Latin Culture VS American Culture
Team C
Spanish/504
Yolima Escolar
Maria Cristina La Padula
Diane Potucek
Katie Sas
February 15, 2016
Ricardo Rincon
Unites States of America:Flag, 2016
(Mexico: Flag, 2016)
(Chile: Flag, 2016)
History
(United States of America: Flag, 2016)
Mexico
Chile
United States
• The Olmecs were among the first
inhabitants of the area.
• Chile was originally under the
control of the Incas in the north
and the nomadic Araucanos in the
south.
• The original inhabitants came
from diverse groups, many of
which had advanced civilizations,
extensive farming operations, and
established trade routes.
• Around 2000 BC, the Mayan
Empire built incredible cities
throughout North and Central
America.
• The Aztecs were the last great
empire, conquered by the Spanish
in 1521.
• Spaniards brought Christianity to
the land and ruled until the 19th
century.
( Mexico: History, 2016)
• Portuguese sailor Ferdinand
Magellan became the first
European to sight Chilean shores,
in 1520.
• Diego de Almagro claimed Chile
as part of the Spanish Empire in
1536, and in 1541 Pedro de
Valdivia commenced the Spanish
conquest despite strong resistance
by Araucanians in southern Chile.
(Chile: History, 2016)
• From the 17th century on, Native
Americans were displaced by
European settlers, who came for
riches, territory, and religious
freedom.
• Between 1607 and 1730, 13
British colonies were established
on the East Coast.
(United States of America: History,
2016)
Language
Mexico
• Spanish is the official language.
• Mexican use diminutives to
express small size, or politeness:
chico (small) becomes chiquito,
etc.
• Many indigenous languages are
still spoken in parts of Mexico,
including Mayan dialects,
Nahuatl (Aztec), Otomi,
Zapotec, and Mixtec.
• English is taught at secondary
schools.
(Mexico: Language, 2016)
Chile
United States
•
Castellano is the official
language.
•
English is spoken in the United
States.
•
Chileans commonly add a
suffix (-ito) to words and
names to form diminutives and
to show affection.
•
One in five Americans speaks a
language other than English at
home.
•
•
Small minority groups also
speak German and Mapuche.
•
A Polynesian dialect called
Pascuense, or Rapa Nui, is
spoken on Eastern Island.
(Chile: Language, 2016)
Spanish is the primary
language in the home for 13%
of all Americans.
( United States: Language, 2016)
Education
Mexico
Chile
United States
Compulsory and free between the
ages of 6 and 15. After, if
students choose, they can go a
technical or pre-university route.
Curriculum is essentially a
remote learning system which
includes song. Students are
assessed with mid-term and final
exams. Teacher and student
relationships are very close.
(Mexico: Education, 2016)
Compulsory free schooling
between the ages of 4 and 18.
Private funding and state support
are a major source for education
and this results in the quality of
public education being low
compared to private education. It
is mandatory for all students to
wear uniforms. Chilean history,
Spanish and math are the primary
focus of the curricula. Education
is viewed as valuable. Tests and
cooperative assignments are used
as assessment tools.
( Chile: Education, 2016)
Like Mexico and Chile, education
in the U.S. is compulsory.
Students must complete
Kindergarten through 12th grade.
Students in the U.S. have options
similar to those of Mexico in that
a multitude of trade and technical
schools are available as a choice
of study along with attending a
college or university post high
school. The majority of
American children attend public
school. Typically students in the
American public school system
do not have to wear uniforms to
school.
(United States: Education, 2016)
Family
Mexico
Structure:
• Couples generally have two children. In rural
areas, couples have up to seven children.
• One or more family member has emigrated to
U.S.A
Parents and children:
• Family unit and responsibility are high
priorities.
• The eldest male child in particular is expected
to care for his parents in old age and support
his siblings.
• Children generally live with their parents until
they marry and sometimes after they marry.
Gender Roles:
• The father is considered the leader.
• The mother and daughter are responsible for
household chores.
• Females are encouraged to use native
indigenous language and keep cultural
tradition alive.
• Boys are encourage to play sports and spend
time with their male role models.
(Mexico: Family, 2016)
Chile
United States
Structure:
• Couples have one or two children.
Structure:
• Couples have two or more children.
• Children tend to live with their parents until
they marry.
• Today, the number of married couples without
children, single-parent households, same-sex
couples, and unmarried couples is on the rise
• Chileans maintain close relationships with
their grandparents throughout their lives.
Parents and children:
• Daughters are expected to look after their
elderly parents.
• Children's schoolwork is considered a higher
priority.
Gender Roles:
• The father is considered the head of the
household.
• 1/3 of children are born out of wedlock
• 16 % young adults returning to live with their
parents after college.
• Family is considered by the large majority of
Americans to be the most important aspect of
their lives.
Parents and children:
• Children are taught, from a young age, to
clean up after themselves as much as possible.
• The women looks after the house and children.
• It is customary for a person to bear two family
names; the last name is the mother's family
name and the second-to-last name is the
father's family name..
(Chile, Family, 2016)
• Many children at the age 18 move away from
home.
Gender Roles:
• Men and women are now expected to share in
childcare tasks and household chores.
