The Hispanic Community in America
Hispanics and Latinos are often used interchangeably, but each has different meanings. Hispanic refers to people with a background in a Spanish-speaking country, and Latino can include those from any country in Latin America or Spain.
Hispanic/Latino cultures place a great value on family. This is evident in their close-knit communities, where daily family gatherings occur.
The Hispanic community is diverse and multifaceted, encompassing people from various Spanish-speaking countries and regions worldwide. At the same time, it’s essential to recognize that the term “Hispanic” is broad and doesn’t capture the full complexity of this community.
Hispanic Community Family Values
Hispanic cultures are known for their richness, diversity, and strong emphasis on family, community, and tradition. Cultural elements like music, dance, cuisine, and art significantly influence Hispanic identity.
Family values are principles that guide a family’s decisions and actions. These principles may vary from family to family but are usually centered around love and commitment. They can also include other essential things, like education and community involvement. Many families also have family traditions, such as having regular family dinners or vacations.
Regular family time can also be an opportunity to communicate with family members and strengthen relationships.
Many scholars attribute these positive outcomes to strong Hispanic familism, an orientation toward the family’s well-being. However, contemporary scholarship challenges this view, emphasizing that a constellation of factors, including poverty-related conditions and opportunities, shapes the evolution of Hispanic family patterns.
Economic Status
Few racial or ethnic groups have had as significant an impact on the United States in the last 100 years as Latinos. From Mexican Americans to Latinas, the nation’s growing population of Hispanics affects every facet of life in America.
However, the nation’s Hispanic community faces many barriers to economic mobility. They are overrepresented in lower-wage occupations and paid less than non-Latino white workers in the same occupational categories. They are also less likely than non-Latino whites to have high school diplomas or health insurance.
Addressing these barriers could have a multitrillion-dollar impact, freeing Latinos’ entrepreneurial spirit, boosting consumer spending, and building intergenerational wealth. The business community recognizes the economic clout of the nation’s Hispanic population and is working hard to unleash it.
Language
In Hispanic culture, family and heritage are very important. Hispanics often have large and close-knit families. Their sense of “familismo” emphasizes a solid connection with extended family members and a resilient attitude toward life. It’s common to find three generations living under the same roof or nearby.
Hispanics and Latinos are groups based on shared culture rather than skin color or race, which makes them different from other U.S. ethnic groups like white, black, and Asian. However, the terms Hispanic and Latino are often used interchangeably, even though they refer to different things.
Hispanics share a Spanish language and heritage, while Latinos describe a person’s geographic origin (like Mexico, Cuba, or Central America). Using either term does not say anything about a person’s race. Hispanics and Latinos can be white, black, Native American, or of any other race. But knowing the difference between the two terms will help you better understand Hispanic/Latino culture. Hispanics and Latinos often feel a disconnect between their American culture and their cultural heritage, which can lead to mental health challenges.
Culture
Hispanics are a highly diverse group with different cultures and languages. Their heritage reflects many countries in Latin America and Spain. They have strong family values and a close link to their religion. Many Hispanic Americans have Spanish as a first or second language and want to pass their culture on to their children.
While Hispanic and Latino have similar meanings, individuals can choose how they self-identify. It’s best to avoid imposing one of these labels on someone unless they bring it up. It’s also important to remember that individuals subscribe to group norms to varying degrees.
National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate these diverse groups’ rich traditions and history.
Education
Hispanic students face many obstacles when trying to reach their educational goals. These issues include poverty, a lack of academic support resources, and immigrant status. In addition, there are also cultural and racial stereotypes that affect how well they do in school. Despite these challenges, the Hispanic community has the potential to succeed in higher education if they have access to the right resources and programs.
Research suggests that the gap in math achievement between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white students is primarily due to differences in English language proficiency (ECLS, 2001). This problem can be solved by using the DREAM Act and by individual colleges adopting policies to meet the needs of Latino students better.
The DREAM Act encourages colleges to provide additional academic and financial assistance to students who have been identified as Hispanic or Latino. The act is a crucial step towards ensuring that Hispanic students have the opportunity to achieve their academic dreams. In addition, it helps reduce the racial and economic disparities between Hispanic students and their non-Hispanic peers.
