Latinos in the United States: Hispanic American Diversity

Due to its geographical orientation, its economic entreaties, and its popular image as the "melting pot" of the world, the United States has long been an attractive destination for Latino peoples who seek to improve their living and working conditions. While the United States is home to a diverse array of Latino groups, it has seen unique circumstances on the parts of a few distinct populations. Through proximity and political undertones, the United States has become home to millions of Mexican Americans, Puerto Rican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Colombian Americans. These groups share some typical Latino cultural characteristics in common, but each also has its own unique aspects.

According to Schaefer (2006), more than half of Mexican Americans primarily speak Spanish, while 26 percent speak both Spanish and English fluently and 23 percent speak mostly English. In the United States, linguistic and social issues are directly tied together for Mexican Americans and Latino peoples overall, due to leanings toward English as an "official" national language. Until recently, teachers could only teach in English in public schools, even though an 1848 treaty guaranteed Mexican Americans the right to uphold their cultural norms (Schaefer, 2006). Like most Latino cultures, Mexican Americans traditionally tend to believe strongly in family values, and many Mexican American households contain extended family members, although the traditional male-female roles have changed over time as both mothers and fathers have come to work outside the home to support the family (Stavans, 2009).

Economic conditions in Mexico have resulted in increased immigration (both legal and illegal) of Mexican people into the United States, aiding in the creation of the "borderlands" area along both sides of the Mexican-American border. Mexican people who live and work in the United States have a significant impact on their home regions in terms of economics (Schaefer, 2006). Many Mexican American workers send money to their relatives across the border, which has helped to sustain Mexican families and create a number of Mexican businesses. Whether or not Mexican American families are able to immigrate and live together, they tend to support and care for one another regardless. In addition, the majority of Mexican American families continue to live under the religious influence of the Roman Catholic Church (Stavans, 2009).

Like Mexican Americans, Puerto Rican Americans also tend to adhere to the dictums of the Roman Catholic Church, although Puerto Rican religious beliefs are also influenced by West African pagan beliefs (Green, 2007). While some traditional Puerto Rican customs differ from other Latino customs, Puerto Rican Americans are also strongly influenced by Spanish attitudes toward the importance of family, although such beliefs are becoming Americanized over time (Green, 2007). Compared to Mexican Americans, more Puerto Rican people who live in the United States speak English. Schaefer (2006) notes that 39 percent of Puerto Rican Americans tend to primarily speak English, and 40 percent speak both languages, while 21 percent tend to speak mainly Spanish. While those figures indicate a majority of the United States Puerto Rican population that can communicate in English, this group must still combat the largely anti-immigrant sentiments that fuel the Official Language Movement.

A number of factors, including discrimination and welfare, have impacted Puerto Rican Americans by limiting employment opportunities and encouraging a cycle of poverty within this group (Stavans, 2009). According to Green (2007), poverty is a serious problem for a quarter of the Puerto Rican American population. In addition, Puerto Ricans overall are involved in political struggles regarding the current status of Puerto Rico as a Commonwealth of the United States; almost half of the Puerto Rican population argues for its acceptance as a state (Green, 2007). Unlike other Latino groups, Puerto Rican Americans do have the benefit of United States citizenship, since Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth, so they are considered migrants (Green, 2007). This factor excludes Puerto Rican Americans from the volatile political and social issues surrounding the topic of immigration reform, although it does not place them beyond the common struggles against discrimination that all Latino groups face.

Cuban Americans have had a significant impact on United States society as a result of the nation's stormy political relations with Cuba. The Cuban American population is largely centered within Florida, where they have lived since 1831 (Schaefer, 2006). Over several generations, political tensions have resulted in a social phenomenon composed of people fleeing from the Communist Cuban leadership to live in the United States, with the vast majority of Cuban Americans settling in Florida. According to Schaefer, the exodus of Cuban people into the United States has also caused tensions between Cuban Americans and their countrymen, who tend to look down on those who have left their home country. Cuban Americans tend to struggle to fit into United States society, as they tend to have limited skills and little education; according to Schaefer, those who are new to the United States tend to rely on the more established Cuban American community to help them find their ways.

One factor in the favor of Cuban refugees is the anti-Communist mentality of most Americans. In some ways, Americans have been more welcoming to those who "escape" from Cuba than they have been toward other types of immigrants. Perhaps as a result, Cuban Americans tend to fare better in the United States than other Latino groups. According to Schaefer (2006), twice as many Cuban Americans complete college as other Latinos. In addition, according to Schaefer, more than half of the Cuban American population has formed comfortable ties with the Miami, FL area, where they have had a positive economic impact on the area and can maintain proximity to both each other and their nearby birthplace. Cuban American students tend to maintain their native language, learning English in addition to Spanish, rather than choosing one or the other.

Colombian Americans continue to struggle with discrimination and prejudices based on political attitudes toward the renowned Colombian drug trade (Sturner, 2007). Poor economic and social conditions continue to drive Colombian immigrants into the United States. Schaefer (2006) states that, compared to other Latino groups, Colombian Americans tend to be relatively new to the United States and, perhaps consequently, they also tend to speak primarily in the Spanish language. Like most Latino groups, Colombian Americans face social issues due to the assimilation mentality of the United States. Because Colombian Americans tend to be newer to American society, they tend to be more fully immersed in Colombian culture and customs and, therefore, somewhat estranged from typical American culture. While earlier waves of Colombian American immigrants came to the United States with high levels of education and found success relatively easily, later Colombian American immigrants have come in larger numbers and have found the best success within the Colombian community (Schaefer, 2006).

Further complicating their assimilation into American society is the fact that, among Colombian Americans, a large number are illegal immigrants. According to Schaefer (2006), many Colombian Americans might live and work together in order to afford the costs of living in the United States. Like Cuban Americans, the Colombian American population has attempted to retain a distinct cultural identity in the face of assimilation, while (like most Latino groups) remaining strong believers of the Roman Catholic Church (Sturner, 2007). Although some Latino groups have lost some of their central focus on family values due to a process of Americanization, Sturner (2007) states that Colombian Americans strive to keep their families and their traditional family roles intact.

Overall, most Latino groups share common characteristics, such as belief in the Roman Catholic Church, strong family values, language barriers, and assimilation issues caused by discrimination and prejudice. Mexican Americans, Puerto Rican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Colombian Americans are typically lumped under the "Latino" label and considered one and the same. However, each of these ethnic groups comes from a different part of the world, a different history, a different set of politics, and a different set of unique challenges.

References

Green, D. (2007). Puerto Rican Americans. Retrieved August 15, 2009, from http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Pa-Sp/Puerto-Rican-Americans.html

Schaefer, R. T. (2006). Racial and Ethnic Groups (10th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall

Stavans, I. (2009). Mexican Americans. Retrieved August 16, 2009, from http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761587500&pn=2

Stavans, I. (2009). Hispanic Americans. Retrieved August 16, 2009, from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761585657_1____4/Hispanic_Americans.html#s4

Sturner, P. (2007). Colombian Americans. Retrieved August 15, 2009, from http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Colombian-Americans.html