The largest subtype of Hispanics in the United States is Mexican Americans. As stated by Bureau of Census 1991, Mexican Americans are 13.3 million of the 20.8 million Hispanics. Mexican Americans have their own culture and values and they do share a discrimination experience with other minorities. They normally use the Spanish language for communication. According to an estimate, nearly half of the American Mexicans speak Spanish language. Chicanos are also American Mexicans and they usually speak Spanish as well. Mexican Americans prefer to live as a combined family including the extended relatives. Cooperation with each other is in the values of the Mexican-American homes. Respect for each other and loyalty with their families are in their roots. Oldest members enjoy all the privileges and every major and minor decision is taken by the head of the family. Women are dependent on the male of the family and gender roles are well defined in their system as a family unit. Due to rapidly changing environment and urban culture, the boundaries of the two sexes are now changing. According to a survey of U.S. Census in 1991, approximately 26 percent of the Mexican American still live below the line of poverty as poverty have long existed in Mexican Americans (“Mexican-Americans”).
Majority of these families are dependent on the state and pursue assistance of any sort from government. One can easily find Mexican American families who are Americanized totally. Contrary to that there are family units who are still pretty Mexican. Cultural blend is also visible is a major percentage of these families. Low standard of living and poverty challenges them and insufficient medical assistance to poor Mexican Americans lead to several diseases. Use of drugs and alcohol is increasing in the younger generation of Mexican Americans. Poverty, use of drugs and unhealthy working conditions results mental sickness in them (“Mexican-Americans”).
Stress, long working hours and use of pesticides in farming have been reported as the reasons of their worst physical conditions. Majority of them finds it hard to get better employment opportunities because of the reason that they have limited resources and they are not able to achieve higher levels in education. 57 percent of the educated Mexican Americans work as laborers. Among the culturally blended Mexican Americans, 20 percent work as a white collar. Mexican Americans are the largest among all Hispanic groups in the United States but the least educated. They face economic disadvantages at a large scale in America. As a significant group of minority they do need medical care, better opportunities of education and several training programs so that they can change the standard of their living and can be a useful part of the society in the long run (“Mexican-Americans”).
Low level of education leads them to do jobs related with physical labor. This minority thus is only interested in the agricultural farms and factories which offer minimal charges and long working hours, demanding intense work load and pressure, without any coverage or insurance. So if any mishap is faced by them all the savings they have gathered are spent on the medical procedures and assistance. In addition with that their family loses a working hand that can support the family. Mexican American are facilitated by education programs and their rehabilitation counselors are often challenged by their heterogeneous nature as their beliefs are varying through their culture, backgrounds and physical conditions. The vocational training programs and right to get education should be prioritized. Productive lives can only be generated if they can be filtered out from the economical disadvantages through preferences in education and trainings. The economical disadvantage makes them more vulnerable to disabilities (Trevino).
In the start of the 20th century, the advocates represented the American Mexicans in United States worked for the rights of the Mexican Americans. They fought for the advantages a white American can get by living in that country. It was a challenge for them to get their rights by living in a nation which is itself mixing rapidly (Jacoby 138). Another issue faced by the Mexican Americans is that the government is controlled by non-Hispanic whites and discrimination is faced by the Hispanics on a larger scale. Hispanics are often mistakenly assumed as illegal residents of the country. Back in 1800s, the southwestern Mexican Americans lost their properties as Anglo Americans started to come in that region. As they came the political rights were also taken from Mexican Americans. In 1940s, the Mexican Americans were bound not to own any property in Texas cities. Voting rights were also taken from them. Segregated schools were made for this minority. In the 20th century, Latino Americans are the migration stream and they will soon be the largest minority in the United States of America (Pollard & O’Hare).
A remarkable display of economic and social integration is offered by the later generation of Mexican Americans, but still there are some ethnic boundaries that can differentiate the groups. The daily experiences of Mexican Americans crystal clearly demonstrate that they relate their ethnic identity with modern-day Mexican migration in a number of modes “that make that identity simultaneously more beneficial and costly than it would be without the ongoing immigration” (Jiménez). The replacement of immigration offers the means with the employment of which a majority of Mexican Americans feel a more positive attachment and connection with their ethnic roots. However, such attitude furthermore aggravates an outweighing perception of Mexicans as aliens to American land. This view by the American society makes them a lesser faction of the mainstream of the United States completely neglecting the fact that how well they have blended themselves in the society and economy of the country. Nevertheless, there is no systematical exclusion of Mexican Americans and they are still allowed to participate fully in the societal activities. However, the immigrants’ large presence in the country prevents them to be considered as a section of the immigrant’s nation. When it comes down to the Mexican-American population in America, the central part of this nation is comprised of offspring from immigration waves that is no longer present (Jiménez).
