Chinese and Mexican Cultural Differences
Response to Chinese and Mexican Cultural Differences
Nathan D. Smith for Dr. John Obradovich, Ph.D.
BUSI -472
October 1, 2012
Response to Chinese and Mexican Cultural Differences The comparison between the Chinese and Mexican cultures is an interesting and fascinating one. I do agree that music and dancing is a vital part of the Mexican culture. Mexicans will use any event or situation as a reason to have a celebratory party. All cultures celebrate events such as weddings, births, and some even celebrate death in a positive light. The Mexican culture goes beyond the main events in life that we as Americans normally consider celebration-worthy events. Mexicans will celebrate their children graduating grade school, middle school, high school, and in very rare occasions, college graduation.
The reason that celebrating college graduation is so rare is because there is a very small percentage of Mexicans that actually attend and graduate college. Only 7 percent of the entire Mexican population actually graduates high school, and only 10 percent of these graduates even enroll in some sort of college (Fry, 2002). In contrast, there are an increasing number of Chinese undergraduate students in American colleges. Between 2010 and 2011 the number of Chinese students enrolling in American universities grew by 43 percent (Johnson, 2011). Both cultures have a desire for higher education, but it seems that the Chinese culture has more of a drive to accomplish goals than does the Mexican culture. One aspect of the Mexican culture that is a result of the strong family traditions is that conversation is an essential part of everyday life. When there is not a party to attend, an evening pedestrian will pass by many homes, most of which have people in that household sitting outside, conversing. These conversations are typically about their daily life, not necessarily about the history of traditions in the
Nathan D. Smith for Dr. John Obradovich, Ph.D.
BUSI -472
October 1, 2012
Response to Chinese and Mexican Cultural Differences The comparison between the Chinese and Mexican cultures is an interesting and fascinating one. I do agree that music and dancing is a vital part of the Mexican culture. Mexicans will use any event or situation as a reason to have a celebratory party. All cultures celebrate events such as weddings, births, and some even celebrate death in a positive light. The Mexican culture goes beyond the main events in life that we as Americans normally consider celebration-worthy events. Mexicans will celebrate their children graduating grade school, middle school, high school, and in very rare occasions, college graduation.
The reason that celebrating college graduation is so rare is because there is a very small percentage of Mexicans that actually attend and graduate college. Only 7 percent of the entire Mexican population actually graduates high school, and only 10 percent of these graduates even enroll in some sort of college (Fry, 2002). In contrast, there are an increasing number of Chinese undergraduate students in American colleges. Between 2010 and 2011 the number of Chinese students enrolling in American universities grew by 43 percent (Johnson, 2011). Both cultures have a desire for higher education, but it seems that the Chinese culture has more of a drive to accomplish goals than does the Mexican culture. One aspect of the Mexican culture that is a result of the strong family traditions is that conversation is an essential part of everyday life. When there is not a party to attend, an evening pedestrian will pass by many homes, most of which have people in that household sitting outside, conversing. These conversations are typically about their daily life, not necessarily about the history of traditions in the
References: Fry, Richard, (September 5, 2002); LATINOS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: MANY ENROLL, TOO FEW GRADUATE Retrieved from: http://www.chavezcenter.org/pdf/education/latinos-in-higher-education.pdf Johnson, Jenna, (November 14, 2011); Chinese students enroll in record numbers at U.S. colleges Retrieved from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/campus-overload/post/chinese-students-enroll-in-record-numbers-at-us-colleges/2011/11/14/gIQAyYlKLN_blog.html Wang, Q., Leichtman, M., & Davies, K., (2010) Sharing memories and telling stories: American and Chinese mothers and their 3-year-olds; Memory Volume 8, Issue 3 Retrieved from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/096582100387588