• 57% of women are employed.
• Working couples and single parents often rely
on day-care facilities.
(United States: Family, 2016)
Food
Mexico
Chile
United States
• Many Mexicans eat four daily meals: a
light breakfast, an early lunch, a main
meal in the late afternoon, and a light
snack called a cena or merienda at night.
Common beverages are coffe, chiocolate,
tequila and beer.
("Mexican cuisine - Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia," n.d.)
• Chileans eat the main meal at midday and
a lighter meal between 8 and 10 p.m.
• Many Americans eat breakfast, and it
might consist of anything from cereal to
pancakes, waffles, omelets, fruit, egg,
ham, sausage or bacon and even muffins.
Coffee is a common morning beverage,
American food[retrieved from wwwgoogle.com/imgres?imgurl
but so is tea, juice and milk.
Typical Mexican dishes are:
• Tortillas
• Quesadillas
• Mole
• Tacos
• Pozole
• Birria
• Menudo
• Enchilas
• Tamales
( Mexico: Diet, 2016)
• Afternoon teatime (onces) is customarily
taken around 5 or 6 p.m. At teatime,
beverages, small sandwiches, and cookies
or cakes are served.
("Food in Chile, South America | USA
Today," n.d.)
Typical Chilean dishes are:
• Empanadas de horno
• Cazuela de Ave
• Pastel de choclo
• Ensalada chilena
• Porotos Granados
• Manjar
• Sopaipillas
(Chile: Diet, 2016)
• Many Americans only eat a small lunch
such as a salad, burger, sandwich or fruit.
• Fast foods are a large part of the cuisine
in the United States.
• For many Americans, dinner is the largest
meal and might include lamb, beans,
chicken, pork, meatloaf, steak, pie or
chili.
("Food & Culture in the USA | USA," n.d.)
Typical American dishes are:
• French fries
• Hot dogs
• Hamburger
• Pizza
• Chicken, turkey
(United State: Diet, 2016)
Major Holidays
Mexico
• Días de los muertos
is a celebration that represents the
unity between life and death.
• Las Posadas marks the beginning of
the Christmas festivities.
• Noche Buena is the culmination of the
Holiday festivities with the celebration
of a midnight mass (Misa de Gallo).
• Epiphany, which is called Dia de los
Reyes (Three Kings Day)
• Semana Santa is Mexico's second
most important holiday season of the
year, behind only Christmas, and runs
from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.
• Cinco De Mayo commemorates the
defeat of the French army by the
Mexicans at The Battle Of Puebla in
1862.
(Mexico: Holidays, 2016)
Chile
• Independence Day commemorates
the formation of Chile’s first national
government in 1810.
United Stated
•
Independence Day. USA declared
independence from Great Britain.
•
Thanksgiving
•
Veterans Day honors the veterans
who fought for America in the wars.
•
Memorial Day commemorates
American who died in the wars.
•
Martin Luther King
• Christmas Season
Christmas is celebrated just like in
North America.
•
Easter
•
Christmas
• La Fiesta de La Tirana , which
honors the Virgin Mary in a colorful
three-day carnival attended by Aymara
people.
•
Labor Day commemorates the
American working tradition
• Día de la Raza called Columbus Day
in the United States, is officially called
Día del Descubrimiento de Dos
Mundos
•
All Saint's Day is an important
traditional holiday. On this day, people
across the country make a point of
visiting cemeteries.
• La Minga in Chiloé, which involves
the community pitching in to
physically transport wooden houses or
churches from one location to another.
(Chile:Holidays, 2016)
•
Columbus Day celebrates the
discovery of America by Christopher
Columbus.
•
President’s Day
•
Passover
( United States: Holidays, 2016)
Greetings and Gestures
Mexico
Chile
United States
•Mexicans usually greet with a
handshake or nod of the head.
•
Greetings in Chile are important
because they stress that one is
welcome and recognized.
• Both men and women usually
smile and shake hands when
greeting.
•Women greet with a kiss on the
cheek.
•
The abrazo is the most common
greeting among friends and
relatives. It consists of a
handshake and hug,
supplemented with a kiss to the
right cheek for women and family
members.
• Good friends and relatives may
embrace when they meet,
especially after a long absence.
(United States: Greetings, 2016)
•Mexican males often make
piropos (flirtatious personal
comments) in passing to females,
to which the females generally do
not respond.
•Mexicans use usted, the formal
version of “you,” when greeting a
person of higher rank and the more
casual tú with those of their own
age or social position.
(Mexico: Greetings, 2016)
•
Eye contact is considered
essential when greeting.
(Chile: Greetings, 2016)
Why should students be educated
about differences in customs?

The importance to teach students about cultures is to assist children with recognizing differences, as
well as similarities, among all people. Allowing children to explore varying cultures creates
opportunities for them to see that even when people have different customs and traditions, they often
share some common traits, too.

Children learn that people can be different and unique, yet still have much in common. These
realizations assist children with accepting and respecting people from all cultures and backgrounds.

Students develop an understanding of the feelings and beliefs of people from other cultures by
learning about different customs.

Multicultural education helps teachers to alter their method of teaching so that students of different
cultural groups can participate more actively. This way, teachers acknowledge and value student
differences and allow everyone to get an equal opportunity to reach their full potential.

Teaching students about different customs prepares them to be contributing members of the global
society we now live in.
References
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