I Am A First Generation Mexican American - 1822 Words

This class has not only reinforced my cultural beliefs, but it has also challenged some preconceived notions of all cultures. I am a first generation Mexican American. My parents were born in Mexico and came to American 25 years ago. In contrast, I was born and raised in California with my older and younger brother. My brothers and I constantly struggled between two distinctive cultural norms— the Mexican culture, and the American culture. My parents are from a small town called San Juan De Los Lagos in Jalisco, Mexico. San Juan is centered on religion ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œ it is the home of La Virgin De San Juan, Henceforth, both of my parents were reinforced with strict religious values. My mother attended an all girls catholic primary school. My father was less fortunate and had to attend public primary school, however, since San Juan is grounded on religion, public schools also integrated reliogious values. My parents constantly compare and complain about the lack of values schools in the Unites States teach in their curriculum. Things like: respect your elders, and proper etiquette skills. Due to stricter boundaries here in the U.S, I can see why integrated such things can become problematic. For example, both of my parents experienced physically getting scolded with a ruler for things like: talking back to professors, being disruptive, and even for having dirty fingernails or a messy appearance. Although my parents were raised in strict catholic environments, they have not reinforcedShow MoreRelatedI Am A First Generation Mexican American992 Words   |  4 Pages I am a first generation Mexican-American that comes from humble beginnings and was instilled to work hard to achieve ones dreams. My parents are humble, earnest, and hardworking people that immigrated to the United States in search of a better tomorrow for themselves and for their loved ones back home. Coming to this country was not easy, for they faced many obstacles in getting here and then assimilating into a culture where they knew no one and did not know the language. My mother, a housekeeperRead MoreThe Power Of The Zoot By Luis Alvarez1293 Words   |  6 Pagesbelonging. Throughout this book, the author discusses race, gender roles, generation differences, dignity, and national belonging/violence during world war two. Part one of this book â€Å"Dignity Denied: Youth in the Early War Years†, discusses the political and economic context of the United States in the early 1940’s, when the zoot suit style grew popular (Alvarez, p. 10). During world war two, many African and Mexican Americans contributed to the war effort, because they thought it was what they neededRead MoreThe And Latino Stereotypes On The Campaign Trail1526 Words   |  7 Pages I love whenever President Trump says something about Mexicans in any of his speeches. Taken from â€Å"Fear and Latino Stereotypes on the Campaign Trail† on Media Education Foundation, one such amazing quote is from Trump’s presidential announcement speech, in which he states that Mexico is â€Å"sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems [to] us. They’re bringing drugs, They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.† I feel like I fall short of these views Trump ha s on MexicansRead MoreThe Importance Of My Identity1014 Words   |  5 Pagestrue of gender expectation. I was born in Mexico, but at six years old I came to the United States. Fortunately, within a year I learned English. This is the dilemma I faced with regards to my identity. My appearance is Hispanic and I identify my ethnicity as Mexican. However, my identity is actually a combination of the Mexican and the American culture. On one hand, Hispanics did not completely accept me, because they said I am not Mexican enough, or they believe that I deny my heritage. When growingRead MoreLife Of A Child Of An Immigrant968 Words   |  4 Pagesfather was 16 when he first moved to the U.S. and my mother years later moved when she was 19. I am a child of immigrants and it was hard growing up. I consider myself a Mexican American or Chicana. I grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles and later moved to Las Vegas. As I asked my father what he had to deal when he first moved he said â€Å"people would discriminate me just because I couldn’t speak well English and because of my brown s kin†. â€Å"I was only 16 and wanted to live the American dream, but it wasRead MoreEssay about Chicano Nationalism1631 Words   |  7 Pagesthe American Heritage Dictionary , is â€Å"a Mexican-American†. Nationalism, as defined by the same publication, is â€Å"devotion to the interests or particular culture of a particular nation†. So by definition, we can infer that Chicano Nationalism is an interest in either the Mexican or American culture by a Mexican American, which is not a very concise definition. Before we can begin to define Chicano Nationalism, we must first define what is it to be a Chicano. In it’s simplest form, the American HeritageRead MoreChicano Essay Definition1067 Words   |  5 Pagesits affirmations throughout generations. Through oral history, scattered essays, Chicano studies courses and personal relationships, I have evolved my usage of the word Chicano, as many in history have. Through experience I have learned that social, g eographical and economical elements have twisted and turned the meaning according to the moral judgments of the class or national origin.  I will utilize my knowledge and life experience as a Chicana to the word Chicano. I did this to illustrate the assignmentsRead MoreMexican American, Chinese American And Vietnamese American1519 Words   |  7 PagesAssignment 4 Mexican American, Chinese American and Vietnamese American make up the 1.5 and second generation today in US. The majority of these immigrants come from the humblest sectors of their society on average they have only a few years of schooling or no schooling, limited urban job skills and little or no knowledge of English. Immigrants to the United States are usually called first-generation Americans, regardless of their citizenship status, and their children second-generation Americans. TheRead MoreMy View Of My Jewish Identity952 Words   |  4 Pagesemerging in a country where most people look and act a certain way, while I am the outlier thanks to my different looks and traditions, has made me a minority. Being born in Mexico City from a Jewish family that immigrated from Poland two generations ago, and then going to college in Texas, has made me feel the differences of being lets say, â€Å"different†. When I started going to elementary school I went to the mostly catholic American School, where most kids would bully me based on my looks and traditionsRead MoreMy Grandfather And My Grandmother Essay1359 Words   |  6 PagesMy American roots are made up of my families traditions and history. I interviewed two family members, my grandfather and my grandmother. Each one brings a different background which made them the best option. American roots are a built by families. Each family has its own traditions and ideals. For my grandparents, their American roots were built completely different from each other. Family has a major impact on an individual s life, it is the starting point of ones American roots. My American roots