A Closer Look at Other Cultures

When becoming a teacher it is important to be able to understand the students in your classroom. Here in my community and in the school system I currently work for, the cultures that are strongly represented are the Hispanic and Indian cultures. It would be in my best interests to be able to understand these cultures better. To be able to understand both of these cultures better I have looked into three areas that would allow me to understand these students better. The first areas we will look at are the holidays that these students would celebrate in their home and in the community. The second area is family life, family life would be the focus because students are affected by their family life and this carries over into the classroom. The last areas we will look at it food. Students that bring their lunch to school might not bring the same type of foods that our culture would bring.

First, let us look at a few of the Hispanic holidays that the students might celebrate. The first holiday is Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe or the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe; Lady Guadalupe is the most famous saint in Mexico. This holiday is considered the most important holiday in the Mexican culture. Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a religious holiday and celebrated in the moth of December, there is pilgrimages made to a church in Mexico and a prayer that is prayed for the first nine days. On the tenth day there is a celebration with a parade and dancing. The festival lasts a total of ten days (National Endowment for the Humanities, 2007).

The second holiday we will look at is Mexican Independence Day; it is celebrated every September 16 and is one of the important holidays in the Mexican culture. On this day Mexicans all over the world, celebrate their independents from Spanish rule. On this day Mexicans wear the flag colors of Mexico and have a fiesta with traditional Mexican dishes and finger foods (National Endowment for the Humanities, 2007).

The next holiday we will look at is Las Posadas. This holiday is celebrated in December as well. This nine-day religious celebration marks the days it took Mary and Joseph to find a place to stay where Jesus could be born. This is a very important part of the Christmas traditions for the Hispanic culture. This holiday is celebrated with parties held in different neighbor's homes each night. The party consists of a prayer at a Nativity scene followed by the singing of traditional songs. The gathering ends with a party for the children with traditional foods and a piñata (Winchester, 2005).

The last holiday is Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo is another important holiday in the Mexican culture. This holiday marks the victory of the Mexican army over the French at the battle of Puebla. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with food, music, dancing, and customs that are unique to Mexico. A popular food that is served during this celebration is flan. This brings us to some of the foods that are only part of the Mexican culture (Winchester, 2005).

The first food is flan. Flan is custard that has a rich caramel topping and is considered one of the richest in flavor in the Mexican culture and saved for special occasions. Flan is made during some of the Mexican holidays such as Cinco de Mayo and Las Posadas both which we have discussed. Quesadillas are also a Mexican culture favorite. Quesadillas are somewhat like the American grilled cheese but instead of the bread, they use flour tortillas. Just like the grilled cheese, the Hispanic culture puts other things in their quesadillas such as vegetables or different meats. Quesadillas are used as snacks in the Hispanic culture; Quesadilla means little cheesy thing (Thomas, 1995).

The next food that comes from the Hispanic culture is fajitas. Fajitas use flour or corn tortillas along with some form of meat, such as chicken or beef. In addition, peppers, onions and sometimes mushrooms are cooked along with the meat. Fajitas in some sub-cultures of the Hispanic culture are considered to be the outdoor BBQ food of choice, just like hamburgers and hot dogs are here in America. Enchiladas are another favorite food of the Hispanic culture. Enchiladas can be filled with different things, for example chicken, beef, fish, or cheese. The word enchilada means dipped in chili. This type of food is also known as a simple street food and can be bought from street vendors in Mexico. Enchiladas are a simple Hispanic dish that is served in the home of the Hispanic culture (Thomas, 1995).

Family life in the Hispanic culture is high in values and honor. The family unit has a strong sense of family obligation. The older children see the younger siblings in the family as a blessing and not a hindrance. The older children feel it is an honor to play and take care of their younger siblings. In addition, in the Hispanic family moral responsibility to family is valued the most. When others in the family are having life issues, such as financial hardship, the family is expected to help in any way possible until the hardship is over (Rodriguez, 1995).

Hispanic families also have a sense of strong family unity. The family consists of the mother, father and children, then aunts, uncles and grandparents are included as the immediate family, but they all do not live in the same house. Several generations may live very close by if not right next door to each other. The immediate and extended family always gathers for holiday celebrations and family celebrations. The Hispanic family feels that family comes first above all else (LaCasa, 1991).

The other culture that is prevalent in my community is the culture of India. One of the major holidays in the culture of India is Mahatma Gandhi Birthday. Mahatma Gandhi was and still is today considered the father of the nation; and played a major role in the freedom movement in India. The reason his birthday is celebrated is that he taught that freedom could be achieved through non-violence, and by following the principles of truth and honesty. Mahatma Gandhi birthday is celebrated every year on October 2, and in India culture, it is the day of peace(National Portal Secretariat, 2005).

The next important holiday is Republic Day. This day make the day when India became a truly sovereign state. Many celebrations are held on this day to remind them of the sacrifice that where made by their fellow compatriots for their freedom. Republic Day is a day to promote familiarity and unity among all people in and from India. People are encouraged to fly the flag of India and or wear the flag colors(Peterson, 2005).

The next major holiday of the culture of India is Diwali also known as the festival of lights. On this holiday people worship Lord Ganesha; Lord Ganesha is the most important of all the Gods and Goddess. People decorate their homes with small oil lamps or candles and place them in every room, but in modern times, people are using colorful lights and neon lights. People also give sweets to other people to celebrate (Peterson, 2005).

The last holiday we will look at is Id Ramzan. This is a Muslim holiday and all forms of entertainment and ceremonies are shunned because all focus is given to Allah. People participating in this holiday fast during the day and can only eat after sun down, so all focus is given to Allah during the day. The male children are instructed by their father to take part in the fast (Peterson, 2005).

