Preserving Cultures, Values, and Identities

Preserving Cultures, Values, and Identities

Introduction

The United States of America is more ethnically and racially diverse as the cities and suburbs has filled with new immigrants. According to the government of U.S., country's number of Latinos is the most striking growth as many immigrants from Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rica, South or Central America, and Spanish culture or origin has filled different places of America (www.britannica.com). Today Latino population has grown much larger and indicates a bigger share of the national population. This national origin of the American Latinos is highly diverse, due to native birth and continued immigration. The 2000 Census clearly represents that Latino population now has an apparent national presence (Fraga et al, 2010).

Latinos are the biggest and rapidly advancing ethnic group in America, with enhanced levels of influence and political mobilization. However, history is evident that Latinos have faced ethnic and racial discrimination largely. They had faced hardships in the form of political, social, gender, and racial discrimination (Vigil, Long, 2008). Mainly they had issues in educational scope which resulted in their deteriorating state to fulfill their rights and prerogatives. Not only this educational prospect, but their language barriers and culture also made it difficult for them to mould. Further, the inferiority complex and riots had also made it difficult for them to struggle for their rights (Fought, 2003). Despite all these issues and barriers, Latinos worked very hard and moved forward to earn their status in the society.

Discussion

Transnationalization and Language

Research shows that many Latinos live in constant back and forth, usually visiting their family back at home and sending their wages to them. Thus, immigration is not a one-time occurrence for most of the Latinos, but a process (www.fas.harvard.edu). This on-going process has forged a cultural, social, and economic connection between the United States and their nations. Previously immigrant Latinos started totally n new life in America and do not follow this continuous process, however, today's Latinos live in constant back and forth in America. Due to this, Latin Americans today maintain a significant connection with the rest of the Western Hemisphere through media, import and export, banking, political participation, and several other enterprises in the U.S. (www.fas.harvard.edu).

Considering Latinos living, it is also very much evident that they have still maintained their language (Spanish), where other immigrant groups have not. This is because of their on-going immigration over the last thirty years and their back and forth migration. This has led them to hold on their mother tongue i.e. Spanish over more generations than any other immigrant group in history. This is evident from the fact that ninety percent of the Latin Americans speak Spanish (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012).

The growing Spanish and Portuguese (particularly in Massachusetts) mass media and language market, has resulted in this preservation of native tongue language by the Latinos. Latinos have three national Spanish -language television networks and hundreds of Spanish language newspapers, radio stations, and periodicals (www.fas.harvard.edu).

Identity

According to Phillip Rodriguez, a documentary filmmaker, Latinos ...