Essay On Mexican Culture

The ideal American family is raised under one roof with a married couple who bear the two and a half children. Many wish for that gilded frame but seeing the picture for what it truly is what I yearn for. I hail from an extended family; three different households but with close bonds. My families give me what I need to know and experience for my present short life. Lessons passed on by many and others learned from different environments. They are found through symbols, norms, language, values, and material artifacts.
The symbols are the same for all parts of my family. Being Mexican, our music and flag is very important for what they mean to us. Music does not just outside noise you play in festivities but is what make our spirits breathe. They tell us stories that we connected to, it literally moves us. My family sees it as something that can always bring joy in life. The flag has official meanings that every Mexican family abides to. The colors each have a different meaning; green is for hope, white is for purity, and red for the blood of heroes. Hope for what life brings us and that we do the best for what we are given. Purity is for the fact that only our faith in a greater good can free us. Blood of heroes is for honor, respect, and unity for those who are willing
to sacrifice as we are for others. The emblem of the flag is a royal eagle with a captured snake perched on top of a cactus which in short means that faith within your people is all you need to be triumphant. From my family artifacts I learn that a connection from old still lives on to this day.
For example we have pottery and a necklace in our family. My Great-Grandmother, Mama Chabela, tells us that pottery was very important in our family for that is how we made our first peso as she puts it. In other words, not only do we come from a family of ranchers but also a family of potters. These clay pots are passed down to the eldest daughter of the new generation, to remind the new generation from what little we had. Another artifact that is important is that every generation of men in our family is to get a belt with a dead scorpion inside the buckle when our grandfather feels that we have become
men. In my father’s, mother’s, grandparents my cousins and I were raised Spanish and English speaking environment. That is our way of communication to our older generations since they only know Spanish in which they had taught us. In some cases like mine, if you don’t use it, you lose it. I was taught speaking Spanish first then English and then developed an accent that sort of ruined my Spanish but others say it is alright. Although with this skill our family is still a part of a bigger community. The family norm and values are sort of in the same category in our family. We value our beliefs so much it is like rule to abide to. For instance, just under age, we are not allowed to have sex until adulthood, respect your elders, and always be kind to strangers unless they have insult you first then you walk away. Chores are lifestyle in our culture, if you receive money for it; it would be once every blue moon. Always have faith in something no matter what it is do not lose it and being proud of who you are huge values. It is just teaching us to be better adults. The folkway we have are Dia De Los Muertos, which we honor our past loved ones.