Stereotypes of Mexican-American Immigrants in
New York City
One obstacle that has always stood in the way
of Mexican-American’s ability to assimilate completely is the use of
stereotypes. These stereotypes are sometimes based upon fact but many times are
simply created as a way to put down and discredit this vibrant and rising
culture. Everyone is aware in some way of these stereotypes and unfortunately many
may make assumptions of Mexican people based upon these notions. Some popular Mexican
stereotypes are that they are often times are very sociable, may suffer from
alcoholism, are religious and have many children. During our trips to Sunset
Park in Brooklyn, the most densely populated Mexican community in NYC, and
Spanish Harlem we were able to experience the Mexican culture first hand. On
these trips we were able to make our own observations about the truths and
fabrications of these stereotypes. Then, after the trips we did research and
made final decisions about these ideas.
The first stereotype commonly
associated with Mexican-Americans is that they are more social and generally kinder
than members of many other American groups. Although we did not have a lot of
experience with this on our adventures, the people we met with, such as Leticia
Alanis, were very helpful and enthusiastic about helping us with our project.
Leticia even offered to set up some interviews with some Mexican immigrants in
the community to talk about their experience coming to the US. Unfortunately we
were never able to meet because of Hurricane Sandy. On our trip to Harlem, a
very kind employee gave us a tour of the Hot Bread Kitchen, an institution that
caters to a lot of Mexican people. This is a perfect example of the hospitality
we were shown throughout our time in the city. Then while conducting further
research we came upon an article that proves that Mexicans are more social than
Americans. “Mexicans are
interdependent, which means everything is guided by being dependent on others.
They spend more times in groups, don't like to spend time alone, are more
involved with family and are more conscious of what others say about them.” (1) This is a rare case where studies will
actually confirm a stereotype.
The second stereotype associated with
Mexican-Americans was difficulty with alcoholism. While on our trip we met with
the congresswoman from Sunset Park who told us that alcoholism is a common problem
amongst Mexican immigrants. However, during out interview with Leticia Alanis,
she told us that this is an unfortunate, hurtful stereotype. This is a more
confusing issue, because all though in some cases it will be true, in most it
will not apply. However, based on research, it seems like the frequency of
alcoholics may be slightly higher among Mexican-Americans. “23
percent of Latino men, almost one fifth of our population, were frequent, heavy
drinkers, as compared to only 15 percent for African Americans and 12 percent
for white men.”(2). From the same source we also found that 59.7% of Mexican
deaths are directly related to the consumption of alcohol. (2) While these
statistics shows that alcoholism is more frequent among Mexicans, it is not so
large that it justifies the stereotype. So based on our findings, we can
confirm that this generalization is based upon some truth but this truth is
unfortunately exaggerated and overemphasized.
The third stereotype is that many Mexican
families have a lot of children per family. Based upon research and charts that
we saw, the average number of people per household for Mexican immigrants is
five, well above the city’s average. Mexicans in the community put a priority
on family, and they will often make trips to the store or take walks as an
entire household. Big families are highly valued in Mexican culture. There is
also a lot of overcrowding of schools in areas of high concentration of
Mexican-Americans. This is most likely due to the large amount of children per
household in the community. This is a trickier one to confirm or deny but based
on our findings, we can basically confirm that this stereotype is based upon
some truths.
The fourth stereotype is that many Mexican
immigrants are very religious. While walking around we encountered many
churches and religious institutions. We also saw many houses decorated with
religious ornaments such as crosses and rosaries. Based upon these observations,
we can infer that this is a very religious community. Then upon conducting
further research, we found out that many Mexicans are very religious and come
to New York City with the idea of spreading Catholicism within the city. “Mexican immigrants in New York City
believe that Mexicans and Mexico are “the Chosen Ones” to bring the message of
Christ to the city.”(3) Based on these findings, we can confirm that many
Mexican-Americans living in the city are very religious.
Based upon these experiences, we can
determine that many Mexican-Americans are very sociable possibly more than
other Americans. We also found that the stereotype about alcoholism while most
certainly no always true, may be based on some truth and that alcoholism,
although unfortunately exaggerated, might be a major problem in many Mexican
communities in New York City. In addition, it is statistically proven that most
Mexican families have an above average amount of people in their household, many
of which are children. Based on those facts, we can determine that Mexicans in
NYC have a higher number of children per household. We also concluded that
Mexicans are in most cases religious. Despite all of this evidence, it is
important to note that while many of these stereotypes are based on truth, they
do not apply to all Mexican-Americans in New York City. In the end, it is
important to make the distinction between fact that applies to all, and
generalizations, which apply in most cases, but in many instances can be proven
false.
