Spanish Culture free essay sample

On many occasions, we as counselors and professionals have clients that are of a different ethnicity or culture from our own. We have to then become familiar as we possibly can with the traditions, customs, and cultures of said client. This research paper will investigate several areas of the Hispanic culture. It will detail areas such as the history, the religion, the language, the cuisine and the social and cultural traditions and myths. It will arm the reader with a much better feel of the Hispanic culture in hopes that we will be better equipped to give professional counseling to a person of this ethnicity if the situation ever arises. Since research data and census data tells us that one out of every 7 persons living in the United States is of Hispanic descent, I believe it is only relevant that I do my research on this ethnicity. With a population of such enormous proportion, it is no wonder why influences have been made on the food, music, and social structures of the United States. We will write a custom essay sample on Spanish Culture or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We will begin our research with a basic understanding of the Hispanic culture in general. We know that over the past 30 years, the Hispanic population has exhibited such a tremendous growth in the United States that they now comprise over 11% of the U. S. population. Keep in mind that this includes 3. 6 million Hispanics residing in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Over seventy-percent of the Hispanic population is concentrated in four states – California, Texas, New York, and Florida. Mexican is the largest ethnic subdivision of Hispanics in the United States, comprising about 63. 3%, followed by Central and South American (14. 4%), Puerto Rican (10. 6%), Cuban (4. 2%), and other Hispanics (7. 4%). Hispanic is a term created by the U. S. ederal government in the early 1970’s in an attempt to provide a common denominator to a large, but diverse, population with connection to the Spanish language or culture from a Spanish-speaking country. The term Latino is increasingly gaining acceptance among Hispanics, and the term reflects the origin of the population in Latin America. One very important fact that should be stated is that family is the most important aspect of Hispanic/Latino lives. A very close connection is made among the immediate and extended families. The elderly play a very important and major role in giving advice to the adults and helping raise the youngsters. Hispanics believe that when their elderly get old, it is their responsibility to care for them. Hispanics also feel that one of the most amazing cultural facts is the level of responsibility they feel toward other family members. They are a very close-knit community. They help each other in situations that arise: poor health, economic trouble, or simply helping raise a child. The passing of family traditions down many generations is very common. It is not unusual to have several members of the same family with the same name. That’s one way Hispanic baby names carry the tradition for years and years. Many of the traditional celebrations that Hispanics involve themselves revolve around religion, but other don’t, like receiving the New Year and saying goodbye to the old one and by â€Å"quemando el Ano Viejo† which means â€Å"burning† the old year which is represented by a human size rag doll stuffed with fireworks. Music and dance are very important elements for everyday life. Hispanics get together to celebrate holidays, birthdays, baptisms, first communions, graduations, and weddings. Parties last a long time by American standards, most of the time more than four hours. Special occasions are an opportunity to show their intense passion for enjoying life. One thing to keep in mind is that there are many variations from country to country in grammar, lexicon, and pronunciation of letters like the ll, z, and y. Therefore they have many different dialects. In the United States many Hispanic families speak only Spanish at home because many live with grandparents who did not assimilate to the American culture or because they want their children to speak Spanish as well as English. Language continues to be the most important vehicle for keeping the Hispanic culture alive. Hispanic culture has been around for longer than many people give it credit. St. Augustine and Santa Fe were Hispanic cities founded before Plymouth. In other words, the Hispanics were here before the Pilgrims. Hispanics are very proud of their culture and consider famous Latino people ambassadors of the Hispanic culture, but lack some of the social graces like punctuality. They are not very good about being on time. Little things like this are important when people of different cultures marry. These little things can cause one or the other to want a divorce simply because they are not familiar with the customs and traditions of their respective spouse. As bad as that sounds it does happen, unfortunately. Proper attire is commonly used for going to church and all religious celebrations as well as the parties afterwards. Th4ese traditions seem to be less common in Latinos that have been in the U. S. for a while, thus taking cues from American culture. When visitors come, they do not have to been announced days in advance. Pleasant surprises are welcomed in the Hispanic culture. Hugging kissing on the cheek, gesticulating (talking) with the hands, and using the proper respectful titles to address adults and the elderly are fairly common practices in Hispanic and Latino cultures. Laughing loud and play music at high volumes during parties are also a part of the Hispanic culture, as is so in America. It is estimated that by 2050 Hispanic Americans will account for about 25% of the U. S. population. With this large population comes a tremendous buying power. It has been researched that Hispanic families spend about $125 per week on food compared to about $90 for American families. What is this saying? It translates to economics. One of the main reasons for this is that many Hispanics cook at home as opposed to going out to eat frequently. Hispanics frequent the supermarkets in search for foods that are fresh and flavorful. Hispanics believe that foods can influence health and illnesses. Food preferences and uses vary greatly between different Hispanic regions. Mexicans eat much more corn and amaranth, while coastal and Caribbean Latin Americans prefer rice. Many Hispanic foods have become mainstream in the U. S. Salsa, flan, tortilla-based produced such as enchiladas, tacos, and tamales are available all over the country. Companies specializing in Hispanic foodstuffs, such as Goya, have experienced large growth and their products are available in more stores than ever before. Goya and other companies have help to bring ethnic food to the mainstream market. More Hispanic (Mexican) restaurants are open now than any other time in U. S. history. With a growing population of Hispanics, changes are being made here in the United States to accommodate this influx. Television programs are now being broadcast in both English and Spanish. News is being given in both languages as well. Newspapers are being distributed in both languages. Even the government has taken notice and distribute voting ballots to accommodate this Hispanic culture. Schools have classes that teach English as a second language to help young Hispanics assimilate to our culture, but not neglecting their own. As with all other culture there are many myths that are associated with the Hispanic culture that need to be addressed at this time. Four of the most common myths are: †¢ All undocumented Immigrants come from Mexico. Although it is true that a majority of the undocumented immigrants do come from right across the border, not all are Mexican.