2. Introduction
Upon my arrival to the Multicultural Night, I immediately became for of joy
because the opportunity to broaden my horizon on culture had presented itself. As I
walked around, I spotted a friend of mine, Maria Soto Torres. Maria and I were in FCS
201, Lifespan Development, together. We discussed that we wanted to interact with
each other, and agreed that we were allowing our books to keep us from having a
civilized conversation. She and my classmate, Melanie Soto Artiste, were standing
together at the Mexican table where they were serving cake and some other Mexican
treat. I met Melanie at our most recent Spring Fling on campus and we agreed that we
have not had a decent conversation either. Because I thought Maria was such an
influential person, I decided to stop and asked her or Melanie if I could interview either
of them before it got too busy. As I began the interviewing process, she and Maria
began answering the questions and what I learned about their culture was amazing. I
was completely blown away.
3. Interview
Both Maria and Melanie are twenty three year old women that came to America
to gain a more advanced education. Maria attended to those who were interested in the
foods they were selling, so Melanie began to explain to me how she has been in the
United States for three years and only she, her brother, and her parents were in the
United States. All of her other family members were still home in Mexico. She also
insisted I state in my paper that she and her brother have a very close relationship. She
explained to me that her journey began here at Louisiana Tech in the ALS program to
begin learning how to speak English. She then stated that she transferred to Bossier
Parish Community College, BPCC, and then back to Louisiana Tech. She is a Family
and Child Studies Major, with a concentration in Family Science.
As we continued, she began to explain to me how men tend to want to rule over
their wives in most situation. Men are the people who go out and work while the women
are supposed to stay home and take care of the children and house chores. Though
women do work, the very traditional family is promoted in Mexico. I asked of her mother
and father were still married, she yes and explained that when it came down to
marriage, divorce was almost not an option. It was either too expensive or the women of
the house dealt with the problems to prevent diving the family.
When the conversation shifted into more of the cultural norms, she expressed
that the women in Mexico should have more a figure, like a larger bust and bottom area.
She did not really specify about the men, but she did say that what is promoted here is
similar to the cultural ideals in Mexico. It is also common has to see most hair of men
4. and women to be darker, as well as eye color. If one has blue or green eyes, they are
somewhat “special.” They get more of attraction from the opposite sex.
Their culture is also associated with lots of flowers on the women and bright
colors on everyone; from the babies to the men. Also, if one wears a lot of color, and/or
flowers it does not determine prestige. On the contrary, tattoos are associated more
with gangs, violence, and prison. This is because it is very difficult to get a job there is
any tattoo is visible. She explained that it is more relaxed about that in the United
States. Many more people here wear tattoos than in Mexico because of that reason.
The same goes with piercings, besides the one earring piercing for women. The clothing
for daily thing is very similar to the United States, but there are times when they wear
traditional dress, like Independence Day.
Once I asked about Christmas, she and Maria lit up. They love Christmas. On
Christmas, they do not celebrate Santa Clause. That day in most parts of their country
is dedicated strictly to Jesus. They have Christmas tree in the North, but they usually do
the gifts on January 6. There January 5 is deemed what Americans consider Christmas
Eve. The significance behind that is the day that Jesus was born is the when they thank
God for giving his gift of a Savior, Jesus. The children receive their gifts from their
parents in January signifying what happened with the three wise men. They are not sure
if January 6 is the exact date, but it is a part of their tradition.
They also explained to me that they are big on birthdays. Christmas is the
birthday of Jesus, but they celebrate the children’s first, third, and fifteenth birthdays.
The first year because many of the children there do not make it during the first year.
Therefore, when they do, it is a big deal. The third because during the time that Jesus
5. was three, there was an epidemic of soldiers killing three-year-old boys and Jesus
survived. Therefore, when the child turns three, the parents dedicate that child to Christ.
The big birthday celebration comes when the young woman turn fifteen, the
quinceanerra. That is known as the celebration of the young girl not being a child
anymore. The fathers then present their daughters as an adult and a candidate to be
married. She becomes a Senorita. Similar to a sweet sixteen party, but for a child to
have a quinceanerra, she has to study the bible for a year before she can have that
celebration. I thought that was a wonderful idea for a young woman.
