If there is one place that changed my view on culture, it is when I served a my LDS mission in Mendoza, Argentina. This place taught me what it meant to love, understand, care and expand my views on culture. The people of Argentina are so loving and kind, always willing to put their families before anyone else. They were astounding examples to me and their family culture helped me to have a better grip on how important cultures are in this world.
What is culture? Our favorite friend google says, “culture is the attitude and behavior characteristic of a particular social group.” So, are you telling me culture is based off of how people behave? You got it champ! We all live in a culture of our own, whether it is based on our family, the united states or your religious community. Culture is everywhere, especially in the family. In Argentina, the family culture was amazing. The people were so loving and it was known to live with your family even after you graduated high school, the idea was that families stick together and that is how it always is going to be. It is like in my family relations class how my teacher mentioned that people that live closer to the equator are way more likely to be closer to each other than those who live in a blizzard town like somewhere in Idaho. (hey, I can technically say that since currently in Rexburg, ID it is like 10 degrees out on a good day and being all touchy/personal with others is hard when you can’t feel any of your frozen body!) All I am saying is that culture is so different everywhere you go. Let’s focus on the united states culture. The idea of the American dream is to become something, to be rich, to show off that new mustang, am I right? Well it’s something like that. Well the culture is to be a success in some way or another. But how does that relate to families? Let’s take a look at the Mexican immigration. Many families from Mexico are immigrating here because they 1. Want better lives for their children, giving them education and a better future. 2. The United States have better jobs to make more money for families. Wait a second, wouldn’t that be hard for Mexicans to leave their families and their culture all for these opportunities for their families? Indeed it is, think of it this way. You go to another country, don’t know anyone, you left your family behind, don’t know where you are going to go, while not knowing the English language, and you are all alone. Does that sound easy to you? Well if you are screaming yes, then that is the wrong answer. Mexicans leave behind their families sometimes to come to the U.S. just so their families can have better lives. What a courageous people! They truly are amazing in that sense, where they will do anything for their families. Would you do that for your family? The only problem with this idea of the U.S. being a better place for immigrants is the idea that they aren’t affecting the family when they really are. Many Mexicans have the father of the family go to the U.S. for a long period such as three years at a time! That leaves the mother to be head of the family and having to play the good cop, bad cop role without the family. Without the father the children build a strong bond with the mother, while when the father returns it is much harder to reconnect with their children, sometimes not even reconnecting. It is also difficult for the wife to connect with the husband again because they have been away from each other for so long. These toles on families play a major role in the home and can affect the children a lot. Sometimes the whole family from Mexico will go to the united states while leaving their friends, family and homes. The children of these families are immensely affected, some stay in their rooms while becoming depressed because they might not know the language, can make friends due to language barriers and may find it harder to connect with their family at home since they might be working often to help the family income. These relationships can become strained and the culture differences are difficult to admit to. Some of these children never see their extended family again or their friends. The hardships are real and we often don’t recognize it here in the United States. Not only are the struggles real for Mexicans that immigrate from Mexico, but the American way of life is too. For example, the social class is very hard to adjust to. Many people in America have more resources and it is easier to get jobs. So, this can lead to people taking advantage of their resources. Some Americans even if they are poor try to hide it and act like they aren’t. While others who are get yelled at because of that. Being from Mexico can make it harder to fit in to the American way of life, even though America loves other cultures, it just can be a difficult transition. Social classes in the U.S. are constantly expanding. A lot of Americans are always wanting more and take for granted what they have, obviously not all, but it is not uncommon. In families, the idea of social classes can be difficult. For example, if the child grows up in a wealthier home he could feel more entitled, but it is fascinating because if a child grows up in a poor home that child can too feel entitled because he did not get all that he wanted. Social class is determined by ancestry, money, confidence, mannerism, additional resources, dress, education and so forth. Americans rely on these classes to determine if they are successful in their daily life. Some take it too far by thinking they are better than others when we are all working towards becoming the people we want to be. All these things can affect the family in both good and bad ways. We need to be aware of the cultures and social classes around us to be able to help our family in the best way. These roles are influential and our goal should be to help make this world a happier place to live in for anyone and their families. Con Amor, Bonnie
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March 2017
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