Undeniably, The United States of America is the leading country with many people of different cultures.There are many people of different cultures in America. These culturesinclude the French American culture, the Chinese American culture, the Mexican American culture, as well as the Japanese American culture amongst other. Thee culture differed at different levels such a religion, marriage, and many others. However, there are also several similarities that exist between the different American cultures. This paper seeks to compare and contrast the Mexican American Culture and the Japanese American Culture as brought out in the article "like Mexicans" from Gary Soto in the book "Norton sampler short essays for composition."
Another relevant different observed between the Japanese culture and the Mexican culture in the way the people from the two different cultures appear physically. While the Japanese girls have a white look and resemble the Chinese, with yellow hair the Mexican girls have physical characteristics close to those of Africans. In the article, it is indicated that the Mexican girls are somehow dark with arched eyebrows and black hair (Cooley, 56).
Secondly, according to the Mexican American culture, men are expected to be barbers. It is believed that barbers make good money and worked less. In fact, the men who worked in as barbers spent the rest of the time listening to radio, which is a part of the Mexican American culture. In the past, the Mexicans believed that the non-Mexicans were referred to as “Okies” they included the Italians and the French men and women (Soto, 43).
The Mexican culture required Mexican men to marry Mexican women. In fact, they believed that if someone came from a poor family, they would marry from poor families, as well. No one was expected to marry someone who was not at the same level from them. In the article, it is clearly shown that when the writer got engaged to Carolyn, who was a Japanese, lady, everyone, including his own mother was against it. His mother, as well as, his best friend Anthony discouraged him from marrying a woman from a different social status (Soto, 41). On the other hand, his uncles and brother, who were all married to Mexican women, encouraged him to also marry a girl from his article, own culture, which is the Mexican American culture.
The food also differs between the Japanese American culture and the Mexican American culture. The Japanese food is usually simple and mainly includes rice, some vegetables and soup. It may also include seafood depending on the proximity to the water sources. Japanese food is usually eaten using flatware or chopsticks depending on the type of food being taken. On the other hand, the Mexican cultural food is usually complicated with a lot of spices and a wide range of recipes (Bloom, 69). Their basic ingredients,however; are hot chili and cilantro which are usually put in almost every Mexican meal. Unlike the Japanese cultural food, the Mexican foods like a tostada and tapas can be taken with bare hands
Contrary to the Mexican culture, the Japanese culture does not discriminate against other races. They value all the other cultures and respect them. From the article, it is evident that when the writer is taken to meet Carolyn’s parents, he is well receivedand both Carolyn’s parents are happy to see him. They greet him and sit down to have lunch with him (Cooley 45). At the beginning the author is scared perhaps because he thought he would get a cold treatment from the Japanese people, but once he sees Carolyn’s mum greeting him in a jovial way, he becomes relaxed and realizes that the Japanese culture is somehow similar to his own culture only that it is different.
Lastly it is evident that both the Japanese American Culture and the Mexican American cultures are similar in one way or the other. To start with, it is evident that girls from both the two culture knew how to cook. It is clearly evident that Carolyn’s mother prepared a delicious lunch, while on the other hand it is clearly indicated by the author’s grandmother that Mexican girls knew how to cook (Cooley, 50). Additionally, it is also clear that both culture value marriage. At the beginning, we see the grandmother advising the author on marriage in his early age. We also see the relevance of marriage in the Japanese American culture when the author is well welcomed into his fiancée’s home.
Works Cited
Bloom, Lynn Z. The Essay Connection: Readings for Writers. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.
Cooley, Thomas. The Norton Sampler: Short Essays for Composition. , 2013. Print.
Soto, Gary. Small Faces. New York: Dell, 1993. Print.