Hispanics and non-Hispanics acknowledged in a poll taken in 2010 that as a social minority Mexican Americans face discrimination and intolerance on a great extent in the society. 81 percent of the Hispanics recognized that they experience biasness and prejudice on a daily basis that consequently limits their chances to enhance their living standards. 59 percent of the non-Hispanics acknowledged it as true. Overall 61 percent polled that Hispanics are treated as a minority in the United States. Majority of the Hispanics and non-Hispanics believe it as a fact that the discrimination faced by Hispanics is more than what women in the United States or African Americans experience. It is believed that the more the Hispanic would merge into the society the less there will be chances of discrimination and prejudice. Majority of the respondents believe that Hispanics face more discrimination as compared to women and African Americans in United States. The more homogenous they can get the more the chances are to merge into the society which in the long run can eliminate the factors of discrimination for Hispanics (Jiménez). Thus, the ethnicity of the Mexican-Americans makes it rather difficult for them to blend in the American society as they are still acknowledged as a lower minority by the majority of the white people. However, if “the number and the geographical and occupational distribution of Mexican Americans” (Jiménez) is increased, these factors can turn out to be the catalyzing ingredients for assimilation in the American society that would be greater than before.
Their assimilation in the American society may also be affected by the new legislation that was propounded in 2009 that made it essential for the citizens of United States traveling to Mexico to get hold of a passport during their visit. It can be considered a significant change that put down the conventional practice of easy tours between the United States of America and Mexico. It is not likely that the family members who have been separated due to the border lines will keep on making visits to meet each other as often as what happened in the earlier times. This new necessity of passport can have a great influence on the Mexicans who do not possess important documentations “who have to worry about their ability to reenter the United States after a visit to Mexico” (Jiménez). The less number of visits between the United States of America and Mexico can facilitate in the preservation and maintenance of Mexican culture by the descendants of Mexicans living in America at present. There is a need to understand symbolic ethnicity if the children of Mexicans dwelling in American land currently want to assimilate in the society. They need to practice and continue particular elements of Mexican culture in their daily life, for instance consumption of ethnic meals or celebration of particular holidays. They can practice cultural pluralism as a consequence if they understand the concept of symbolic ethnicity and do not get ashamed of it (Huntington).
Conclusion
As far as the challenges are concerned, there are a number of factors that prove to be stressors for Mexican Americans. The major among them is language acquisition as a majority of Mexican Americans find it difficult to speak English because most of them converse in Spanish at their homes. Another challenge is that of poverty because most of the Mexican Americans do not have adequate resources for finances. They find it rather difficult to adapt the contemporary American culture due to the barrier of language, conflicts on the basis of culture and ethnicity and prejudicial attitude of the whites (Quiroz). Thus, it is very important for the contemporary children of Mexico residing in America to solidify their ethnic identity. They should be proud of their ethnic identity neglecting the behavior of others. This is exceedingly important because only then they would be able to deal with the current challenges (Stacy).
References
Huntington, S. P. Who are we? : The challenges to America's national identity. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. Print.
Jiménez, T. R. Replenished Ethnicity: Mexican Americans, Immigration, and Identity. California: University of California Press, 2010. Print.
Stacy, L. Mexico And The United States. Malaysia: Marshal Cavendish, 2003. Print.
"Mexican-Americans.” Questia, Your Online Research Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.
Quiroz, A. Claiming Citizenship: Mexican Americans In Victoria, Texas. Texas: A&M University Press, 2005. Print.
Trevino, B. "Cultural Characteristics of Mexican Americans: Issues in Rehabilitation Counseling and Services."The Journal of Rehabilitation 57.4 (1991): 21+. Questia. Web. 16 Mar. 2013.
Pollard, K. M., and W. P. O'Hare. "America’s Racial and Ethnic Minorities."Population Bulletin Sep. 1999: 3-44.Population Reference Bureau. Web. 16 Mar. 2013.
