Difference between Mexican and American Culture

Even though the American culture and Mexican culture have similarities, they are more different than alike. Me being Mexican-American and living so close to the Mexican-American border, I’m very familiar with these two cultures. Some differences are sports, form of speaking, and even dinner time. These might be shocking, but very true. One of the major differences is sports. In the Mexican culture, one grows up playing, and watching soccer. One probably cheers for the “Tijuana Xolos,” or “Cruz Azul,” and or maybe even “La America.” There are many teams but one’s family is a die-heart fan of one in specific. As a baby one’s first word is most likely “goal” or “penal.” In the Mexican culture one eat, sleeps, and breathes soccer. On contraire of soccer, in the American culture, football is a must. Every Sunday you’ll be dressed up in your team’s jersey and spend 4 hours screaming at the t.v. Sundays are holly for a football family, you grill, invite friends over and watch men tackle all day.

In addition you’ll probably even throw in some curse words while you’re watching your favorite teams whether it’s the “San Diego Chargers” or “New England Patriots,” or many other professional football teams. One very important difference is the form of speaking and language. In the Mexican culture one will most likely learn and speak Spanish first before any other language. In Spanish, for elders or someone superior to you, you speak in what is called “forma de usted.” It’s very disrespectful to speak informally to an elder or any of your superiors and take offence of it. One is taught since a very young age la forma de usted because one’s parents expect one to speak appropriate to their superiors and not embarrass them while out. Typically one exception for la forma de usted is with one’s parents, but in my case, it wasn’t. In the American culture, you generally speak one language, English. In English there really isn’t a formal way to address your elders or superiors. One speaks informally to everybody, whether it’s one’s boss, mother, or friend.

There is no respectful or specific way to speak to them. Different from the Mexican culture, everybody is on an equal level, so it doesn’t require speaking formally to anybody. Another difference is in a typical Mexican household the kids come home from school and do their homework at the table while their mom prepares dinner. Dinner is served at four p.m. but will not be eaten until everybody from the family is seated at the table, and ready to give thanks to the “Virgin Maria” for their food. Generally dinner is a dish that involves eating a tortilla with, and or beans. Different from the Mexican culture, in the American culture, one eats at around six p.m. It is typically around the time the parents get out of work, which is later on in the day. Usually they serve themselves and some eat in the living room while others eat in their rooms, very rarely to all eat seated together at the dinner table. Due to the busy routine that one has in America, that sense of family unity has lost its meaning, which reflects on something as simple as dinner time.

As one can see the Mexican culture and the American culture are different in many ways. Each culture has their own unique characteristics which makes each of them special in their own way. Sports, form of speaking, and dinner time are little differences but make a huge difference in each culture.