A Brief Guide To Mexican Subcultures

Chicano/a Subculture

The chicanos/as subculture is both a mixture of the Mexican and American cultures. A chicano/a is a person born in the United States, but is from a Mexican origin or decent. Even though we grow up in America we maintain our Mexican customs, such as the language and music. Chicanos/as are not just Mexican or just American we are both Mexican-American. People associate chicanos/as with gangs, being poorly educated, and being illegal, but not all stereotypes are true.

Most of the stereotypes about chicanos/as are really negative. I do not associate with most of the stereotypes because I am not a chola or illegal, and I did not drop out of school. A chola is a person from the lower class who is Mexican-American and is a gang member. Many people assume these things when they find out you are part Mexican. I have been asked many times if I am illegal which I’m not. Some of my family and friends are also chicanos/as and they also do not relate to these negative stereotypes. I can see how many are wrong about the chicano/a subculture these stereotypes are not true.

I identify with this subculture because my parents raised me in the United Sates, but showed me both the Mexican and American cultures. I relate to the Mexican culture because my family is really close. We usually get together a lot for family parties such as quinceñeras, birthday parties, and holiday parties. Quinceñeras are Mexican tradition, a party celebrating a girls fifteenth birthday. The usual Mexican way we are taught to greet our family at every party or gathering is always with a hug and a side kiss on the cheek. We eat the typical Mexican dishes

at these parties like tacos, pozole, tamales, and so many others. Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup made with meat or chicken and has little balls of corn you can add many other stuff to it as well. Tamales are a Mexican dish made of dough, meat, and corn husks or banana leafs. Not only do we like to eat, but also like to dance. At these parties we dance to norteñas, banda, and cumbias. Norteñas is a genre of Mexican music from Northern Mexico and band is a style of Mexican music as well. Cumbias is music from Latin America. Also learning to cook from your mother is part of the Mexican tradition. I usually cook with my mother a lot I really enjoy it because we get to spend time together. It’s kind of hard though because Mexican mothers do not measure anything when it comes to cooking the just put a little bit of this and a little bit of that in a pot or pan and I don’t know how much is a lot or a little when it comes to cooking. My mother shares many of the secrete family recipes that her mother passed down to her and now she is passing them down to me.

The American culture is also a part of being chicano/a. I relate to the American culture because almost everyone in my family is a big sports fan we enjoy watching football, baseball, and basketball. We like to get together to watch the Super Bowl every year. Sometimes my family gets together and we have a barbecue in the backyard we eat typical American food like hamburgers, hotdogs, sausage, and ribs. Not only do I listen to music in Spanish but also in English like rap and pop. Celebrating the American holidays like the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas connects me to the American culture because they are tradition and many other Americans celebrate them as well. Camping is part of the American tradition I go every often I have been to the Colorado River, Calico Ghost Town, Silver Wood Lake, and many more. I really enjoy when we go camping because we like to take our jet ski and dirt bikes. We go and explore the lakes and campsites. The language really connects me to the Mexican-American culture from a very young age I learned both Spanish and English, which has allowed me to express myself in two different ways. Spanglish is something that’s really common when you speak to a chicano/a. I speak Spanglish a lot when I’m at home or when I speak to my friends. Spanglish is combining both Spanish and English words when speaking.

In conclusion, chicanos/as are both Mexican and American. The negative stereotypes are not all true about us. I can relate to the Mexican and American culture in many ways. Being close to family, sports, holidays, and the languages. I identifying with this group has shaped me into the person I am today because it has made me want to be different and a better person than what they typically stereotype chicanos/as. I’m proud to be part of the chicano/a subculture.