This document provides an overview of Hispanic culture and history. It discusses that Hispanic culture encompasses many Spanish-speaking countries and regions. It outlines the various forms of government and economies in countries like Spain, Cuba, Central America, and South America. The document also provides a timeline of major historical events and discusses traditions, values, and learning and communication styles of Hispanic students. It notes how these cultural factors can influence academic achievement and language development.

1. Hispanic, Latinas,
Latinos:
Spanish Speakers
By: Cassandra DeCusatis

2. Hispanic Culture Group
• There are many people around the world who
come from Spanish speaking cultures
• Many Spanish speakers are born right in the
U.S.
• Other Spanish speakers are from:
– South America
– Central America
– The Dominican Republic
– Cuba
– Spain
– Mexico

3. Many countries
make up one
giant cultural
group!

4. Government
• Most Spanish speaking countries have Republic
governments.
• Cuba has a Marxist government.
• Puerto Rico is a commonwealth under the U.S.
Republic
•
•
Dominican
Republic
Mexico
Most of:
• South America
• Central America
Democracy
•
U.S.
Parlimentary
Monarchy
•
Spain

5. Economy
• With so many countries making up
the Hispanic culture group, I have
chosen to list the major industries
that each country is built upon.

6. Spain
– Textiles &
Apparel
– Food / Beverage
– Metals / Metal
manufactures
– Chemicals
– Ship building
– Automobiles
– Machine tools
– Clay & refractory
products
– Tourism
– Pharmaceuticals
– Medical
equipment

7. Cuba
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sugar
Petroleum
Tobacco
Construction
Nickel
Steel
• Cement
• Agricultural
machinery
• pharmaceuticals

8. South America
•
•
•
•
Agriculture
Fishing
Natural resources
handcrafts
• Trade is a large
part of the
economy in South
America

9. Central America
• Coffee
• Bananas

10. Dominican Republic
•
•
•
•
Tourism
Sugar processing
Ferronickel
Gold mining
• Textiles
• Cement
• Tobacco

11. Mexico
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Food / beverages
Tobacco
Chemicals
Iron
Steel
Petroleum
Mining
textiles
• Clothing
• Motor vehicles
• Consumer
durables
• tourism

12. Puerto Rico
•
•
•
•
•
Pharmaceuticals
Electronics
Apparel
Food products
Tourism

13. History
• There are many major events that have
occurred in Hispanic/Latin American
History
• On the next slide is a timeline of the Top
Ten major events in Latin American
History

14. Timeline of major events
History

15. History
Treaty of Tordesillas
Conquest of Aztec and
Inca Empires
•
•
The America’s legally belonged
to Portugal when they were
discovered by Columbus. The
papul bull said that any and all
undiscovered lands west of a
certain longitude belonged to
Portugal. Pope Alexander VI
had to resolve who had
ownership of the New World.
He realigned the longitude line
which gave the New World to
Spain. Portugal was unhappy
and pushed the topic until they
made a treaty with Spain that
realigned the longitude line
again, thus giving Portugal
modern day Brazil.
Spain decided to pacify
and colonize the New
World by conquering the
Aztec & Inca Empires.
Conquistadores under
the control of Hernàn
Cortes and Francisco
Pizzaro defeated the
empires and led the way
for centuries of Spanish
rule in the New World.

16. History cont’d
Independence from
Spain and Portugal
The Mexican American
War
•
•
•
•
Latin America declared
independence from
Spain in1810 after the
Napoleonic invasion.
In 1825 Mexico,
Central America and
South America were
free.
Spanish rule in America
ended in 1898 in the
Spanish-American War
Mexico went to war with
the United States who
invaded Mexico on 2
fronts, and captured
Mexico City in May
1848. The Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo gave
California, Nevada,
Utah, Arizona, New
Mexico, Wyoming and
parts of Colorado to the
U.S.

17. History cont’d
The War of the Triple
Alliance
The War of the Pacific
•
•
•
•
•
The most devastating war
of South America pitted
Argentina, Brazil and
Uruguay against Paraguay.
Initially, Uruguay was
attacked by Brazil and
Argentina, with Paraguay
coming to their aid.
When a new president
took over in Uruguay, they
switched sides and attach
Paraguay.
Paraguay was left in ruins
with hundreds of
thousands dead.
•
•
•
Chile and Bolivia went
to war in 1879.
Peru was brought into it
due to their alliance
with Bolivia.
Chile was victorious in
many battles and
captured Lima in 1881.
Bolivia signed a truce in
1884.

