Hispanic and American Cultures - Essay Example

May 1st Hispanic and American Cultures The term “Hispanic” provides a common denominator of diverse population with a connection to the Spanish language or culture from a Spanish-speaking country. At the same time, the word “Latino” can also be used (Clutter and Ruben Para 1). The Hispanics have their own culture despite having come from a wide range of backgrounds. The American culture, on the other hand, represents the popular and accepted way of life of the Americans. Family In regard to family, the Hispanics keep a closely knit family, which is the most important social unit. The family is called familia and the name is applied beyond the boundaries of the nuclear family and well into the extended with parents and children. Culturally, a father is the head of the family while the mother is placed in charge of the home. Their families have strong ties to one another so that during travel, for whatever reason, to a different town, living with relatives for the time in the town is common. As for holidays, they gather to celebrate together. Because of this closeness in the family, all individuals in the family have a moral responsibility to help other family members experiencing difficulties such as unemployment, poor health or other life issues. The family has a responsibility to inculcate into the children proper manners, importance of honor and respect for authority and elders. It is also the duty of the family to preserve the Spanish language within a family (Clutter and Ruben Para 4). For Americans, family provides strong ties in that family is considered forever, fun and loyal. The family is mainly nuclear and is typically small with extended family members living on their own at quite a considerable distance from each other. At the same time, individuality is prized where one is proud of personal accomplishments and may or may not share sources of pride with their elders. The family teaches forgiveness and importance of understanding amongst members while at the same time discouraging criminal and unethical behavior where abundance of forgiveness is found. Love, support, tolerance and caring are the basis of the family in the American culture, and these family values are passed on to later generations with variations in the structure. A proud history is passed on as part of family values as well as personal ethics that act as a sense of what is right and wrong (American Family Traditions Para 1). Etiquette Etiquette wise, Hispanics treat one another formally in that a firm handshake is used in greetings and parting. When compared to the American culture, American greeting is casual with a handshake, a smile and a verbal “hello.” They also use first names to introduce themselves and others. In spite of the introduction bit, they are unusually formal in that they may just begin speaking or chatting with strangers without any form of introduction which is mainly common in queues and events. As a result, this behavior is often perceived as rude or too direct. However, Hispanics may use a hug and a light kiss on the cheek between people that are close friends or family (Falcon and Falcon 3). Their speech in non-formal conversations is usually loud, fast and accompanied by gestures and body language while, on the other hand, American culture requires one to be direct in making their point and speak clearly. Hispanics are reserved in regard to public speaking due to their heavy foreign accent (Clutter and Ruben Para 6). On the mode of dressing, Hispanics tend to place immense importance on looks and appearance as it shows a sense of pride and dignity, considering their formal attire is adorned to churches, parties, social gatherings and work. Unlike this, in the American culture casual dressing may be appropriate to almost any occasion where in some cases one may find a CEO in casual wear, in an office. American culture allows for casual and formal wear for different occasions such as formal for work and casual for most but not all social events and gatherings. Etiquette at parties also focuses on the time factor. Hispanic culture tends to be lax and flexible. This is to mean that punctuality is not a matter of utmost concern, thus not being on time is a socially acceptable behavior. As for Americans, punctuality is paramount since they live by the phrase “time is money.” In social events, lateness is only allowed up to 30 minutes of the intended time (USA-Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette 1). Religion In religion and spiritual matters, the Hispanic culture is mainly Roman Catholic, and the church influences most of the issues in the family and community. The Hispanics pay more respect to their religion and spiritual culture, as compared to the American culture which does not have a religion defined to be the general denomination followed by Americans. American religious culture is diverse in that there are various religions practiced ranging from Christianity to Buddhism. The religious practices are the result of the diverse cultures that have been assimilated into the mainstream American culture. The American culture is widely secular with people attending church services in various denominations that exist in the country, and the Muslims attending their prayers in the mosques around the country. Most celebrations of the church are marked as national holidays by the government for the Hispanics while, in American culture, only a few of the religious events are marked as national holidays by the government, and they include Christmas, Easter and Idd Ul Fitr. Meals and Food Both Americans and Hispanics have a variation in their eating habits. For Hispanics, a light meal is served as breakfast and all family members have lunch together as it is the main meal of the day. In the evening, a light meal is served, being very informal one. In addition, when food or extra servings are offered to Hispanics, they tend to decline unless the offer is extended several times. The American culture is normally casual apart from cases of official dinners with relaxed table manners. Food is served in the family style so that everyone serves him/herself. The meal is not taken until the host/ hostess says it is okay to do so (USA-Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette 1). Conclusion In conclusion, both Hispanics and Americans have their own cultures that have their own similarities and differences, thus making them unique. The Hispanic is based more on the Spanish language and contact with the actual Spanish culture while the American is based on the traditions of the earlier generations and normal social conventions. Works Cited USA-Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette. n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. . Clutter, Anne and Nieto Ruben. Understanding the Hispanic Culture. N.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. . American Family Traditions. N.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. Falcon, Rafael, and Yoder Falcon. Salsa: A Taste of Hispanic Culture. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998. Print. Read More