1. Hispanic Culture – Mia Familia 1
Hispanic Culture – Mia Familia
Jeffrey Hastings
University of Phoenix

2. Hispanic Culture – Mia Familia 2
Abstract
The demographic categories Hispanic American and Latino American are overlapping and imperfect,
referring to a quickly-growing segment of the American population who are of Spanish-speaking
descent. As troublesome, vague and vast as the twin designations may be, it is nonetheless important
for Americans whose origins fall outside of either characterization to attempt to understand these
groups culturally, even if a crude aggregate has to serve as a starting point for that understanding.
What follows will no doubt verge on generalization, but it reflects the efforts of the author to present,
compare and contrast the cultural norms of Hispanic/Latino Americans to the general population of the
United States. Much of the cultural information is derived from CultureGrams World Edition 2010
entries detailing the cultures of the nations whose emigrant families have come to represent the
Hispanic/Latino American spectrum.

3. Hispanic Culture – Mia Familia 3
Hispanic Culture—Mia Familia
The 2011 online edition of the World Book Student encyclopedia estimates that there are
approximately 45 million Hispanic Americans currently living in the United States. Together, they
represent almost 15 percent of the entire U.S. Population. The vast majority, about 64 percent, are
Mexican Americans. Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Dominican Americans, respectively, follow in
diminishing percentages of the total Hispanic American pie, but each, the source says, constitutes under
ten percent of Hispanic Americans. Citizens from Central and South America, combined, make up an
additional 13 percent, while only a “small percentage” of Hispanic Americans are from Spain. (Garcia,
2011).
While some cultural conventions of Hispanic/Latino Americans might be seen as “acceptable”
by Americans outside the growing minority, others require a bit more understanding. Here's a summary
of both, starting with those outsiders might deem “acceptable,” or even “endearing.”
According to CultureGrams, Mexican Americans, like many peoples, express a tender respect
for loved ones by referring to them as if tiny treasures, using Spanish diminutives. Thus the word for
grandfather, abeulo, becomes abuelito. (ProQuest, 2011). The same source indicates that Hispanic
Americans originating from Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico both touch more and stand closer to one
another during normal social interaction than non-hispanic Americans; a handshake is common when
saying goodbye, a kiss on the cheek a common greeting to females (ProQuest, 2011). Mexican
Americans value verbal expressions of deference and respect, con permiso, being the equivalent of
“pardon me” when passing, and gracias the expected expression of thanks for any business service or
personal favor (ProQuest, 2011). Cubans, CultureGrams says, value eye contact as a sign of sincerity,
and often touch or tap the person with whom they are conversing (ProQuest, 2011). Both Cubans and

4. Hispanic Culture – Mia Familia 4
Puerto Ricans beckon each other by waving the fingers with the palm down, to do so otherwise would
be impolite. (ProQuest 2011).
In general, all of the major nationalities/ethnicities that contribute to the Hispanic/Latino-American
spectrum seem to have a few social characteristics in common: a value of human familiarity and
meaningful physical/social contact, a high regard for family and the importance of associated rituals
and hospitalities, and rigid adherence to a protocol of respect when addressing strangers and elders.
Linguistically, this deference plays out in the use of Tú and Usted. In Spanish, there are four forms of
the pronoun “you.” One says, in the singular, Tú, when speaking to a friend, but Usted when addressing
someone older or less familiar. Vosotros and Ustedes are the plural forms, respectively (Irving 1992).
Though most Hispanic/Latino American cultural norms would strike most non-Hispanic
Americans as being warmly human, expressing a value for familial intimacy and respect worthy of
admiration, if not emulation; other cultural norms might be seen as less acceptable to outsiders.
According to CultureGrams, for example, Mexican males often make flirtatious remarks (piropos) to
females as they pass, suggestive comments generally not acknowledged by their female targets. While
that is an extreme example of a cultural divide reportedly peculiar to Mexican men, CultureGrams also
says that many nationalities contributing to Hispanic/Latino American cultures also exhibit a relaxed
attitude toward schedules, timetables and deadlines (ProQuest, 2011).
While the first example of these differences may seem difficult to defend, the second is more
easily attributable—across the board—to peoples who value the substance of meaningful human
interaction and exchange above the temporal tick-tocks that may or may not lead to them. In both
cases, though, these mores challenge non-Hispanics to be more circumspect when judging individual
behaviors and to take into account the greater societal differences from which they were borne. Of
course, for better or worse, cultures collide and commingle. Both these examples, as such, may be
fading vestiges of characteristics that do not long survive the crossing of geographic and cultural

5. Hispanic Culture – Mia Familia 5
boundaries.
Religion is another dominant force in Hispanic-American Culture. In particular, according to
DISCovering Multicultural America, over 75 percent of Hispanic Americans consider themselves
Catholic. (Gale, 2003.) As such, colorful fiestas, many based on Roman Catholic holy days and saints,
continue to be celebrated by Hispanic Americans. Secular holidays persist too, celebrating native
agricultural rituals, sporting events, and national holidays. Las Navidadas is naturally important, with
the January 6 Epiphany being the big capper; and Puerto Ricans continue to celebrate their official
saint, San Juan, with a feast in late June. Cubans mark a girl's fifteenth birthday with a religious service
and party called a guinceanera, a coming of age celebration akin to the mainstream “sweet sixteen,”
but much more steeped in tradition and meaning. Of course, there's Cinco de Mayo, Mexico's
Independence Day, and perhaps the most curious and meaningful of all Hispanic holidays: el dia de los
meurtos, the Day of the Dead, a two day celebration that begins each November; one in which families
take time to celebrate and venerate their dead loved ones (Nickles, 2001, p. 28).
The Day of the Dead may serve as the most poignant example of what unique elements
Hispanic/Latino Americans contribute to the cultural fabric of the United States: all those things deeply
human; the elemental, sexual, spiritual and earthly cyclical; the stuff every culture needs for meaning,
but the stuff that most modern cultures tend to eventually discard and forget.

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References
Gale (2003). Hispanics and Religion. DISCovering Multicultural America. Retrieved January 23, 2011
from Gale Student Resources in Context.
Garcia, H.D.C. (2011). Hispanic Americans. World Book Student. Retrieved January 23, 2011 from
World Book Online database.
Irving, N. (1992). Learn Spanish. London: Usborne Publishing.
Nickles, G. (2001). The Hispanics. New York, NY: Crabtree Publishing Company.
ProQuest (2011). Cuba. CultureGrams World Edition 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2011 from
ProQuest database.
ProQuest (2011). Mexico. CultureGrams World Edition 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2011 from
ProQuest database.
ProQuest (2011). Puerto Rico. CultureGrams World Edition 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2011
from ProQuest database.