The Diversity and Success of Hispanic American Groups

Mexican Americans, Puerto Rican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Dominican Republic Americans are all considered to be part of one main group within the United States; however, each group has its own ethnic group, and they come from different areas of the world. These groups are classified together as Hispanics because they have one main point in common, and that is that their native language is Spanish. As a general rule, Hispanic immigrants have not had a warm reception from United States citizens. Even to this day this is one of the most controversial issues surrounding Americans. Even though this is the case, some Hispanic Americans have risen to the challenge and have been able to successfully live the "American Dream".

Mexican Americans

Mexican Americans make up about 66.9% of the Hispanic population within the United States, which makes them the largest group within this population (Axia reading, 2008, week seven). They are mostly Roman Catholic, and they are a mixed group of people with a long line of combined ancestry due to the long history of interracial marriages (Stavens, 2008, ¶3). Mexican Americans have not been able to achieve linguistic assimilation, social acceptance, or improvements in economic status. Political importance, however, has been an area in which Mexican Americans have risen to new importance.

Linguistic assimilation was a step that has been mostly achieved by the younger generations of Mexican Americans, while still being able to learn, and use, their native language of Spanish. Over 70% of Mexican Americans are bilingual, and effectively use both languages in communicating, reading, and writing (Stavans, 2008, ¶4). However, the fight is still on for the rights of the Mexican people to use, and learn, in their native language without being discriminated against by the dominating group of White Americans.

Social acceptance and higher economic status has not been achieved even though legal status has been obtained by many Mexican Americans, excluding the recent arrivals of illegal immigrants in the past few years. Mexican Americans have found it hard to blend into mainstream America because of the amount of discrimination in the work force, education, and housing. Overall, Mexican Americans have yet to obtain social acceptance and better economic status, and all the benefits that go with it (Alba, 2006).

The political importance of Mexican Americans has risen dramatically in the past decade, and people running for public office make it a point to include them in any discussions. The majority of Mexican Americans live in the Southwestern states, and hopeful politicians realize that there is a chance for them to gain a huge amount of votes; all they have to do is get Mexican Americans to vote for them. Because of this, many recent politicians combine a normal campaign, along with a campaign on Spanish television channels and newspapers.

Mexican Americans, by tradition, have good family values and strong ties to relatives. However, the need for both adults to work has placed a bigger burden on any adolescent children who live in the house. The young women are expected to do the household duties, while the adults and young men work, or participate in after school sporting programs.

Puerto Rican Americans

Puerto Rican Americans make up 8.6% of the Hispanic population within the United States (Axia College, week seven reading, 2008). Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth state of the United States, which has its own legislation, constitution, and basic laws. The United States still has the final say in executive decisions, but they have basic control over themselves. This makes Puerto Rican Americans migrants, rather than immigrants, so they do not have any problems with citizenship because they are already considered to be United States citizens.

Even though Puerto Ricans are American citizens, they still find it hard to break the basic equality barriers that face all Hispanic people. Puerto Rican Americans, however, have a better success rate than all the other Hispanic groups. A good percentage of them hold white-collar jobs and have a higher college graduation rate, along with a higher wages, than the other groups (Stavans, 2008). Assimilation for Puerto Ricans has been successful, but they still face the basic challenges that plague all the Hispanic American groups.

The language barrier is a big barrier for Puerto Ricans because their native language is Spanish. Even though schools in Puerto Rico teach English as well as Spanish, the main focus is in Spanish learning. This causes confusion for them when they migrate to the United States, because they face the same issues that all other Hispanic Americans have, and that is that English is considered to be the official language of the United States.

Puerto Rico does have a representative in the House of Representatives, but up until 1992, it was a position that had no vote on legislation. However, the main political issue that plagues the Puerto Rican's deals with if they should remain as a Commonwealth of the United States, if they should form an actual statehood, or if they should fight for independence. Even though a vote in 1992 decided that Puerto Rico would remain as a Commonwealth, it was a close vote and the debate continues today (Stavans, 2008).

Puerto Rican Americans are mostly Roman Catholics, but it is mixed with various denominations of Protestant. They have good family values just like Mexican Americans, but they also face the same dilemmas in the United States. Both parents have to work, and therefore teenage daughters are expected to take care of all the household duties.

Cuban Americans

Cuban Americans make up a small 3.7% of the overall Hispanic population (Axia college, week seven reading, 2008). Cuban Americans, despite this fact, have made the biggest impact upon the United States because of their refusal to assimilate. Instead, they have caused a form of reverse assimilation, and Miami is now considered to be the de facto capital of Cuba (Cato, 2003, ¶1). Cuban Americans from the 1959 revolution has impacted the Miami economy so much that the cities residents have had to learn Spanish in order to be able to communicate effectively.

Cuban Americans have successfully achieved the goals of good housing, good jobs or business ownership, and equal educational rights. All this came about because the immigrating Cubans were against communism and Fidel Castro, so Miami natives accepted them with open arms, considering the Cubans to be on the correct side of the political diversity of different countries.

However, the "boat people", who were Haitian immigrants, were met with hostility and prejudices that far surpassed the other Hispanic groups. Even the earlier Cuban immigrants did not accept them, so they had an uphill battle from the time they left their homeland, packed like sardines within small, unsafe boats.

Despite the fact that Haitians were not accepted by the residents of Miami, this city, according to the 1990 census, is over 60% Hispanic (Cato, 2003, ¶4). This makes the Cuban Americans a powerful force within this area, not only in politics, but also in the economy as well.

Dominican Republic Americans

The Dominican Republic Americans make up a very small portion of the Hispanic population because this group is made up of mostly new immigrants. The main flow of Dominican immigrants began in the 1980's, and this group was ranked as the number one immigrant of the time, second only to Mexican Americans (Buffington, nd, ¶8).

Dominicans are primarily Roman Catholic, but they also practice Protestant, Jewish, and Afro-Christian religions. Family values and traditions are high, but as in other Hispanic groups, Dominican Republic Americans have found that both adults have to work, even so, poverty levels hit an all time high in the 1990's (Buffington, nd, ¶22).

Dominicans are familiar with the United States customs, traditions, and beliefs because of the numerous United States occupations throughout the years (Buffington, nd, ¶17). Even though they were familiar with these concepts of the United States, they still believe that they should not have to assimilate. This comes from being a new immigrant group that arrived during the middle of the civil rights movements and bilingual language usage. Spanish is the native tongue of the Dominican Republic, but 45% can speak and understand English well (Buffington, nd, ¶28).

The Dominican Republic Americans are very vocal in the local politics, and constantly fight for equal rights and fair treatment. Several Dominican groups rally when unfair treatment is shown to them, such as the case in 1992 when police in New York City shot Dominican Jose Garcia (Buffington, nd, ¶41).

Hispanic Americans, even though they are grouped together due to the Spanish language, which is their native language, are very different groups because they come from different nations. Most Hispanic people are Roman Catholic, but many practice the faiths of Protestant and Jewish. Despite these common beliefs, some of the Hispanic groups, such as Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans, chose to assimilate at first in order to blend in to the American way of life. On the other hand, Cubans caused reverse assimilation and Dominican Republicans refused to assimilate even though they were already familiar with American customs, beliefs, and traditions.

Richard Alba Mexican Americans and the American Dream Apsanet.org
Axia College Hispanic Americans Axia College of Phoenix University
Sean T. Buffington Dominican Americans Everyculture.com
Jason Cato Becoming American in Miami: Reconsidering Immigration socrates.berkley.com
James Crawford Anatomy of the English-Only Movement Ourworld.
Ilan Stavens Mexican Americans encarta.msn.com