18. History cont’d
The construction of the
Panama Canal
The Mexican Revolution
•
•
•
A remarkable
engineering feat that
drastically changed
worldwide shipping.
Panama seceded from
Columbia during this
time.
•
•
Peasants fought against the
wealthy in a bloody war
that ended in 1920 when
Alvaro Obregón became the
last general standing.
Fighting continued for
another decade.
Land reform took place
after the war and the
Institutional Revolutionary
Party (the political party
that came from the
rebellion) stayed in power
until the 1990s.

19. History cont’d
The Cuban Revolution
Operation Condor
•
In 1953, Fidel Castro and
his followers attacked the
barracks at Moncada.
•
•
The rebellion grew due to
the promise of economic
equality & President
Fulgencio Batista fled the
country.
A collaborative effort to
round up and kill all the
enemies of the
governments in the
southern cone of South
America.
•
By the time it ended,
thousands were dead or
missing and South
American’s could no longer
trust their leaders.
•
There are still many
questions about who was
behind the operation.
•
Castro was victorious and
he established a
communist regime which
had close ties with the
Soviet Union.

20. Education
• Hispanic cultures have a more authoritative
school system and all students wear uniforms.
• Classes are often split up based on gender.
• Students are expected to conform to the
teacher and it is their own fault if they fail, not
the teachers
• Often classes are set up so that students are
able to work in partners or small groups.
– In accordance with cultural learning styles,
Hispanic students often work together to help
each other with their academics.

21. Education cont’d
• Students may lower their eyes to an authority
figure / elder.
• Physical proximity during conversations
between Hispanic people differs from that in
the US. People usually stand about 18inches
apart in Hispanic cultures when speaking
(much closer than the U.S.)
• The teachers is the main authority figure,
should be treated with respect, and is expected
to provide for all of the students’ academic
needs.
– Parent involvement is not expected.
– Schools wont have guidance counselors, special
education teachers or a PTA

22. Immigration
•
•
•
•
•
Between 1850 and 1880, it is estimated that roughly
55,000 Mexican immigrants came to Southwest
United States looking for better economic
opportunities
Mexican immigrants worked on the American railway
system in the 19th century
Legal and illegal Mexican immigrants comprise the
largest foreign group living in the United States.
U.S. Border Patrol was created in 1924 to limit the
amount of illegal immigrants coming to the U.S. from
Mexico.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2009 46.9%
of the 38.5 million foreign born immigrants were of
Hispanic descent.

23. Traditions and Customs
•
As a teacher there are several Hispanic customs and
traditions I would want to be aware of when working
with my students
– Quinceañera:
• A formal celebration of a Hispanic girls 15th
birthday, signifying her entrance into womanhood
– Los Tres Reyes
• A tradition where students write letters to the Three
Kings at Christmas time rather than Santa – if they
are good they will receive gifts on Jan. 6th.
– El Ratón Pérez
• When children loose teeth, a little mouse delivers
gifts or money in exchange for the teeth – this is
like the tooth fairy in the U.S.

24. Hispanic Culture
IDENTIFIED VALUES AND STYLES
OF HISPANIC STUDENTS

25. Cultural Values
• Despite Spanish speakers coming from many
different places, these individuals hold many of
the same values
– Respecto or having respect for expected gender
roles
– Importance of family
– Interdependence of family (including godparents)
– Religion/spirituality
– Love
– Importance of children
– Formalities of etiquette
– Hope/faith in a better future

26. Cultural Communication Styles
• Spanish speakers are more formal when
communicating – they are sure to use titles
when speaking to a person.
• Respect is extremely important.
• Spanish speakers often show affection through
touching (hugs, kisses, etc.)
• As previously mentioned, Spanish speakers
converse at a closer distance of about 18in.
and students often lower their eyes when
speaking with adults, especially if they are
being reprimanded.

27. Learning Styles
• Hispanic students cooperatively learn – they
learn by working together, helping each other
(it is common for them to help each other on
tests).
• Hispanic students are better at achieving short
term goals due to their focus on the present
and not the future like Anglo students.
• These students often prefer one-on-one
interactions with the teacher (even when it
comes to passing out papers).
• Information presented in class should be talked
about as a general topic and not in such a
detailed way. And the information should be
humanized by using humor, drama or fantasy.

