Hispanic_Diversity

Hispanic Diversity Eth/125 By Jessica Barnum There are many differences in all Hispanic American groups across the globe. Particularly Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans and Brazilian Americans differ greatly. These groups differ in many aspects like in language, politics, socially, economically, religiously and family interactions. These groups also have several similarities within these aspects and others. I will compare and contrast the four of these groups. Mexican Americans account for more than 12.5% of the United States' population. Most do speak English but a lot come from the Mexican border in search of a better living situation. The United States is home to the second largest Mexican community in the world. Socially it is very hard for Mexican Americans to get a fair shake. Most of them are day labors or farmers. But not all of them, there are some who do go and learn a trade such as auto mechanics or engineering. Those that do come over and have a degree have to be retrained due to US law anyway. A vast percentage of them come to the United States because Mexico is so impoverished. They come here to live free just like all the rest of us. Religiously they are catholic and you find that most Latin American countries are Roman Catholic. Only a small minority are any of the other religions. Mexican Americans could vote and hold elected office in places such as Texas, especially San Antonio. They ran the state politics and constituted most of the elite of New Mexico since colonial times. However, property requirements and English literacy requirements were imposed in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas in order to prevent Mexican Americans from voting. Some eligible voters were intimidated with the threat of violence if they attempted to exercise their right to vote. In the past, Mexicans were legally considered "White" because either they were, or if not fully, because of early treaty obligations to Spaniards and Mexicans that conferred citizenship status at a time when white-ness was a prerequisite for U.S. citizenship. I found this particularly interesting because I had never heard of that being apart of the Mexican immigration’s past. But this is very true. I’m sure not many people know of it though. As of now the hot issue of Mexican immigration has become violent. New laws passed by Arizona are affecting many immigrants that are here illegally. Many have moved on to other states to avoid going back to Mexico. New policies are being put in place regarding are immigration and just how many people we can let in. Puerto Ricans hail from the country of Puerto Rico. The island of Puerto Rico (formerly Porto Rico) is the most easterly of the Greater Antilles group of the West Indies island chain. Located more than a thousand miles southeast of Miami. Puerto rico is unique since it has become a commonwealth state of the United States. Puerto Ricans have their own constitution and elect their own bicameral legislature and governor but are subject to U.S executive authority. Like other Latin groups they also speak Spanish and practice Roman Catholicism. The key difference here between the groups that I have chosen is that puerto ricans are not considered immigrants they are considered migrants since they have become part of the United States. This is very interesting indeed since many have migrated too many parts of the U S but mainly New York City. Socially and economically they are poor as well. Puerto Rico though beautiful in itself has poverty just like everywhere else. There are a lot of similarities within the four groups such as poverty and political issues as well as the English not being their native tongue. There is no such thing as a Puerto Rican language. Rather, Puerto Ricans speak proper Castillian Spanish, which is derived from ancient Latin. Spanish is mostly spoken but English is learned. The history of Puerto Rican American assimilation has been one of great success mixed with serious problems. Many Puerto Rican mainlanders hold high-paying white collar jobs. Outside of New York City, Puerto Ricans often boast higher college graduation rates and higher per capita incomes than their counterparts in other Latino groups, even when those groups represent a much higher proportion of the local population. Brazilians are mostly descendants of colonial and post-colonial Portuguese settlers and immigrants, African slaves and Brazil's indigenous peoples, along with several other groups of immigrants who arrived in Brazil mostly from the 1820s until the 1970s. A few years after independence from Portugal in 1822, Portuguese people would start arriving in Brazil as immigrants, and the Portuguese population in Brazil actually increased. Most of them were peasants from the rural areas of Portugal. The majority settled in urban centers, mainly in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, working mainly as small traders or shopkeepers. The official language of brazil is Portuguese, to me this was surprising because when I think of brazil I think of a Latin American country but this is not so. Portugal held control of this country for a long time. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking nation in the Americas, making the language an important part of Brazilian national identity and giving it a national culture distinct from those of its Spanish-speaking neighbors. Brazil is a political and economic leader in Latin America; however, social and economic problems prevent it from becoming an effective global power. Between World War II and 1990, both democratic and military governments sought to expand Brazil's influence in the world by pursuing a state-led industrial policy and an independent foreign policy. More recently, the country has aimed to strengthen ties with other South American countries, and engage in multilateral diplomacy through the United Nations and the Organization of American States. Roman Catholicism seems to be the religious them of all Latin groups and to no surprise that is the predominant faith in Brazil. Brazil leads the way with clean energy. They have zero dependence on oil. I only hope the US can learn from Brazil’s lead. Lastly we have Cuba. The Cuban people are descendants of Spanish colonizers and of African slaves once employed in the sugar industry. Two-fifths of the Cuban population is Roman Catholic. Nearly half report no religious affiliation. Many of those who call themselves Catholics are also adherents of an Afro-Cuban religious tradition known as Santeria. The official language of Cuba and the language spoken by nearly all Cubans are Spanish. Cubans have had a long history of migrating to the United States, often for political reasons. Many Cubans, particularly cigar manufacturers, came during the Ten Years' War (1868-1878) between Cuban nationals and the Spanish military. Yet the most significant Cuban migrations have occurred in the last 35 years. A good example of this was the Elian Gonzales case that was sensationalized by the media. Elian had come here on an inflatable raft with his mother who ultimately died to get him here to enjoy the freedoms of the United States. His father was living in Cuba and had not given his permission to take the boy. Ultimately the United States had to abide by the law and deported Elian back to his father. This story was sad because his mother had sacrificed so much for her son’s freedom. There are many other stories just like that due to the fact that Cuba is a socialist country and very impoverished. They only have the news channel and radio that the government provides so the country is living in a not so technological time. Food is also rationed out once a month. As are clothing and other necessities. I cannot imagine living my life according to someone else. This to me would feel very much like slavery. In conclusion I had discovered that all four of Hispanic groups had a lot in common. Almost each one practiced the religion of Catholicism and spoke Spanish. Politically they all seemed to have the same theme of wanting something better for them. Puerto Rico became part of the United States and their living conditions have been improved dramatically. I would think that rulers and dictatorships would want their country to thrive, but many have not due to the political games and problems many of these countries have. I noticed more similarities than differences within these four countries. I suppose the one main difference was Brazil. They were part of a country named Portugal and the struggle for power by the Portuguese went on for some time. Many people from Portugal immigrated to Brazil. Many were considered mallotoo. Spain did help release them from Portugal. The country has no dependence on oil and has made great strides to clean energy which in my opinion is fantastic!! We can learn so much from each other if only we open our minds and hearts to others. References: Read more: Cuban Americans - History, Slavery, Revolution, Modern era, significant immigration waves, Settlement patterns, Acculturation and assimilation, Education http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Cuban-Americans.html#ixzz0xMpCLzLG Read more: Puerto Rican Americans - History, Modern era, early mainlander puerto Ricans, Significant immigration waves, Settlement patterns, Acculturation and assimilation http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Pa-Sp/Puerto-Rican-Americans.html#ixzz0xMfuwuLl Brazilians http://www.kidscornerbrazil.org/content/people.php Mexican Americans http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Le-Pa/Mexican-Americans.html