For wedding and funeral. They are very similar to how they are celebrated in
America, more specifically similar to New Orleans. To celebrate the death of an older
person, they are to wear black, but if I child were to die, they were to wear white. Also at
a child’s funeral, there are fireworks, because the children of Mexico love fireworks, and
it is more of a ritual. For weddings, unlike America, where they can add color to their
bridal gown, Mexican women do not do that. The wear either white or not to signify the
purity of the woman. They have music at the wedding and the mariachi dance. The
dance can happen at the funeral, but only if that person wanted that. They also have a
dance for the wedding where the man has a broom and an apron, sweeping the floor,
while the wife is doing something to signify her being in control of him.
Men, in Mexico, did get more of an opportunity to be successful over women but
that has balance in the past few years. Public schools are free up until the 12th grade,
just as it is here. Melanie began school at the age of seven because preschool was not
a requirement, and most children that are here age now were home schooled. In
addition to preschool not being a requirement, it was also very taxing on the parents to
6. get their child to school because it was too far away to walk. Most children stop going to
school there around the eighth grade and mover here to work. We then began to talk
about things that had nothing to do with the interview and exchanged numbers.
7. Questions to Ponder
There were so many to cultures there and it was absolutely, fabulous! All of the
different people who were in their traditional dress was wonderful to encounter. There
were so many countries from Mexico to New Zealand. From my interview, I found more
similarities in the Mexican and African American cultures than anything else. Their
religious views are very similar to my family. We are a Baptist family where my
stepfather pastors a Baptist church. In the Mexican culture, they believe that all should
be baptized. They also involve Jesus in lots of their culture. Birthdays, Christmas, and
marriage all enforce laws of Jesus Christ.
Politically, I would say that the Mexican culture functions similarly, but operate in
a different economic system. Melanie stated that their country is based more on class
than race. So one could perceive Mexican running a government as a blend of a caste
system as a democracy, though formally known as a democratic republic.
Educationally, this country is understood to only have to ability to educate to a certain
extent. Then they would have to leave their native country to find an extended
knowledge base. Socially, Mexico is what I would consider the ideal for the average
African American Woman. It is a country where it embraces the curves in a woman’s
body as well dark hair and eyes. It is also a center of great music, which has been
historically correlated to African American women. The idea woman here in the United
States is still a Barbie doll. She is one that appears very fragile. Though evolving, the
socially acceptable woman is one that has curves, but a very subtle. This evolution is
caused by the country moving away from more traditional way of living.
8. Practices of this country I found very intriguing so much I have decided to acquire
this in my lifestyle, was the quinceanerra. The young woman is not allowed to have this
“coming into adulthood” party without studying the Bible. Her going through this initiation
provides this young woman a sturdy knowledge base of her worth. If I were to have a
daughter, I would want her to go through this initiation process. This strategy would
better instill in her how to live a better life. Parents of children often go about their
wanting their children to understand the Christian life by just bringing them to church
and not teaching them in a more hands on matter. Many studies prove that children
learn better when it is presented in a ways that involves tangible things. I also found the
fact that they do not give gift to children on Christmas day because they feel that day
should be focused solely on the gift of Jesus Christ. I definitely agree with the children
getting gifts at a later time.
I also loved the fact that the women wear lots of flowers and bright colors just
because of their culture. I have a deep love for flowers and bright colors. If I were from
that country, I would tell everyone I could. I would make signs and t-shirts and any other
form of advertisement I do that would inform without doing too much. I would also love
to know many of the dances. If I were living there, I probably would not enjoy myself
much because of the many hardships placed on the women of that country. I am not
one to stay home and clean. I love to go out exploring and learning new things.
Nevertheless, I would enjoy the closeness of family that is shared in the Mexican
culture. My family is close, but we do not have as much in common as I would like, we
also do not spend very much time together. Adapting to this culture, my dress would be
affect much at all because the only times traditional dress is need is on special
9. occasions. They dress what we consider normal here in the United States. Because this
culture is so much like the culture I am already apart of, I do not think adopting this
cultural ideals would change very much. Maria said when she took a survey, she chose
African Americans as a people to which she related most.
10. Conclusion
I see so many similarities in the Mexican culture and the African American
culture. When the conversation switched to the education systems of their country, I
grew a bit sad because they are another country with great values has to come to
America to find better opportunities. My heart was very touched when I came to an
understanding that they are “just like me.” People who were not presented a totally fair
opportunity to strive in life, but is choosing a better way of living. Also, I began to get a
tad emotional because what they are presently going through are some of the things my
father went through during the years of African Americans were fighting for civil rights.
This was a great experience for me and I will definitely be in attendance next year.