28. Hispanic Culture
AFFECT OF DIFFERENT STYLES ON:
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT,
THE LEARNING PROCESS
AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

29. Communication and Academics
• Hispanic students are respectful and see the
teachers as the absolute authority figure, so
students can be scared of speaking out in
group (taking the lead over the teacher).
• These students also tend to be shy. Their
shyness affects how they learn, especially in
terms of language development. This is
because the students may completely shut
down when they are put on the spot,
particularly when trying to communicate in
English.
– They can often see frustration on a teacher’s face
when they are struggling and this can also often
lead to the student shutting down.

30. Cultural Values and Academics
•
•
I would think that a Hispanic students ties with their
religion / spirituality and family may affect the
learning process by having frequent absences for
religious holidays or traditions (such as Dia de los
Muertos when Hispanic families celebrate the lives of
those who have passed).
Hispanic families see independence as a negative
value – they believe in the family and not the
individual, so competition is not often seen within the
children. In the U.S. we are focused on individual
achievement and many students thrive on
competition. The Hispanic students may be
overlooked in the classroom because they aren’t
trying to stand out among their peers.

31. Learning Styles and Academics
• Cooperative learning is often used in Hispanic
cultures, but the U.S. is very focused on
individual learning and achievement. It is
important to realize that these students were
raised to learn together and help each other.
Their desire to help each other may cause
problems when it comes to the learning
process simply because teacher may feel the
students are copying each other or cheating.
• These students would probably thrive in
classes where group projects and partnered
assignments are used.
• These students are often peer-motivated.

32. Learning styles & Academics cont’d
•
•
•
In classrooms where daily assignments / projects are
given, these students will achieve very well ;
however, when long term projects are used in class
their academic performance may be low – this is
because of the students focus on the present rather
than the future.
The learning process will be affected by how the
teacher interacts with the students – if they are
more personal with the students, interact one-onone, and offer encouragement through a pat on the
shoulder or a small hug then the students will learn
well and have better academic achievement
On the contrary, if the teacher is not very personal,
puts the student on the spot and doesn’t work oneon-one with the student, their achievement will most
likely suffer.

33. Conclusion
• In sum, the Hispanic culture encompasses a
vast area and is comprised of many different
subcultures.
• Hispanic people have many cultural tradition
and customs, and they are very respectful and
family oriented.
• Students achievement will suffer if teachers
are not aware of the cultural differences of
their students.
• Student’s learn best when allowed to work in
groups and when the teacher interacts on a
more individualized plain with students, while
offering encouragement through a pat or hug!

34. Resources
Batalova, Jeanne. (2010, Dec. 9). Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants
and Immigration in the United States. Retrieved from:
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/frequently-requested-statisticsimmigrants-and-immigration-united-states-1/
Clutter, Ann and Nieto, Ruben. (No date). Understanding the Hispanic culture.
Retrieved from: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5237.html
Ducksters. Technological Solutions, Inc. (2014, Feb.) Ducksters: Education Site for
Kids and Teachers. Retrieved from: www.ducksters.com/geography
Explore Hispanic Culture. (2012). Hispanic traditions. Retrieved from:
http://www.explore-hispanic-culture.com/hispanic-traditions.html
Griggs, Shirley and Dunn, Rita. (2007, July 26). Hispanic-American students and
learning style. Retrieved from:
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Hispanic_American/
Hede, Marcela. (2013, Apr. 22). Hispanic Traditions or Tradiciones Hispanas.
Retrieved from: http://hispanic-culture-online.com/hispanic-traditions.html

35. Minster, Christopher. (No date). The Ten Most Important Events in the History of
Latin America: Events That Shaped Modern Latin America. Retrieved from:
http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/modernlatinamerica/a/toptenevents.
htm
Mojica, Stephanie. (2010, Mar. 5). Facts about Mexican immigrants in the United
States. Retrieved from: http://voices.yahoo.com/facts-mexican-immigrantsunited-states-5575919.html
Norman, Jeffery. (No date). Hispanic family traditions and customs. Retrieved
from: http://www.ehow.com/info_8510973_hispanic-family-traditionscustoms.html
Wheeling Jesuit University. (2002). Central America: Economics. Retrieved from:
http://www.cotf.edu/earthinfo/camerica/CAeco.html
Whelan Ariza, E.N. (2010). Hispancs, Latinos/as, and Spanish Speakers. Not for
ESOL Teachers: What every classroom teacher needs to know about the
linguistically, culturally, and ethnically diverse student. (pp. 150 - 154). Boston,
MA: Pearson.
Zalaquett. (No date). Understanding the Hispanic / Latino culture. Retrieved
from: http://www.coedu.usf.edu/zalaquett/hoy/culture.html