Hispanic-Americans are a prime
example of a migrant group. They came to America looking for a better life:
better government, better work, better pay, and better schools. “Most believe
life is better in the United States. Close to six-in-ten (57%) say that people
who move from Mexico enjoy a better life in the U.S., up from 51% in 2007. And
the vast majority of those who are in regular contact with friends and
relatives living in the U.S. say those friends and relatives have largely
achieved their goals” ("Most Mexicans
see," 2009). Hispanic-Americans have gone through a transitional phase
into U.S. culture. Whether it has been over the last century, last ten years,
or last six months, the cultural group is always adapting to their new homeland
to which they immigrated. While they hold Latino traditions close to their
hearts, they do embrace all that the United States is giving them, hence, why
the cultural group is called “Hispanic-Americans.”
Hispanic-Americans
are clear representations of what it means to have a multicultural identity, “a
sense of in-betweenness that develops as a result of frequent or multiple cultural
border crossings” (Martin & Nakayama, 2013). Many of the Hispanic-Americans I know have
grown up in Nebraska or surrounding states but have close ties to family
members who may still be living in Mexico. They may feel torn as to what is
expected of cultural norms because they are on the line between two. While the
multicultural group may not be “living on the border” physically, they
certainly may be psychologically. There is a strong integration of Latino
culture with the traditional “white” norms of the United States to which
Hispanic-Americans conform. While many
Hispanic-Americans engage in popular activities in our culture, such as style
of dress, music, and hobbies (sports, extra-curricular activities, etc.), they
may have their culturally traditional ideas about religion, family and societal
structures, and other customs from their country of origin or their parents’
country of origin.
I will
be studying the continuous cultural adaptation process of a Hispanic-American
by researching whether Hispanic-Americans feel that their migration was on a
voluntary or involuntary basis, as well as researching how they integrate their
two cultural identities of being a Hispanic and being an American. I want to
begin by first interviewing Genesis Garcia, Marcela Lopez, and Stephanie Colin
(all of whom are very proud of their cultural heritage) on why their families
chose to come to America and partake in a cultural transition. I also want to
explore their families’ processes of migration from one country to another. Exploring
any discomforts or prejudices they or their family members may have
experienced, I plan to interview these individuals either by phone or in-person,
but hopefully in-person. I want to know what they
love about their culture and
some of the traditions I may not know about as an outsider to their cultural
group. I also plan to relate some of my favorite hobbies and cultural
traditions with theirs, as we all identify with being American. I also intend
to attend some of the Hispanic cultural events that are taking place in the
Multicultural Center, as well as interview a Cultural Diversity professor to
get his professional opinion about what multicultural students may go through
as a student here at the University. I have approached Marcela Lopez about spending
a night out on the town with Lopez to experience what she and her friends do
for fun on the weekends so I can report with first-hand knowledge of any unique
cultural activities, dances, or discussions they partake in frequently as
Hispanic-Americans. Using my interview material, I will conclude how the
cultural group as assimilated, separated, segregated, and integrated with U.S.
culture and norms.
References
Martin, J.N.&
Nakayama, T.K. (2013). Intercultural
Communication in Contexts. (6th ed). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
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