Mexico's Culture, Traditions and Everyday Life

MEXICOMEXICO
KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY –KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY –
KNOW YOUR WORLDKNOW YOUR WORLD

INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER PROFILEINTERNATIONAL SPEAKER PROFILE
• Juan Eduardo Contreras Barberena
– Topics:
– Moved to Akron for a Master’s in Communication.
– I work as an adjunct professor.
– I was born and raised in Mexico City.
– My future plans are to obtain a PhD and work as a
tenured professor.

MEXICO QUICK FACTSMEXICO QUICK FACTS
• Full name: Estados Unidos Mexicanos.
• Population: 115 million.
• Capital: Mexico City.
• Largest city: Mexico City.
• Area: 758,449 square miles.
• Major language: Spanish.
• Major religion: Christianity / Catholicism
• Life expectancy: 75 years (men); 80 years (women).
• Monetary unit: 1 peso = 100 centavos.
• Main exports: Oil, minerals, prime materials, food,
livestock, machinery equipment.
• GNI per capita: $8, 890 USD

EL IZTLAZIHUATLEL IZTLAZIHUATL

DISTRIBUTION OF MAJOR PRE-HISPANICDISTRIBUTION OF MAJOR PRE-HISPANIC
CULTURESCULTURES

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: SPANISHOFFICIAL LANGUAGE: SPANISH
OVER 60 NATIVE LANGUAGES SPOKENOVER 60 NATIVE LANGUAGES SPOKEN
• HOLA ADIOS SI NO
• GRACIAS DE NADA
• PORFAVOR TE AMO / TE QUIERO
• COMO ESTAS?
• DISCULPE LO SIENTO
• HABLA INGLES?
• MI NOMBRE ES_______
• SOY ESTADOUNIDENSE / SOY MEXICANO

MEXICOMEXICO
•LEADER: Felipe Calderon Hinojosa
•GOVERNMENT: Federal Republic
•VOTING AGE: 18 years old

CURRENT EVENTS OR KEY ISSUESCURRENT EVENTS OR KEY ISSUES

ECONOMICSECONOMICS
 Known for: Oil, agriculture, and mined metals
(mainly silver), manufacturing.
 Imports: Machinery products for all industries,
including agriculture, manufacturing,
transportation, and transportation. Bootlegged
products.
 Exports: Oil, manufactured goods, silver, fruits and
vegetables, coffee, cotton. Bootlegged products.
 State of the economy: Many industries are still in
development. There is substantial debt, and a high
percentage of underground economy (non-tax
payers).

EVERYDAY-ECONOMICSEVERYDAY-ECONOMICS
• Currency: Mexican Pesos ($1 USD = $12 Pesos)
• Public and private banks. Credits and loans are
available.
• Jobs: People start working depending on their
economic bracket. The extremely poor start as
children, the poor start as pre-teens, the middle
class as teenagers, and the rich start in college
years.
• Students and money: middle and high class kids
get an allowance; it varies for the poor because
their work earnings are all meant to help the
household.

EVERYDAY-ECONOMICS: THEEVERYDAY-ECONOMICS: THE
PESOPESO

RELIGION(S)RELIGION(S)
• 88% of the population is Roman Catholic.
• Different Christian denominations are also present.
• There are followers of other major religions such as
Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam.

GENDER- ROLE OF GIRLS / BOYS –GENDER- ROLE OF GIRLS / BOYS –
MEN/WOMENMEN/WOMEN
• Growing up: Emphasis is given to school and
family life. Recreation activities vary between
cities and small towns. After school programs are
rare.
• Dress: Typical dress varies from region to region.
In urban areas, typical dress is saved for Mexican
holidays.
• Gender rites: Quinceañera.

MEN/WOMENMEN/WOMEN

MEN/WOMENMEN/WOMEN
• Education: equal among both genders. For higher
education, more men go to college and finish their
degrees, but there is an increasing number of women
attending and graduating.
• At Work: There are still some male dominated
professions, but women’s rights are being introduced.
• At Home: Mostly traditional gender roles, even among
highly educated couples.
• Roles in Society: Leans towards traditional roles, but
new trends are appearing as a result of the women’s
rights movement.

