Mexican American Culture
Facts about Mexican American Culture
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. There are around 31 million of Mexican Americans and Mexicans living in the United States which is some 13% of the countrys population.
Some cities in the United States like San Antonio in Texas have Mexican majority, and many other American cities have large Mexican communities.
Even though the majority of Mexican Americans live in the bordering states there are large Mexican communities across the United States. Chicago (Illinois), for example is the second largest Mexican community in the Unites States even though it is far from the Mexican American border.
Many Mexican Americans respect the traditional Mexican culture and customs. Great majority of them are very proud of their Mexican origin however they are also proud to be American as well.
Mexican American Family Culture
Mexican Americans are family oriented and exhibit strong family ties. They are very devoted to their nucleus family but also take care and socialize with their extended family as well. The institution of family is probably the strongest and the most important in Mexican American culture and Mexican culture in general.
As one Mexican poet said Man without a family is like a plant without its roots.
Mexicans live for fiestas, celebration, parties, dance, music, and great time in general. They love life and celebrate it in more than one way. Music and dance is one way Mexican Americans celebrate life on daily basis. For example it is quite common that Mexicans sing and even dance when cleaning the house or washing dishes.
As one another Mexican poet said Making love without music is like dancing while sitting
Mexican American Religion
Another very important part of the Mexican American culture is the religion. Mexican Americans are very religious and many things in their lives revolve around their religion. For example there are many Mexican religious celebrations such as the Day of The Dead which are celebrated by many Mexican Americans even though those celebrations are not official holidays in the United States.
Great Majority of Mexican Americans is Christian. Most of them are Roman Catholics however there are also Evangelist, Jehovahs Witnesses, and others. Mexican Christmas traditions are quite unique and many Mexican Americans still respect and practice those traditions.
Mexican American Food
Mexicans are probably the most famous for their great food. The reason for this is that their food is healthy, tasteful, usually easy to prepare, beautifully decorated, rich in colors, and there is an endless variety of Mexican meals and numerous Mexican recipes.
Important part of Mexican American culture is the Mexican American food known as the Texan-Mexican cuisine (Tex-Mex Food) and Californian-Mexican Cuisine (Cal-Mex Food). This type of food is the Americanized Mexican food that is very popular in the United States and beyond.
This type of Mexican food is very tasteful but it is also quite rich in calories and fat which is not the case with the traditional Mexican food. Authentic Mexican food is prepared with fresh ingredients and it is rich in minerals and vitamins and it also tastes great due to the rich flavors of the organic food.
Nowadays Americans are getting more aware of the importance of eating healthy foods which is why more and more Mexican restaurants in the United States serve the traditional Mexican food or Tex-Mex food but without the necessary fat.
