...Puerto Ricans Right to Vote Since 1898, after the Spanish-American War, North America has been in control of Puerto Rico. The Jones-Shafroth Act in 1917 only furthered Puerto Rico’s relationship with America, allowing Puerto Ricans to claim U.S. Citizenship. Even though Puerto Ricans House of Delegates all voted against the passing of the Act, the Act was still passed. According to HuffPost Latino Voices, 51% of Puerto Ricans would like to keep their relationship with the United States, leaving 49% of the population wanting to claim independence. Puerto Ricans have been denied the right to Vote for President of the United States, in which who controls limitations and laws that these citizens have to live by. In this paper, I would like...
Words: 952 - Pages: 4
...historical landmarks. Latin America’s tranquil atmosphere should not be underestimated as the little more than underdeveloped sibling. After examining the history, politics, and economic stand point of the countries in Latin America, they have many similarities with the United States and several differences that should be taken into consideration when dealing with United States foreign policy with Latin American countries. What is Latin America? Where is Latin America? What countries are considered to be a part of Latin American? These are the initial questions a person thinks about when Latin America comes into a discussion. Around the world people will have their own ideas and stereotypes about Latin America, but here are the facts. The term Latin America is used to describe the countries in the sub regions of the Americas that were once the old colonies of European nations. The reference to Latin corresponds to the fact that as product of the colonization from the European nations the languages now spoken in these countries are Latin based. The languages spoken are derived from the so called “Romance tongues” of Spain, Portugal, and France. Latin America stretches from the southern border of the United States to the southern tip of South America including the Caribbean. Latin America consists of twenty-six countries and dependent territories making up almost thirteen percent of the earth’s surface. The countries and dependent territories considered to be a part of Latin America...
Words: 2616 - Pages: 11
...Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans and people from Colombia. While they are all Hispanic they have different languages, traditions and family makeup. In this paper we will discuss the differences and the similarities of these diverse groups of people. It is amazing that although they cover such a vast amount of land geographically, there is so many things that they have in common. Mexican Americans are people of Mexican decent that have either been born here in the United States or became a United States citizen after immigrating here. A lot of people that believe that Mexican Americans work at jobs here in the United States that natural born citizens will not do, such as harvesting crops, bussing tables in restaurants and general labor positions. They take these jobs and are not paid a competitive wage. It seems to stand to reason that if they would not take these jobs, the employers would be forced to increase the salary, and they would not have to work for such substandard wages. While they come to this country with Spanish as their primary language, many immigrants learn English and it becomes their primary language. While it is harder for the older people to master English, when their children are enrolled in public education it is easier for them, because they have English as a second language classes. So they get the extra instruction in English. The majority of Mexican American families are Catholic, and are very devout in their religion. Puerto Ricans immigrated...
Words: 1237 - Pages: 5
...Hispanic-Americans make up a large ethnic group in the United States. Many Americans believe Hispanics are much the same and group them together (panethnicity) but, in fact, the groups are very diverse. Hispanics come from a variety of different cultures and include Mexican-Americans, Puerto Rican-Americans, Cuban-Americans, and Central Americans. Each of these groups vary in their customs, religious beliefs, political views, family views, and other conventions that make them similar in some ways, and very different in others (Franklin, 2009). This paper will discuss the various cultures of Mexican-Americans, Puerto Rican-Americans, Cuban-Americans, and Venezuelan-Americans in America. Mexican-Americans As a result of the Mexican-American war, about 80,000 Mexicans resided in the United States due to the accumulation of New Mexico and California. Even though many returned to Mexico, the majority stayed in the United States and gained their citizenship after two years (Englekirk and Martin, 2009). Since then, Mexican immigration to the United States has grown significantly and for various reasons. Today, Mexican-Americans make up about two thirds of the Hispanic population in the United States (Schaefer, 2006). The first indigenous Mexican people were various Indians such as Mixtec, Aztec, Mayan, Olmec, Toltec, Zapotec, and Teotihuacan who assimilated with Spaniards after Spain invaded Mexico. Mexican families were typically male dominated but close-knit due to respect...
