional Relevance Materials and Methods The methods and materials this researcher used internet resources, books, and journals and articles to comprehensively detail this research paper. Internet resources were used via the yahoo search engine to come up with materials and articles on the Filipino-American and Mexican-American cultures. Books, journals and magazines were also procured from the libraries to supplement and complement internet sources. Important Sources The internet sources gathered were the most important because this researcher was able to find the most contemporary materials for the research. It was also easier to verify other information gathered by simply searching other links and entering other key words on the search engine. Review and Synthesis of Materials This researcher reviewed and synthesized these materials by comparing it with other resources available and to other authors’ viewpoints on same materials. Known authorities in the topics were cited in order to lend validity to the materials. The gathered data was then categorized based on logic and congruity. Personal and Professional Relevance This paper is personally important to this researcher because it has enhanced knowledge of the different cultures existing in the state. This researcher also believes that it will help strengthen interaction with these communities as she now understands why they are the way they are, why they do the things they do, why they believe the things they believe in. This researcher now knows better than to make assumptions about the different cultural minorities that exist in the community. CONCEPT MAP Filipino-American Culture Language Values Conservative Beliefs Value of Education Norms Catholic Holidays Filipino Extended Families Catholic-based beliefs Gestures Hospitality Courtesy & English Patriarchal Immortality of the soul -Pointing with lips Food Pansit -Raising eyebrows to mean yes Lumpia CONCEPT MAP Mexican-American Culture Language Spanglish Values Conservative Beliefs Liberal Politics Norms Marriage/Weddings Spanish Extended Families Catholic-based beliefs Food (Tex-Mex) & English Patriarchal Conservative beliefs Hard-workers Read More