I.
A) Mexico
B) Moved from Mexico with parents at age 4. Parents migrated in hopes of better economic situation and education for children.
C) Started community college, but has not finished. Currently works at restaurant in the kitchen, lives with parents and younger siblings and contributes to household bills/rent.
II.
A) Speaks both English and Spanish fluently; first language learned was Spanish and it is the dominant language spoken in the home. B) Friendly and open about customs and family life. Not as open about “feelings”; but interviewee is a 21 yo male so that may hinder openness of communication. C) Preference of closer personal space, but avoids eye contact when not speaking to peers. (ex: tends to look down when addressing his boss). D) Male to male- loud verbal greeting and/or teasing. Male to female- very respectful and much more reserved than with male counterparts. Limited verbal expressions towards authority figures. E) Present time orientation; relaxed about time and punctuality; focus mainly on immediate short term goals. F) (First name) + (second first name) used if first name is used multiple times already within a family and may very often be the baptismal name + (mother’s maiden name) + (paternal last name) + (husbands last name) if applicable. Most do not go by this long formal name on a day to day basis but will go by their first or second name with paternal last name.
III.
A) Patriarchal family structure, putting the eldest healthy male at the head of the family. Responsible for making decisions for the best of his whole family. B) Males believe in concept of “machismo” which refers to a male’s manhood, courage to fight, honor/dignity, keeping one’s word and protecting one’s name. Males are awarded more privileges than female counterparts. C) Can be restricted to small social circles because it is seen as taboo to stray outside of cultural group. May avoid competitions so they do not stand apart from their group. D) Strong bonds and frequent interaction among extended kin. Tend to put the needs of the family above individual needs. Grandparents, parents, and children may all live in the same house or close by.
IV.
A) Language barriers may impede communication in the workplace and availability of jobs. American culture places emphasis on different areas of studying than many Mexican cultures. B) Important that they feel respected and treated as equals. Many non-English speaking elders may pretend understanding to avoid embarrassment. C) Women working in the same role as their male counterparts would not receive the same autonomy. Many Americans do not give the same respect to Mexican’s in the workplace as they would to a non-immigrant. D) Spanish is a popular second language in the United States, however a good deal of Americans do not speak a second language. In the workplace some Americans may speak a little bit of Spanish but not fluently.
V.
A) Physical variation’s among Mexican’s are broad. The native population is Native American (dark skin, short stature) and European settlers (light skinned, light eyes). There is a wide range of mixture in Mexican population varying from very light skin and eyes to dark skinned and dark brown eyes.
B) Important to note that there is a lot of variation under the umbrella group of Mexican.
C) They are at an increased risk of obesity and of developing hypertension.
D) “ “
E) They tend to eat a diet rich in sodium and may not metabolize this as well leading to their increased risk of HTN and obesity.
VI.
A) They tend to have a diet with a lot of spicy foods. They use a lot of seasonal ingredients, and are not restrictive about the type of protein they use (tends to vary based on location in Mexico and what was most readily available). Gather with large family around communal meals. B) They generally eat their meals later than Americans do; breakfast between 7:00-10:00am, lunch between 1:00 and 4:00, and dinner between 8:00 and 9:00. Food is also a huge part of many holidays. For example, Day of the Dead is a huge feast held to celebrate passed away relatives and the whole family gathers together. C) Some families have a specific soup or broth that is believed to help with illness. They also believe it is more beneficial for the largest meal of the day to be lunch, so it can be digested as opposed to the largest meal of the day being dinner. D) They do not metabolize alcohol very well, and may be more prone to becoming very intoxicated and/or alcohol poisoning.
VII.
A) Most women have access to some form of birth control (approximately 12% of women cannot attain birth control but wish to) with the most common form being sterilization (approximately 45%). B) Many women will drink special teas to promote fertility and large families are common in Mexican culture. Which may be attributed to the Catholic influence in Mexico; encourages childbearing and doesn’t allow abortion. C) Many rural women do not have access or knowledge of birth control methods. The majority of women do not give birth in a Western style hospital but instead give birth in their home with the help of a midwife and female family members. D) In general, Mexican mothers breast feed longer than their African American and Caucasian counterparts. This fosters bonding and provides health benefits to the neonate. Older sisters and grandmothers collaborate to help with the neonate.
VIII.
A) Many will hold a wake immediately after the person dies in which family members and friends get together and celebrate the person’s life by telling stories/sharing memories about the deceased. Many will experience anticipatory grief upon hearing that a loved one is ill and will begin to mourn the person before they actually die. B) Most Mexicans are Roman Catholic, so they will have a funeral and mass in church and then a headstone or cross will be placed among the deceased person’s family burial site. C) Roman Catholics believe that even when the body of a person dies their soul lives on for eternity. Death and illness is seen as a test of faith, and those who have lived a good life will go to heaven.
IX)
A) Roman Catholic; mass on Sunday and on specified Catholic holidays. B) Focuses on the person’s soul, not their mortal body. C) They believe that God has a plan for them, and that illness is a test of faith from God. D) May not want extreme or invasive measures used as they believe your body doesn’t follow you to the afterlife. Important to them to receive last rights from a priest before death.
X)
A/B) Some believe that extra weight on a person is a status of wealth and power; signifying that they have an excess of food. Do not believe in pharmacology model; look for more herbal or natural remedies as opposed to taking a pill. Do not regularly go to annual health screening/doctors’ visits. D) Believe that the souls of their dead relatives can come back and interact with the living. Have several holidays dedicated to honoring deceased elders.