Words: 2572 - Pages: 11
...ethnic groups. Hispanic Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Columbians all have different cultural and historic back grounds that identify them as separate ethnic groups. Hispanic Americans are Americans of Spanish-speaking descent. Many Hispanic Americans are the descendants of Mexican people who lived in the Southwest when it became part of the United States. Almost all other Hispanic Americans or their ancestors migrated to the United States from Latin America. The three largest Hispanic groups in the United States are Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cuban Americans. As a group, Hispanic Americans represent a mixture of several ethnic backgrounds, including European, American Indian, and African.( http://www.thehispanicamerican.com/latino-hispanic-american/p1) The Spanish language and the Roman Catholic religion are among the oldest and most important cultural bonds that unite Hispanics. During Spain's colonial period, which lasted from the 1500's to the 1800's, Spanish missionaries and landowners spread their language and religion throughout the areas they controlled. As a result, nearly all Hispanic Americans can speak Spanish, and a large majority are Roman Catholics. (http://www.thehispanicamerican.com/hispanic-american-culture/p2) The Puerto Rican culture is a mix of different nationalities and ethnic backgrounds. Spaniards, Africans, Americans, French, and German are just a few of the ethnic groups that make up the Puerto Rican culture. The intermingling...
Words: 1201 - Pages: 5
...From social origins and religion to art and cuisine Hispanic Americans have a big impact on the United States. A Spanish speaking person, from Mexico Spain, and from Central America to Cuba is presented as Latino or Hispano. Below is a review of political, linguistic, social, economic, religious and familial principles of four Hispanic American groups and how they added to the affluent variety of American culture. Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Dominican represent the fastest growing portion of Hispanic population in the U.S. and are characterized by differences as well as similarities in various life aspects. Mexican Americans presently have established themselves more in economic, social, linguistic and legal sphere. They make up one of the largest immigrant groups in the country, with their tradition accomplishing further back than other American groups. According to 2006 American Community Survey, a number of 28,339,354 from total Hispanic population of 44,252, 248 are Mexican Americans which represents 64% of total Hispano. “The family unit is the single most important social unit in the life of Hispanics; the traditional concepts of manhood and womanhood, however, appear to be changing toward a more egalitarian model with increased exposure to American society; the majority of Mexicans are Roman Catholic”. (Warrix, M. Cultural Diversity: Eating in America. Mexican American, para. 8). Despite their strong pride of Hispanic heritage, the primary language of...
Words: 1110 - Pages: 5
...Hispanic American Diversity Your Name Axia College of University of Phoenix Hispanic American Diversity From social origins and religion to art and cuisine Hispanic Americans have a big impact on the United States. A Spanish speaking person, from Mexico Spain, and from Central America to Cuba is presented as Latino or Hispano. Below is a review of political, linguistic, social, economic, religious and familial principles of four Hispanic American groups and how they added to the affluent variety of American culture. Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Dominican represent the fastest growing portion of Hispanic population in the U.S. and are characterized by differences as well as similarities in various life aspects. Mexican Americans presently have established themselves more in economic, social, linguistic and legal sphere. They compose one of the largest immigrant groups in the country, with their tradition accomplishing further back than other American groups. According to 2006 American Community Survey, a number of 28,339,354 from total Hispanic population of 44,252, 248 are Mexican Americans which represents 64% of total Hispano. “The family unit is the single most important social unit in the life of Hispanics; the traditional concepts of manhood and womanhood, however, appear to be changing toward a more egalitarian...
