Family Stereotypes

When traveling to different locations, or simply meeting new people there are always new possibilities to learn new family traditions. There may be instances in life when some traditions are mislead or misunderstood, this plays a critical role in misconceptions and stereotypes. Stereotypes are based on exaggerated truths or assumptions, which are not often true in reality, about certain groups of individuals, while misconceptions or misunderstandings are simple opinions that are incorrect about different groups in the world today. There are several justifications concerning misconceptions and stereotypes, the reason why they exist is because when meeting new people, we tend to criticize others by the way they act without knowing anything about
In Mexico, the celebration of Christmas is also known as “Las Posadas”, when celebrating this holiday some people volunteer to reenact the scene before Jesus is born on Christmas Day, which is also known as “The Holy Family’s nine-day journey to Bethlehem and their search for shelter”. In this play, the actors go door to door asking people to give them shelter before the baby arrives, For the eight days before the baby is born two children are chosen to carry a small statue of the parents as they carry the candles in their hands asking people for shelter. After they finally find a house that will give them shelter, the families and everyone who participated in the reenactment throw a party. However unlike other cultures, the kids wait to receive presents until January 5th, instead of receiving them on Christmas Day like others might do. Sarah Toast in the online article, Christmas Traditions Around the World, notes how this tradition is celebrated by explaining, “Many children receive gifts on the eve of Twelfth Night, January 6, from the Reyes Magos, the Three Kings who passed on their way to Bethlehem. Children leave their shoes on the windowsill and find them filled with gifts the next morning”. Commonly in the United States, when children receive presents for christmas, they usually find the presents under the christmas tree. However in Mexico, when the children receive
In other words, every person has their own beliefs on other people that may be false which can be associated with misconceptions, however people should not judge others for having different traditions. Nunez also gave several examples of stereotypes that are common in Mexico. One of the examples that she mentioned was that parents who are older, expect their children to behave a certain way, that is how their parents taught them to behave. However in today's society, it is difficult for that to happen because of judgement, also known as stereotypes and misconceptions. Children should be able to express their beliefs and opinions without being criticized or put down by other children and adults, because they are different than everyone else. Nunez also mentioned in her interview that a stereotype that exists now more than before, is when talking about families, the dad usually goes to work while the women stay home and take care of the children. People who are from an older generation might believe that this is true, but in reality more people are detached from this tradition. For instance, there are several women who would rather work to help their husbands with all the waste of