Over the recent years, Hispanic population has shown significant development in the United States. Around 31 million people are recognized as Hispanics, constituting the biggest minority group in the country (Kagan, 2019). Hispanics in the United States incorporate any individual of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture (Kagan, 2019). Customary identity research does not cover the effect of culture on character improvement. However, to offer socially significant types of assistance to the expanding Hispanic populace in the U.S., more socially important aspects should be distinguished. This paper presents an elective model to understanding Hispanic qualities and character improvement.
Key Things Learned
I have learned that ethnic or social personality has generally been characterized as the self-impression of having a mutual attributes with the groups. This might include factors as language, customs, religion, and a feeling of unity of family or shared history. Calling someone “Latino” is used in the United States to allude to individuals who are from or whose relatives are from Latin America and South America (Guglani, 2016). The Latino people group is as multidimensional and varied as other ethnicities. The primary fact that is obvious is the accentuation on family and local area. Hispanic individuals are wealthy in culture, food, and history and have contributed to production, political and legislative issues of the U.S. (Guglani, 2016). Nevertheless, numerous Americans proceed to confuse and reuse extremely old generalizations about them.
Attitudes, Beliefs, and Values
Latinos frequently have traditional familial design standards where the man is the unchallenged family leader, and the woman is devoted to running the home. While these functions may feel obsolete in the present developing equity for jobs of sex in the family unit, the Latino people group holds firmly to them (Kagan, 2019). The family is the place where individuals discover their character, and it is their emotionally supportive network against the stress of common problems.
Group Self-perceptions and Issues Related to Stereotyping
Generalizations of Latino Americans in the United States are general portrayals of Americans considered Hispanic parentage or Immigrants to the United States from Latino nations, regularly showed in negative terms. Immigrant Latinos, in general, have more unfortunate self-perceptions than their American peers, including lower confidence and willingness to change their skin tone to be lighter (Ortiz, 2017). While examining how Hispanic people are addressed in TV and film media, it is critical to recognize their vast underrepresentation infamous programs.
Customs, Practices, Behaviors
The Spanish culture in Latin America is brimming with rich customs, happy occasions, and enticing celebrations. Mexico, especially at weddings and different festivals; frequently engages the conventional mariachi music, comprised of eight violins, two trumpets, and one guitar (Ortiz, 2017). People make time in their day to manage any family matters that may appear, regularly placing them over some other plans they may have had (Ortiz, 2017). In such a manner, a family is also approximately characterized to those considered “part of the family” regardless of whether they are biologically related.
Spirituality/Religion
In the Hispanic world, religion has a critical part in routine life customarily. The congregation impacts everyday life and local area undertakings, giving profound significance to the Hispanic culture. Most Hispanics accept that God is a functioning power in regular day existence (Kagan, 2019). Most Latinos pray each day, have a sacred piece in their home, and go to a church in any event once every month (Kagan, 2019). Spirituality and religion are crucial to family and local area life.
Societal Perceptions, Opportunities and Barriers in the U.S. and Internationally
Hispanics are often fitted into racial classification and set adjacent to the next significant alliances of America’s racial shading framework. Lately, various states have passed strict enactment against immigrants (CNN Editorial, 2020). The law permits police to keep anybody associated with being an illegal foreigner and forces to make migration records conveyed consistently, leaving an open entryway for racial profiling of Hispanics and different minorities.
Key Historical Events and Figures Impacting the Culture
It is difficult to assess the history of the culture as Hispanics can follow their family back to the native individuals of North America just as to Spanish, Asian, and African roots (Sierra, 2019). Political, monetary and wellbeing incongruities inside the populace have provoked the requirement for social equality developments inside the Hispanic people group. It includes the endeavors made by Latino officers from WWII and the Korean wars to approach social equality because of separation they confronted following the wars (Sierra, 2019). The Chicano Movement was set apart by Mexican Americans battling for social liberties and political force, underscoring citizen enrollment and enlistment of political applicants.
Key Things Learned through Internet/Media
The U.S. has numerous Spanish-language news sources going from monster business broadcasting organizations to neighborhood radio broadcasts. Hispanics contain about 11% of the American populace, incorporating 3.6 million dwelling in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Kagan, 2019). Language is likewise profoundly significant, especially to the older individuals from the family and Spanish is still frequently the essential tongue spoken, even in homes all through the United States (Anderson, 2017). The accessibility of Spanish-language TV made it feasible for Hispanic and Latin Americans to follow the game of soccer in the U.S. The recent expanded utilization of the media has permitted discrimination and bigotry of Hispanics in the public.
Hollywood and gigantic media outlets have become white-centered and produce shows, motion pictures, and music that slant the public’s comprehension of significant social and racial issues. The stereotyping are encouraged by pseudo-self-portraying characters such as George Lopez, who is depicted as a comedy character, and Sofia Vergara, who is depicted as a woman marrying a rich man and is frequently derided for her noisy and forceful voice (Sierra, 2019). Cliché portrayal of Hispanic and Latino characters are regularly contrarily introduced and assault the whole ethnicity’s profound quality, hardworking attitude, knowledge, or poise. Thus, in the media sources, Hispanics are normally not given credits for the stories related with achievements.
Surprises
I found many facts surprising as I was searching for more information about the culture. For example, in spite of having a lower pay than white Americans, Hispanics live more than whites due to their eating habits and unique customary features. Children are not compelled to eat what they do not want so that their inclinations are regarded (Anderson, 2017). Hispanics will in general be looser and more adaptable about time and dependability than U.S. individuals. Inside the Hispanic people group, not being on time is a socially worthy conduct.
Expectations
The use of media and scholarly articles made me envision Hispanic heritage from different perspectives. I learned a lot about culture, traditions, language, religion, and values of many people of Hispanic origin. I realized that the ethnicity is diverse and expansive throughout the world. This new knowledge will help me orient my scope of study and immersion program. Before I started the research on the culture, I thought I already knew a lot enough about Latino and my view of the culture would not change to a great extent. Nonetheless, I overestimated my notion of multilayered culture. Interesting novelties about the influence of people’s traditional lifestyle on the health and emotional wellbeing statistic surprized me and I decide to look more into these spheres. One expectation which has been approved is the meaning of unity for Hispanic people. In view of the accentuation on collectivity, concordance and collaboration in the gathering are underscored more than individual obligations. I also consider focusing on group and familial studies to better represent the culture.
References
Anderson, T. (2017). 4 Latino stereotypes in TV and film that need to go. Los Angeles Times. Web.
CNN Editorial. (2020). Hispanics in the US Fast Facts. CNN. Web.
Guglani, L. (2016). American, Hispanic, Spanish-Speaking? Hispanic immigrants and the question of identity. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 15(6), 344–360. Web.
Kagan, R. L. (2019). The Spanish craze: America’s fascination with the Hispanic world, 1779-1939. University of Nebraska Press.
Ortiz, F. A. (2017). Self-actualization in the Latino/Hispanic culture. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 60(3), 418–435. Web.
Sierra, H. (2019). Perspective: Five myths about Hispanics. The Washington Post. Web.