Words: 1119 - Pages: 5
...Hispanic American Diversity ETH 125 Aug 03, 2011 Hispanic American Diversity Hispanic Americans in the United States include Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Central and South Americans. Although they share a common language, their history is as diverse as their culture. Language has been a barrier in the United Sates for Hispanic Americans who have not learned the English language. Not all Hispanic Americans have immigrated to the mainland; Mexican Americans originated in the southern parts of the United States. Cuban Americans reside mainly in Florida, while Puerto Ricans have resided mainly in the eastern states. Mexican Americans resided in what are now Texas, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. With the war Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo the United States granted citizenship to all Mexican nationals who chose to remain in the States; the treaty also allowed religious freedom, property rights, and the rights to continue their cultural traditions and the use of the Spanish language. Mexicans and Mexican Americans make up the majority of the migrant agricultural workforce in the United States. With the average pay of the migrant worker being about $9.50 (US Agriculture Dependent on Migrant Workers, by Ed Stoddard, July 23, 2007), migrant workers cannot afford health care. Women and children have access to some health care through women’s maternal program and child health services. Although the living situations are not always above poverty, the familial structure...
Words: 1155 - Pages: 5
...Identification. Christopher Columbus landed in Puerto Rico in 1493, during his second voyage, naming it San Juan Bautista. The Taínos, the indigenous people, called the island Boriquén Tierra del alto señor ("Land of the Noble Lord"). In 1508, the Spanish granted settlement rights to Juan Ponce de León, who established a settlement at Caparra and became the first governor. In 1519 Caparra had to be relocated to a nearby coastal islet with a healthier environment; it was renamed Puerto Rico ("Rich Port") for its harbor, among the world's best natural bays. The two names were switched over the centuries: the island became Puerto Rico and its capital San Juan. The United States anglicized the name to "Porto Rico" when it occupied the island in 1898 after the Spanish-American War. This spelling was discontinued in 1932. Puerto Ricans are a Caribbean people who regard themselves as citizens of a distinctive island nation in spite of their colonial condition and U.S. citizenship. This sense of uniqueness also shapes their migrant experience and relationship with other ethnoracial groups in the United States. However, this cultural nationalism coexists with a desire for association with the United States as a state or in the current semiautonomous commonwealth status. Location and Geography. Puerto Rico is the easternmost and smallest of the Greater Antilles, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Basin to the south. Puerto Rico is a crucial hemispheric access point...
Words: 5687 - Pages: 23
...there are four that stand out the most. . Mexican Americans, Central and South Americans Puerto Ricans, and Cuban Americans are the four largest Hispanic ethnic groups respectively. These four diverse groups are very different, though somewhat similar in many aspects. One can see the many unique differences of these four groups when viewing the linguistic, political, social, economic, religious, and familial statuses. Out of all of the four groups, Mexicans are the most widely known to most any American. According to Roosa, Liu, Torres, Gonzalez, Knight, and Saenz (2008), Mexican Americans are the largest Hispanic ethnic group in the United States of America. The Mexican American population consists of immigrants that just began their life in the United States and families that have been living in the United States for many years. There are some Mexican Americans that only speak Spanish and others speak English and Spanish. There are a few that speak no Spanish at all. Those who speak only Spanish tend to be immigrants just getting used to life in the United States. Racial and Ethnic Groups (n.d.) states that "As of 2002, about 23 percent of Mexican Americans are English dominant, 26 percent are bilingual, and 51 percent are Spanish dominant" (Ch. 9, p. 241). Mexican Americans are mainly Catholic. According to Lee (2008), "...by the year 2010 the majority of Catholics in the United States of America will be Hispanic or of Hispanic origin" (p. 961) which draw us to believe that...
Words: 1321 - Pages: 6
...According to the New York Times, The Mexican population grew fastest from 1990-2000. The head count for Mexican Americans would not be accurate on the United States Census bureau because illegal immigrants not accurately accounted for. When referring to the United States census bureau and monster fact.com census the number of Latinos did not represent a large percentage. According to the New York Times Mexican American alone accounted for 60% of the Latino/ Hispanic group. Mexican is the largest Hispanic group In the United States. The percentage of college graduate is significantly lower than other minority group. Many young Mexican American teens are learning the language just as quick as the other minority group. It is far more important for the children of immigrant parents to be proficient in the English language because long term, the later generations linguistic skills are needed to integrated in American society. For many Mexican American second generation, Spanish is still their first language. Therefore, the Bush "No Child Left behind Act" is a very important political step for the Mexican Americans. Mexican Americans are very family oriented, and family is everything to them. (Conover, 1991). Mexican Americans is deeply religious and predominantly Roman Catholics. Many Mexican immigrants arrived to the United States with very little skills. Most of them usually are low income family and hold manufacturing, agricultural jobs. The female are usually nannies, or hold cleaning...
