Racial_and_Ethnic_Groups

Racial and Ethnic Groups ETH/125 Racial and Ethnic Groups The following is a summary of Mexican American, Puerto Rican American, Central/South American, and Cuban Americans linguistic, political, social, economic, religious, and familial conventions. Mexican Americans are one of the largest Hispanic or Latino Groups in America today. They make up roughly 66% of the Hispanic or Latino population. Many came to the United States hoping for political asylum or to escape the declined social and economic conditions of their home country. About half of all Mexican Americans only use their native language at home, about 23 percent of Mexican Americans speak English only, and roughly, 26 percent are bilingual. Language retention is one of the biggest problems they face in terms of social acceptance. “The Latin American family, notwithstanding its recognized strengths (or perhaps as a result of them), is characterized by a closed loyalty within the family circle, a lack of trust toward those outside it, and nonparticipation in civic life.” (Auster, 2006) I believe this to be due to as new generations are born a family's distinct ethnic identity and ties to their former country may become imprecise. So, in order to prevent this their families stay internalized to prevent the loss of culture. Religion is a very large part of the lives of most Mexican Americans. Most of them are Roman Catholics, but some are also Evangelical, attend The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or are Jehovah's Witnesses. Most of their festivals incorporate their religion as well. The economic situation of most Mexican American families is dire due to poor education. Studies show that, “Mexican Americans are less likely to earn a high school diploma than any other ethnicity in the United States.” Puerto Rican Americans differ greatly from any other Latino or Hispanic group in that they love their country, and at the same time accept the free association with the United States, always emphasizing loyalty to their own culture, folklore, hospitality and way of life. As in many Latin American cultures, Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion, but some practice Protestant faiths as well. Most Puerto Rican families fall just at or below the poverty line. Some theorists believe that this is because there are too many homes lead by a single mother and the lack of work opportunities within their communities. “"The deteriorating family incomes of Puerto Ricans appear to be related both to the rapid increase in families headed by single women and to the severe labor market disadvantages faced by Puerto Rican women" (Danzinger & Weinberg, 1987) Other factors contributing to the poverty rate include low levels of educational, location in poorly performing labor markets, and high unemployment. Puerto Rican families constitute the poorest population group in the United States. Most Puerto Rican families speak Spanish, however a large portion use English as their dominant language. Much like Mexican Americans, Puerto Rican American families look at the bond they have with their families as something to cherish. South and Central Americans are also very close to their immediate and extended family. The elders of the family play a major role in giving advice to the adults and help raise the youngsters. When a parent grows old, they consider them their responsibility. In the U.S., many Hispanic and Latino families speak only Spanish at home because they live with parents or grandparents who did not assimilate to the American culture or because they want their children to speak Spanish as well as English. Language plays a huge role in keeping their heritage alive. As with most other Hispanic races, Roman Catholic is the dominant religion. Their religion also places a huge amount of faith in the saints, the Virgin Mary, and the patrons of the various causes. Economically Latin America is expected to be one of the largest economies by 2050. However, Latin America has a lot of inequality economically; seeing slums on the outskirts of wealthy neighborhoods is common in both Central and South America. In the United States, Cubans and Cuban Americans are equally concerned about education and their children are often well educated. The overwhelming majority of U.S.-born Cuban Americans have completed high school and some form of further education (83 percent). More than 25 percent have gone to post-secondary schools.” (Buffington, 2006) Forty percent of the Cuban population is Roman Catholic. While almost half, report no religious affiliation. Many of those who call themselves Catholics are also practice the Afro-Cuban religious tradition known as Santeria. The official language of Cuba is Spanish. Since 1959, President Fidel Castro has led Cuba. Since, Cuba has had a strained relationship with the United States. “Most Cuban Americans, both foreign-born and U.S.-born, were employed in 1989 and 1990. Their rates of unemployment were lower than those of Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans though somewhat higher than those of non-Hispanic white Americans. Almost 18 percent of Cuban Americans were professionals or managers. Although only 15 percent of Anglo-Americans were so employed, more than one-third of Cubans who were U.S. citizens were employed in technical, sales, or administrative support positions. Cuban Americans are better off financially than other Hispanic Americans and nearly as well off as the average American.” (Buffington, 2006) Mexican Americans, Puerto Rican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Central\South Americans each have a distinct cultural identity each ripe with family ties. Although most have been labeled as being Hispanic American, this labeled is based on language alone. The Roman Catholic religion seems to be the dominant religious preference for each group; however, there also seems to be a variability of religious beliefs within different groups. Each group placed the love of family above everything else. Cuban Americans seem to be the best of the Hispanic races here in America. The only major differences between each group were their educational and economic standings. Cubans valued education whereas most of the other races had high dropout rates. All in all I learned that although these races seem similar from an outsiders perspective there are ever so subtle differences that set them apart from one another. References Auster, L. (2006, July 24). Exposing the Open-Borders Arguments. Retrieved from http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/006103.html Buffington, S. (2006, November 24). CUBAN AMERICANS. Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Cuban-Americans.html Danzinger, S. H., & Weinberg, D. H. (1987). Fighting Poverty: What Works and. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.