Hispanic, Mexican Culture in Monterey, Mexico - Essay Example

Hispanic, Mexican Culture in Monterey, Mexico Culture is the way of life, beliefs, and arts of a particular group in a society. For this reason, it means that culture is an in-depth aspect that affects the manner in which a particular group of people lives in the society. In this regard, my culture is defined by my origin or background because I am a Mexican Hispanic from Monterrey, Mexico. An in-depth, self-assessment portrays that I belong to the Hispanic Mexican cultural group because I was born and brought up in this demographic; thus, cultural practices in Monterrey determine my origin. Monterrey, Mexico is my homeland, and this is how I realized that I belonged to the Hispanic Mexican culture. I also realized that I belong to this cultural group because I abide by its beliefs and customs, which determines the way of life that we practice on a daily basis. Before analyzing how this culture affects my life, it is crucial to define vast aspects of our culture and how it is practiced. Firstly, the Hispanic, Mexican culture is strongly based on family matters where everyone in the family becomes his brothers’ keepers (Merrim 150). The above is depicted by the fact that the Mexican families are very wide open and largely spread outside of the cities within; thus, we care for each other and live as one society. This aspect positively affects my life because it planted a seed of care in my daily life practices. For this reason, it means that by being a part of this culture, I have become a caring person who is always concerned about issues faced by friends, family, and the entire society. Prior to living together and caring for each other as a family, we also love celebrations and feasts that occur subsequently during the year. These parties and celebrations unite the extended families, who are usually invited to the celebration venues (156). These celebrations are highly embraced because they remind us of the past times and at the same time remind us the reason for embracing values and customs. In this regard, the celebrations positively affect my sense of originality and roots because it offers me a platform of knowing who I am. More so, these celebrations increase my patriotism because it gives me the reason to love my background. The other culture that we adhere to is the family setting, where the father is considered as the head of the family, or the authority of the home (198). The mother is perceived as the home manager, who runs the home. This cultural practice has slightly been affected by globalization because women currently engage in vast aspects of employment, entrepreneurship, and politics. Nevertheless, machismo is still highly valued in our culture, and the man dominates the home and the society, in general. This family setting has affected my responsibility aspect because, being a man, I am obliged to bear the responsibility of running a home and positively contributing to the operations of the society. Clothing is part of our culture, and though modernization has inflicted other different clothing, the Hispanic Mexicans possess their traditional wears. These clothes are commonly exhibited during celebrations, where women wear sleeveless dresses, skirts, shawls. The men also put on special clothes like suits for men known as mariachi bands (160). The food is also encompassed in the traditional aspect, where our food is mainly beans, rice, tomatoes, chili peppers, pork sausage, empanadas, sweet fillings, and pasty pockets. These food norms practiced in our culture affect my way of life because it determines my eating habits. Although I may venture into other cuisines, my cultural food is still my best. Art is also encompassed in the Hispanic Mexicans’ way of life, where we specialize in embroidered cotton garments, wool shawls, baskets rags, and clay pottery. Painting is also an artistic part of the culture that is widely practiced (198). More so, folk music known as Mariachi is part of our culture, and it defines our original backgrounds. This music originated from the southern part of the state of Jalisco, and it involves instruments such as guitars, violins, and trumpets. An additional aspect of our culture is religious beliefs, specifically devoted to the Catholic faith. The religion is extremely rooted to the extent that we have numerous celebrations like the feast of our Lady of Guadalupe, which is celebrated on the 12th December of every year. This celebration is highly respected by everyone because it reminds us of the appearance of the Virgin Mary to an Indian man during the Spanish kingdom. We are staunch Catholics, a critical aspect of our lives, which defines the firm foundation of our spirituality. Without doubt, the Hispanic culture affects different aspects of my way of life from clothing, eating, associating with other people and religious faith. My culture affects my life because this culture ensures that I strongly adhere to the norms elicited by its practice (134). For this reason, I do not eat any diet nor behave like most people do. I do not eat my diet because I stick to the caring nature inflicted on me through culture, eat what I believe is the best, commemorate celebrations and practice the religion that I was taught. In this regard, I am extremely proud of my culture because of many reasons above that grant me not only a sense of belongingness, but also the right direction in my future endeavors. Evidently, the Hispanic culture has proved to be a highly influential aspect that defines our social lives. The other person who belongs to my culture is my spouse. My spouse has impacted vast aspects in my life. He is a pillar in my adherence to the cultural practices. For instance, her presence in my life allows me to realize the setting of the family structure. More so, her presence allows me to show responsibility as the head of the family. In conclusion, I can define myself as a caring, responsible, and friendly person, who not only adheres to cultural customs but just practices. The fact that she appreciates our cultural values has made it easier for us to pass them on to the next generation. The collectivist culture we practice sets us apart from other communities. Work Cited Merrim, Stephanie. The Spectacular City, Mexico, And Colonial Hispanic Literary Culture. n.p.: Austin : University of Texas Press, 2010., 2010. OhioLINK Library Catalog – LR. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. Read More