Hispanic American Diversity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hispanic American Diversity - Research Paper Example Mexican Americans are the largest Hispanic group living in the USA. It constitutes 14 million people of Mexican ancestry, or 64% of the Hispanic population living in America. The main areas of their settlement include Southwestern part of the USA. Also, there are big Mexican Americans communities living in Chicago and New York, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama. Economically and socially, Mexican Americans represent cheap labor employed in service sectors. Most of them occupy blue-collar occupations such as manufacturing and farm workers, service workers and craftspeople, restaurant workers, drivers, gardeners, etc. Mexican Americans of both genders find considerable barriers to entering the labor market at the higher (and higher-paying) levels. With rapid social change comes also a whole range of problems associated with the provision of health and other social services for Mexican Americans. Today, there are insufficient funds for education programs and health care services for the Mexican American population. Most of them do not receive government support and social welfare living in total poverty. A family is the most important social institution for this Hispanic group. A father or husband plays the main role while women obtain a secondary social role. Most Mexican Americans are Christians, Roman Catholics. "The turnout among Mexican Americans is low (less than 40% vote). Of those who vote, large majorities vote for Democratic candidates in most states except Texas (where the Democrats win narrowly)" (Mexican American, 2006). Linguistically, Mexican Americans represent a bilingual group who speaks Spanish at home and English at work. Family traditions and values are crucial for Mexican Americans. At home, the main language is Spanish, and at work, they speak English. The group of Latin Americans includes Spanish people from Latin America but excludes the Spanish immigrants. This is a Spanish-speaking community. Although, immigrants came from Brazil speak Portuguese. Similar to Mexican Americans this Hispanic group confesses Roman Catholicism as the primary religion, but include followers of protestant, Evangelical, Mormon, and Islamic traditions. Culturally, this group represents a mixture of the Spanish and the Portuguese, the English and the French traditions. The biggest Latin American community lives in Boston.