“Hispanic American Diversity”
Yolanda Harris
Cultural Diversity Dr. Jeanette Escobar
1/15/2012

For centuries, “Cuban Americans, Dominican Americans, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Rican Americans” have been combined together, but they have a separate cultural status which includes strong family ties, and religious beliefs. All four Hispanic cultures are connected, under the same ethnic group, they also have similarities in their Spanish language. Although these cultures have the same language, they all have a separate accent and provenience. The research conducted in this paper will analyze the four Hispanic groups living in America today; identifying the”linguistic, political, social, economic, religious, and familial” differences, and also the similarities between the groups. Although “Cuban Americans, Dominican Americans, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Rican Americans” share the linguistics of Spanish, there is three different Spanish languages; the Castilian Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean Spanish. There is a large percentage of Hispanic/Latino American’s born or have lived in the United States for long periods, who can speak fluent English. Second generation immigrates usually speak bilingual, but the third generation usually speaks English only. The language of all four groups has been successful; the Spanish linguistics is the secondary language of the United States. From experience over half of the employment in Arizona requires a person to speak bilingual; preferable Spanish. Cuban, Dominican, Mexican, and Puerto Rican American’s are known for their strong family ties, One Hispanic tradition is for parents to have their family live with them for extended periods of time, or at least have their children with them until they get married, In addition, They have found all four Hispanic cultures are known for their firm control over the family, which has marked them as outsiders. All Hispanic’s are dedicated when it comes to helping their family progress, so all adults maintain employment, and often at peculiar hours. Without the luxuries of jobs or money, Hispanic’s are not able to “look American.” Which is illustrated by the way they wear inexpensive supermarket-brand tennis shoes and clothing.
Cuban American Cuban American’s exiled from the Caribbean Island and immigrated to Florida. The immigration of Cubans happen over four intervals. The first occurrence of immigration came after Prime Minister Fidel Castro took control of Cuba. This occurrence accompanied the upper-class and upper-middle class professionals into the United States. The second occurrence came shortly after the first, bringing the “freedom fighters” which was made up of middle and working class immigrates. The third occurrence came from the Mariel boatlift, which schlepped a small amount of every social class, which included a huge array of poor. In the final stage of Cuban immigration which occurred with the collapse of communism; when this occurred it brought most of the generally know “rafters” to the United States. Cuban American’s always have been racial profiled, gaining the reputation of drug traffickers, which they have tried diligently to expunge this stereotyping and be perceived as a culture with finesse. Cuban American’s face higher levels of discrimination in the labor markets; so their main source of employment is through the trading market. In addition, according to Heike (2009) Cuban American’s have the lowest poverty rate among all the Hispanic groups and they rely on family for financial security. This group also have strong religious believes as they are followers of the Roman Catholic Church. Although Roman Catholic is the primary religion of this group, some Cuban American’s are from the Santeria faiths in the present day, Santeria believe in a combination of god and spirit.
Dominican American Dominican American’s is another Hispanic culture which also speaks Spanish as their