Hispanic and Latino Spiritual Paper
ENG/301
December 14, 2015

Hispanic and Latino Spiritual Paper I have a better comprehension and appreciation of the Hispanic and Latino culture, after reading the material this week. This culture has their way of communicating with one another. Within the Hispanic and Latino cultures we repeatedly see magic, religion, faith and tradition play big parts in their lives. In this essay, I will discuss four of the stories that I feel show how these elements play a part in their day to day lives. I have chosen four pieces, “Curving Woman,” by Alejandro Morales, “Seven Long Times,” by Piri Thomas, “Tales Told under the Mango Tree, “ by Judith Ortiz Cofer and last but not least, “The Kite,” by Ed Vega. Religion, Faith, Tradition, and Magic As I stated the Hispanic and Latino cultures rely on religion, faith, traditions and magic. I saw this in the writing, “The Curing Woman” by Alejandro Morales. This story is about Mr.Benidorm, the man of the house, impregnated a servant, and had a daughter. Once the servant's time had been served, she requested to take her daughter, Marcelina, with her. Mrs.Benidorm refused the Marcelina to go with her mother. “She had grown to love Marcelina and besides, the child was a reminder to her husband of his sins of infidelity.” (Morales, 1986). This nine-year-old girl spent the next four years with Mr. and Mrs. Benidorm and never seeing her mother during this time. Then at thirteen years old Marcelina saw her mother again. Marcelina’s mother taught her daughter who to heals the sick. Once and adult Marcelina used what she had learned from her mother and would heal people. We learn from this story how the faith in healing helps this culture. How it helped Marcelina’s mother for those many years, she was without her daughter. Within the story "Seven Long Times" by Piri Thomas he writes about the battles he encountered while growing up on the streets. He tells stories of fights, drugs and even of raping women. At one point he is put behind bars for a crime committed. "Have you ever known the coldness of getting busted...the scared, hollow feeling of loneliness as you are flung into a prison cell?" (Thomas, 1974). At first, I had a hard time following this story but then realized it described how he held on to his faith while enduring an awful life. “Did you ever stand, small and a little quiet-like, and dig your mom’s and pop’s fight for lack of money to push off the abundance of wants? Did you ever stand with outstretched hands and cop a plea from life and watch your mom’s pride on bended knees ask a welfare investigator fro the needed welfare check, while you stood there, getting from nothing and resenting in just the same,” (Thomas, 1974). I feel the most significant element to Hispanics and Latinos would be the tradition. In the story "Tales Told under the Mango Tree," by Judith Ortiz Cofer writes, "The first time my mother took my brother and me back to Puerto Rico, we were stunned by the heat and confused by a houseful of relatives" ( Cofer, 1995). Referring to the culture and tradition of many Hispanic and Latino families all living together. The tradition was seen with many children listening to stories under the Mango tree, "I remember that tree as a natural wonder" and "tales were based on ancient folklore," then Cofer writes. "It was under that mango tree that I first began to feel the power of words" (Cofer, 1995). Whenever the children would be a Mama's house you lived her traditions and became a child again. "And later, as I gained more confidence in my own ability, the voice telling the story became my own" (Cofer, 1995). The reader gets the feeling that the author will carry this tradition on with her family. Healing is an important part of the Hispanic and Latino culture because it is their way of dealing with sickness. Many Hispanics and Latinos do not believe in taking medicine from the doctors, and they believe in nature healing to make them feel better or to scare away bad spirits that may be in their bodies, (Jucket, 2013). Faith and religion go hand in hand. Hispanics and Latinos view religion as they way of life, so it brings faith to the Hispanic families. Religion stands for their strength in values, and the value they give to other people. Often in many Hispanic homes, you will find a cross or portrait of Jesus in their homes. Tradition is an important part of the Hispanics and Latino cultures, like many cultures the Hispanic and Latino cultures would like to carry on as many traditions as possible, for each generation. Traditions help cultures connect with our people: country, community, family and friends. Verbal literature is one important tradition they teach the younger children. Storytelling is the best way to get across to the children what life was like when their grandparents and parents were growing up. Respecting your elders is another big tradition within the Hispanic culture. In many Hispanic households, the men are the masculine gender in the culture. For example, in Ed Vega's “The Kite,” Vega writes, "This thing with the heart is nothing," he added, pounding on his chest with the palm of his hand...Rick looked at his mother. Her eyes wore a pleading look, and Rick knew she was repeating a silent prayer" (Vega, p. 106). Women are seen as the nurturing, healing, and dependent ones who take care of the household.
Differences
Hispanic literature differs from other culture literature in the way that Hispanics seem to embrace and want the traditional roles of the man and women in their culture while other cultures embrace on the individual. An example would be African American literature were both men and women experienced violent situations; however, women were not as submissive, and the men embraced the circumstances when they were a victim of others. Frederick Douglas was the victim of Mr. Covey in his story “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” and Harriet Jacobs fought against the sexual advances of her plantation owner in “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.”
Conclusion
Though many cultures seem to do many things the same way there are some differences between each culture. Where some cultures encourage individuality, the Hispanic and Latino culture encourages the gender roles of a man and women in their culture with the man being the masculine one in the family. Hispanics and Latinos also want to be accepted by others, whether they are from within the culture or from another culture. There are those cultures that are less likely to be accepted by others because of the way they choose to live within their own. No matter what culture you are from and the beliefs you have we all live under one world and should treat each other equally.

References
Cofer, J.O. (1995). Tales told under the mango tree. In I.Reed, (Ed.), Hispanic American Literature. A brief introduction and anthology (pp.34-44). New York: The Longman Literary Mosaic Series.

Douglass, F. (1845). Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass. In I.Reed, (Ed.), African American Literature. A brief introduction and anthology (pp.21-25). New York: The Longman Literary Mosaic Series.

Jacobs, G. (1861). Incidents on the life of a slave girl. In I.Reed, (Ed.), African American Literature. A brief introduction and anthology (pp.17-20). New York: The Longman Literary Mosaic Series.

Jucket, G. (2013 Jan, 1). Caring for a Latino family. American Family Physician. 87(1)48-54

Morales, A. (1986). The curing woman. In I.Reed, (Ed.), Hispanic American Literature. A brief introduction and anthology (pp.141-146). New York: The Longman Literary Mosaic Series.

Thomas, P. (1974). Seven long times. In I.Reed, (Ed.), Hispanic American Literature. A brief introduction and anthology (pp.11-13). New York: The Longman Literary Mosaic Series.

Vega.E. ( 1995). The kite. In I.Reed, (Ed.), Hispanic American Literature. A brief introduction and anthology (pp.101-127). New York: The Longman Literary Mosaic Series.