Food is also an important part in the culture of India. The first food we will look at is paratha. Paratha is flat bread that can be stuffed with vegetables or curried meat. In addition to stuffing this bread, some do not put anything inside but just serve it with butter or some kind of cheese. This flat bread takes a large amount of effort to prepare and is only prepared for special occasions or when important guests visit the home (Sikka & Paul, 2005).

Another food from the culture of India is "gulab jamun". Gulab jamun is a dessert and is only prepared for special occasions or celebrations. This dessert is dough made of flour and milk curd and then formed into small balls then deep-fried. Once the dough has been fried, it is then steeped in sugar syrup (Sikka & Paul, 2005).

Chicken Tikka is another popular dish in the Indian culture. Chicken tikka is pieces boneless chicken that is marinated in yogurt and spices. After the chicken has marinated it is skewered and baked. This type of dish is served regularly in homes. Tikka means bits or pieces (Sikka & Paul, 2005).

The last food is "Lamb Biryani". Lamb biryani is a traditional weekend meal served in the home. This dish brings the whole family together. The lamb is cut into small pieces, cooked with Indian spices, along with yoghurt, tomatoes, cilantro and lime, and then layered with rice. After the layering rice and the lamb mixture, it's then baked until the rice is done (Sikka & Paul, 2005).

The family unit in the India culture has a strong sense of family unity. In one household there can be three to four generations living in one house. Each of the families in the home has their own dwelling place that is under one roof. The common places for the home where all the family come together is the dining area and kitchen. The cooking for the family is done by the females of the family, and done in one location. The entire family comes together for all meals (Heitzman, 1995).

The elder males of the family instill Hindu beliefs in the family and are the spiritual leaders in the house. The females are submissive to the males, the males are the ones that make all the household decisions and deal with all people outside the home, such as teachers (Uberoi, 2006).

Now that we have a better understanding of the Hispanic and Indian culture, let us look at how they are similar. First and for most we can see that both cultures place high value on family. The Hispanic and Indian culture both believe that the family is not just the parents and the children, but the extended family as well. Both cultures instill a strong sense of family honor and the family always comes first.

Another similar aspect we can see from both cultures is the celebration of important holidays. Even thought they might not be the same holiday, they remember the reason they are celebrating the holiday. For example, the Hispanic culture celebrates Mexican Independence Day, which is when they became free from Spanish ruling, and the Indian culture celebrates Republic Day, which is when they because a free nation. Even though the holiday means different things to both cultures, these holidays represent their freedom.

With the similarities, there are also differences we can point out, such as food. The foods of both cultures are very different. The Indian culture uses a lot of curry, and yogurt in their dishes and the Hispanic culture uses a lot of chili peppers and sauces. The Indian culture also marinates their meat before cooking, unlike the Hispanic culture who adds the flavor during cooking.

Even though family unity is strong in both cultures the one difference is that in the Indian culture there are three to four generations living together under one roof. Then in the Hispanic culture, several generations do not live under one roof, but they do live close by if not right next door. The father does tend to all the family business, but when it comes to the children, both parents can make the decision. In addition, in the Indian culture the males take care of all the family business matters and decisions, including the children's education.

Another differentiation between both of these cultures is their religious holidays. The majority of the Indian culture is Hindu and the Hispanic culture is catholic. In the Hispanic culture, the females teach the children about their faith and the father's do not actively participate in the daily religious activities. On the other hand, in the Indian culture, the father is the one who instills the Hindu faith into the children, and all the males are expected to participate in the faith.

All this information can be very helpful in the multicultural classroom when dealing with the students and their family. First off, knowing which parent to talk with, because in the Indian culture it would be important to speak with the student's father instead of the mother since the father is the one that makes all the family decisions.

Second, it would be important to know the child's family life. As we pointed out family and unity is a very strong trait in both cultures. It would be important to know this in the classroom because the students of these cultures live with lots of family around them and it would be important not to make the child feel isolated in the classroom. This way the student can excel and feel relaxed.

The third reason this information would be helpful is to knowing some of the holidays the student celebrates. The student might come into school wearing different clothing from other students, because they are celebrating a specific holiday. The student might even be out of school on a specific holiday. In addition, one of the holidays in the Indian culture requires people to not eat until sun down, it would explain why a student is not eating if they are from that culture.

As we can see, it is so important to be able to find information about and learn about different cultures, and even understand them to some point. In the end, this would cause a teacher to be a better-quality teacher, because they would know their students and the things that are important to them.

Reference
Secondary Sources
Thomas, Heather (1995). The essential Mexican cookbook. Philadelphia, PA : Courage Books.

Rodriguez, S. (1995). Hispanics in the United States: An insight into group characteristics. Retrieved November 10, 2008, from Department of Health and Human Services. Web Site: http: //www/hhs.gov/about/heo/hgen.html

Heitzman, J (1995). India. Retrieved November 17, 2008, from Country Studies Web site: http://countrystudies.us/india/83.htm

Uberoi, P (2006). Freedom and destiny: gender, family, and popular culture in India. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Primary Sources

National Endowment for the Humanities, (2007). Mexican culture and history through its national holidays. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from Ed-sitement Web site: http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_.asp?id=740

LaCasa, J. (1991). The Hispanic way: Aspects of behavior, attitudes, and customs of the Spanish-speaking world. Chicago, Ill. Passport Books.

Winchester, F (2005). Hispanic holidays. Mankato, Mn: Capstone Press.

Sikka, M, & Paul, Dheeraj (2005). Indian flavors. New Delhi, India: Roli Book.

National Portal Secretariat, (2005). Know India. Retrieved November 14, 2008, from India Web site: http://india.gov.in/knowindia.php

Peterson, C (2005). Around the world through holidays. Portsmouth, NH: Teacher Ideas Press.