Mexican American Experience Research Paper
Frameworks
Looking at the Mexican-American Experience
The myth of the American Dream
The American Dream is the freedom allows all ci1zens and most residents of the United States to pursue their goals in life through hard work and free choice.
Freedom Hard work Choice of personal goals
Immigrant narra.ve Minority Narra.ves of dominant culture. (Not tradi.onal immigrants) Or the myth of the American Dream
Cultural group's original rela0on to USA Voluntary
par1cipa1on (individual or ancestor chose to come to America) Involuntary par1cipa1on. ("America" came to individual or ancestral culture)
Cultural group's rela0on to 0me
Modern or revolu1onary: Forget the past, leave it behind, get over it (original act of immigra1on; future-‐ oriented) Abandonment of past context favors individual or nuclear family, erodes extended social structures.
Tradi1onal but disrupted: Reconnect to the past (not voluntarily abandoned; more like a wound that needs healing)
Social structures
Tradi1onal extended family shaNered; non-‐nuclear, "alterna1ve," or improvised families survive.
Perspectives comparison
Special Note: Individual members of any minority or immigrant culture will be located on a continuum of cultural characteristics and behaviors depending upon how long that individual or that individual’s family has been part of U.S. population
Perspec.ves Group versus individual valua;on
Dominant U.S. Culture Anglo culture typically encourages students to be more compe11ve and individualis1c. Modern or revolu1onary: Forget the past, leave it behind, get over it (original act of immigra1on; future-‐ oriented) Direct and informal
Mexican-‐American Culture Family or group needs frequently take precedence over the needs of the individual. Tradi1onal but disrupted: Reconnect to the past (not voluntarily abandoned; more like a wound that needs healing)
View of Time
Communica;on
Indirect and formal
So is the Mexican-American experience that of the immigrant, the minority, or some other group?
Looking at the Mexican-American Experience
The myth of the American Dream
The American Dream is the freedom allows all ci1zens and most residents of the United States to pursue their goals in life through hard work and free choice.
Freedom Hard work Choice of personal goals
Immigrant narra.ve Minority Narra.ves of dominant culture. (Not tradi.onal immigrants) Or the myth of the American Dream
Cultural group's original rela0on to USA Voluntary
par1cipa1on (individual or ancestor chose to come to America) Involuntary par1cipa1on. ("America" came to individual or ancestral culture)
Cultural group's rela0on to 0me
Modern or revolu1onary: Forget the past, leave it behind, get over it (original act of immigra1on; future-‐ oriented) Abandonment of past context favors individual or nuclear family, erodes extended social structures.
Tradi1onal but disrupted: Reconnect to the past (not voluntarily abandoned; more like a wound that needs healing)
Social structures
Tradi1onal extended family shaNered; non-‐nuclear, "alterna1ve," or improvised families survive.
Perspectives comparison
Special Note: Individual members of any minority or immigrant culture will be located on a continuum of cultural characteristics and behaviors depending upon how long that individual or that individual’s family has been part of U.S. population
Perspec.ves Group versus individual valua;on
Dominant U.S. Culture Anglo culture typically encourages students to be more compe11ve and individualis1c. Modern or revolu1onary: Forget the past, leave it behind, get over it (original act of immigra1on; future-‐ oriented) Direct and informal
Mexican-‐American Culture Family or group needs frequently take precedence over the needs of the individual. Tradi1onal but disrupted: Reconnect to the past (not voluntarily abandoned; more like a wound that needs healing)
View of Time
Communica;on
Indirect and formal
So is the Mexican-American experience that of the immigrant, the minority, or some other group?