NATIONAL FESTIVALS -HOLIDAYSNATIONAL FESTIVALS -HOLIDAYS
EVENTSEVENTS
Independence Day: September 16
Mexican Revolution: November 20
Battle of Puebla: May 5
Flag Day: February 24
Birth of Benito Juarez: March 21
Dia de los Muertos: November 2
Christmas / Posadas
New Years Day
Wise men day: January 6
Candlemas day: February 2
Easter

POSADASPOSADAS

DIA DE LOS MUERTOSDIA DE LOS MUERTOS

FOOD – NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!FOOD – NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!

CONTEMPORARY CUSTOMS- MUSIC - DANCE –CONTEMPORARY CUSTOMS- MUSIC - DANCE –
SPORTS & TRADITIONSSPORTS & TRADITIONS

CONTEMPORARY CUSTOMS- MUSIC &CONTEMPORARY CUSTOMS- MUSIC &
MARIACHISMARIACHIS

CONTEMPORARY CUSTOMS- MUSIC - DANCE –CONTEMPORARY CUSTOMS- MUSIC - DANCE –
SPORTS & TRADITIONSSPORTS & TRADITIONS
• American pop culture is closely followed in termsAmerican pop culture is closely followed in terms
of music, movies, television shows, and video games.of music, movies, television shows, and video games.
• Cell phones and social media (facebook and twitterCell phones and social media (facebook and twitter
in particular) are extremely popular.in particular) are extremely popular.

EVERYDAY LIVINGEVERYDAY LIVING
• Typical day schedule:
– Meal times are different: Largest meal is at 2-3pm, small
dinners at 8-9pm.
– In small towns, businesses will close from 2-4pm for
‘lunch’ and a short nap known as siesta, then people
return to work until around 8pm.
• A School Day/Week: The school experience for an
11-12 year old in Mexico is similar to the U.S.;
however, there are hardly any extracurricular
activities throughout the school year.
– Uniforms are widely used in many schools.

• English as a second language is commonly taught
in urban schools from an early age. Most private
schools are now bi-lingual (most English, some
French).
• Extracurricular Activities: Some sports have after-
school sports programs, but competitions and
tournaments between schools are sporadic.
Cheerleading programs are almost non-existant.

• Family Life: Families are extremely important.
Many times, children are somewhat involved in
household chores, but not as much as in the U.S.
• Extended family is considered extremely
important. Mexicans will go out of their way to
assist extensive family.
• Grandparents move in with their children when
they cannot take care of themselves. Retirement
homes and communities are rare and are destined
to those who have no family left.

• Acquisition of pets is common, with people mostly
choosing dogs and cats.
• Mexico is known for creating fairs in the center of
small towns. In urban areas, each municipality
within a city creates several fairs per year. Fairs
are family oriented events.
• Parks are common in large cities, though they can
be dangerous.
• In smaller cities and towns, parks are rare. People
use the main plaza at the center of each town as a
place for gathering.

MEXICO CITY ZOOMEXICO CITY ZOO

SIMILARITIES-DIFFERENCESSIMILARITIES-DIFFERENCES
• Can you notice similarities between Mexico and
the U.S.?
• What do you find most surprising? What do you
find interesting?
• The importance of appreciating cultural diversity
in the U.S.

LINKSLINKS
• Tourism: www.visitmexico.com
• History & Anthropology:
www.mna.inah.gob.mx/
inah.gob.mx/
• News Media:
www.excelsior.com.mx
www.eluniversal.com.mx
www2.esmas.com/usa/
• Art: www.arte-mexico.com/

Mexico's Culture, Traditions and Everyday Life

Mexico's Culture, Traditions and Everyday Life

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Mexico's Culture, Traditions and Everyday Life

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