Mexican Culture
Before the beginning of the16th century there were many societies already flourishing in what is known today as Mexico, including the Olmecs, the Mayan, the Toltec and the Aztec. In 1521 a Spanish conquistador named Hernan Cortes subjugated the Aztec and Spain set in motion the colonization of the region (About Mexico, 2013). With the blend of European traditions with the cultures of the indigenous inhabitants a unique new culture was born and is the Mexican culture of today. There are three distinct groups of the Mexican culture, the Spanish, the indigenous peoples and a new group, Mestizos which is a mixture of the Spanish with the indigenous inhabitants (Mexican Culture, n.d.).
The majority of the Mexican culture is based on the Catholic Church which was introduced by Spain. The Catholic Church and its teaching have an integral part into the Mexican Culture, such as, their attitude on birth control and abortion. However, the Spanish influence is only part of the Mexican culture which is intertwined with the indigenous cultures also; such as, folk art and music traditions (Mexico, 1998).
Mexican culture is in general considered very traditional. The Mexican men particularly hold a conventional notion about gender responsibility and the family. For example, in many Mexican family units, the father or oldest man or boy is the principal authority figure and is the one who makes almost all of the family decisions, whilst the mother and/or wife carries on maintaining the greater part of duties with bearing children and taking care of the home (Mexican Culture, n.d.). The children in the Mexican culture are to be submissive and reverent of their elders, as well as, being well-mannered. Another valued part of the Mexican culture is that the elder family members frequently reside with their children and grandchildren and they put an enormous importance on family and interpersonal interactions.
The Mexican Culture puts less emphasis on the value of work. This does not mean that they are not hard workers but just the opposite. They work to live, but not live to work like many others. The Mexican culture believes that it is important to take the time to take pleasure in a good meal with friends or to spend time with family (Mexican Culture, n.d.). This nonchalant attitude actually leads to a lesser amount of anxiety and possibly a more rewarding life than that found in many other cultures.
The Mexican culture in America’s classrooms has grown by leaps and bounds and in many states the
