Central America Tourism
Latin America is rather large and difficult to pinpoint since it starts from Mexico’s border with the United States of America all the way to a small island called Tierra del Fuego. Latin America also includes all of the Caribbean islands. The cities are one of the weirdest places in Latin America simply because of the people and way of life. When one speaks about Latin America the first thing that usually comes to head is a beautiful place that is mostly occupied by poor peasant farmers who do not know much about anything. Maybe the only thing that comes to mind is that it is just a nice place to go for vacation but that is because Latin America is probably unfamiliar to us Americans, or we just think we are to good for them. If one’s knowledge of Latin America is little if any that is about to change as well as the way one views Latin America. Hispanic Americans or Latin Americans will make up about one-third of the United States Population. This is According to United States Census Bureau. This is one in every eight Americans. Latin Americans are diverse by their ethnicity and unique by their culture. The group consists of four basic groups. These groups are Mexican Americans, which make up the majority, Central/South American, Puerto Rican, and Cuban. What distinguished each group of Hispanics are the linguistic, political, social, economic, religious, and familial and culture characteristics of each. (Schaefer 2006)
Mexican Americans are usually what comes to mind when someone says %26ldquo;Hispanic%26rdquo;. This is true because they make up 66.9% percent of the Hispanic population. Spanish is the primary language for Mexican Americans. Mayan language is a part of their Spanish dialect. Many Mexicans are bilingual, speaking both Spanish and American. This is due to Tourism in their country of Mexico and United States immigration. The political center of their nation is Mexico City. Political aspects of Mexico are the same as that of the United States. Mexicans, like American’s, celebrate an independence day. Their celebration is %26ldquo;Cinco de Mayo%26rdquo; which translates to %26ldquo;the 5th of May%26rdquo;. Three different groups make up Spanish society. Mestizos are lowest ranked on the status pole. They are a mix of Spanish and indigenous. A little higher ranked in status is the native peoples and the highest are the Spanish. One of the strongest economic aspect of Mexico and the Spanish people is their land. Tourism brings in the majority of the country’s revenue. The development of the land has developed rapidly since World War II; however only the middle class and upper class reap the rewards. The Mestizos, on the other hand, have not improved and some have deteriorated. In Mexico, there are many French influenced grandiose cathedrals from the 19th century. One of the more famous structures is Guadalupe Hidalgo. This building honors the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. 90% of Mexicans are Roman Catholic and about 9% are protestant. (Schaffer, 2006) The family ties with Mexicans are very strong. They raise their family in a traditional manner, which is extremely harsh with girls, holding them responsible for raising and taking care of the entire family while the husband supports the family financially.
Dominicans, Salvadorans, and Columbians make up 14.3% of the Hispanic population and are referred to as Latin Americans. Their primary language is Spanish and over 70% of the children speak Spanish at home. The 30% that do not speak Spanish speak French, Dutch, and Portuguese. Central and South American Hispanics have a volatile environment when it comes to politics. They have civil unrest in places like El Salvador. This is the reason for immigration into the United States during the 1980’s and 90’s. They rely on a color gradient to separate racial groups that is based on light skin or dark skin. Social relations among this group are not conforming. Their social status ranks from peasants to exiles. Their economic instability is another reason for why people immigrate. Many flee their country hoping to escape their poverty. Many Central and South Americans are homeless, hungry, and work in extreme conditions for pennies. South America relies heavily on exporting goods and natural resources. Their religion is a mix between Christian and Catholic. They do not truly separate the two but have Christian characteristics intertwined with their Catholic ways and beliefs. The head of the household in Central and South America is the man in over 80% percent of families. Most families live in multigenerational households. (Hispanic Americans, 2006)
Puerto Ricans make up 8.6 percent of Hispanic American population. They often are called Americono’s. Spanish is the primary language used in school. Their secondary language is American. The students in Puerto Rico begin learning English in elementary school and continue through high school as a part of their curriculum. By the time they are in high school classes are taught in English more than Spa