Words: 2243 - Pages: 9
...Hispanic American Diversity For many people, it is a frequent misunderstanding that all Hispanics are the same. Instead, there are many different groups that make up the Hispanic group. While many similarities do exist among the Hispanic groups, it is their dissimilarities that set them apart from one another. The compilation of data in this paper will demonstrate the linguistic, social, economic, religious and familial conventions and statuses among Mexican Americans, Cubans, Guatemalans and Puerto Ricans residing in America. Mexican Americans could possibly be one of the most universally known groups of Hispanic origin residing in the United States. According to the Encarta Encyclopedia (2008), “The Mexican American population includes Whites, Native Americans, Mestizos and Mulattos.” No matter what part of the population, a Mexican American is a descendent of, they all share the same interest for the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, it is the church that Mexican Americans base their opinions on sexual, education and politics. If Roman Catholicism is not the religion of preference, one will find Mexican Americans practicing Protestantism. As with the majority of Hispanics, Mexican Americans If Roman Catholicism is not the religion of preference, one will find Mexican Americans practicing Protestantism. As with the majority of Hispanics, Mexican Americans use Spanish as their central language. Spanish is spoken at home for religious occasions, amongst family, and...
Words: 1404 - Pages: 6
...language (L2) even though it might not necessarily be the second language learned. In the past, most SLA linguistic research that includes Spanish as an L1 or native language (NL) and English as an L2 or foreign language (FL) has been conducted predominately in the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe. Very little research if any has been done in Puerto Rico in applied linguistics...
Words: 1034 - Pages: 5
...Chris Choi English 098 27 October, 2015 Socioeconomic status of Immigrants In the novel, Almost a Woman, there are a lot of distinct differences and problems the author talks about. Distinct differences and problems in that the author, as an immigrant, faces many difficulties and cultural changes from when she migrated to New York City from Puerto Rico. As we go into the book, there are some key aspects of identity that are played in Esmeralda’s family and herself. One aspect of identity is the socioeconomic status of her and her family in the big, well known dynamic city of New York. This aspect of identity is a big concern throughout the book and in real life because it’s what most immigrants have to deal with from their movement from their native country to a foreign country. Socioeconomics is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes. In general it analyzes how societies progress, stagnate, or regress because of their local or regional economy, or the global economy. This is a monumental matter for Esmeralda as she is a middle school student going onto high school and as everyone knows, high school can be four years of highlight or four years of straight torture and since she’s an immigrant with no knowledge of American culture, this is a big concern for Esmeralda. Esmeralda, coming to America at a young age, is flustered with emotions and doesn’t have anyone to talk to because she is limited with who she has....
Words: 2386 - Pages: 10
...American Diversity Puerto Rican Americans, Mexican Americans, Dominicans, and Cubans, all have separate identities within their own cultures. Many Latin American cultures have a strong family; however, all are grouped together as Hispanic, or Hispanic Americans, and all share, with some dialect differences, the same language, Spanish. The Cuban-American community has been able to become assimilated into the United States culture. Sean Buffington believes there is a long dispute between the Black and Cuban communities because Cubans are able to blend into the American culture more easily. Cubans have, according to Buffington, have also participated into American Politics and have become involved in the economy in the South Florida, Dade County area. The Cuban American culture is very large in the South Florida area that they have become an important economic and political power in the area. The American government also provides Cubans with an easier means to gain United States citizenship with the Wet Foot Dry Foot federal policy, allowing many Cubans the right to stay in the United States if they can make it to American soil by almost any means possible. This policy only applies to the Cuban immigrants, which seems to unfairly protect the Cuban society over any other, especially the Mexican society that is always vilified in the American media when the topic of immigration reform is discusses, along with illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States. According...
Words: 714 - Pages: 3