Sources
2. http://www.asu.edu/courses/css335/arvizu.htm
You've given us a lot of good research and specific data, but I feel as though something was missing from your conclusion. How do these stereotypes affect a Mexican immigrant's ability to assimilate with American culture? How do Mexican immigrants feel about these stereotypes, especially if most of them proved to be true? What would you infer about the relationship between born-citizens and Mexican immigrants considering that the stereotypes born-Americans place on Mexican immigrants are true in most cases?
ReplyDelete"59.7% of Mexican deaths are directly related to the consumption of alcohol." That's almost 2/3, which is a very significant, large number of deaths. I wonder at what age these deaths are happening and if this is true for Mexicans who have families. It could be hard to lose a father/mother to alcohol consumption.
ReplyDeleteYyou say this is not a large enough percentage to justlify the stereotype. Why on Earth not? It's the majority.
DeleteGoing off of Helson's point, do you think that the Mexican immigrant community is trapped in a cycle: because of their grief of losing loved ones to alcohol, they turn to alcoholism? Also, you touch on the large number religious institutions in Mexican communities, but do you know what actions they are taking to attempt to counteract the alcoholism? Also, does this seem to be a pattern among most immigrant communities, or is it an anomaly??
ReplyDeleteI would have liked to see some more exact statistics for the conclusion that Mexicans are more sociable. It is still a very large statement to be made and one with subtle dynamics. Are they more sociable as a community, as a family? Does that sociability continue throughout the whole community or there a split between the youth and the older 1st generation? If they are sociable why doesn't the community create a social support system for those dealing with alcoholism?
ReplyDeletei agree with both Helson and Summer, while this article contains a lot of great research and personal observations it feels a bit incomplete at the end, I'm just curious as to what these stereotypes mean to the community, whether it isolates them from living in more diverse communities. Do people avoid the stereotypes and just ignore them or do they not care either way? do you think there can be a glance between embracing the positive stereotypes and avoiding the negative ones? also, i am always curious to know what people think, are positive stereotypes, such as being more sociable, just as bad as negative ones?
ReplyDeleteThis was interesting because it related how many people's perceptions of a certain immigrant are often based in truth - for example, a fifth of Mexicans are heavy drinkers, versus a ninth of whites. The juxtaposition of the Congresswoman from Sunset Park and Leticia Alanis's view points on this issue is an interesting one. I wonder - why does Mrs. Alanis seem to brush off the issue rather than attempting to deal with it? What are her premises about alcohol and the Mexican community's relationship with it? While the stereotype might be exaggerated, the issue is still present.
ReplyDeleteAlso - how did y'all find these "stereotypes"? Were they your own, generally assumed, based on your observations, based on what others have told you...
I enjoyed this article, mainly because it takes on the common statement that all stereotypes are based on the truth. However while it was very interesting to read about the origins of these stereotypes, I felt that at times the article was almost bombarding me with information. Is there a way you could relate these findings to how the Mexican population in the city acts? How do these given stereotypes directly affect them? Overall, great job guys!
ReplyDeletebilly brings up a great point - how do these stereotypes affect the Mexican population?
Delete"This is a rare case where studies will actually confirm a stereotype."
ReplyDeleteRare? i can think of a few others. From the statistic you mentioned, Mexicans DO have a large numer of kids. That's a justified steroetype because it is true more than most of the time. another: Studies have shown that Asians are better at mathematics than their Western counterparts. Stereotypes are often true in most cases; that's why they're stereotypes.
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ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting how you related Mexican's culture in Mexico to the culture in the United States. You traced the root of the stereotypes back to the beginning. One question I had though, was if you guys are trying to prove a point--- because at the beginning you say how harmful and often incorrect these stereotypes are but then proceed to prove them--- I'd be curious to know how these two things relate. Also I was wondering how the Mexicans themselves feel about these stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteDaisy brings up a really good point: at what point during the article were your views portrayed, and at what point were you speaking from the view of the Mexican community as a whole? And how do these stereotypes really effect the assimilation process: how does being Catholic and having large families deter assimilation?
DeleteI am wondering if Mexican religious affiliation has a strong connection to the avg. size of Mexican families. Perhaps it is because Catholicism discourages the use of birth control? Or perhaps it encourages procreation?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I want to further understand how and why y'all have concluded that "Mexicans are more social than Americans." The statement is vague: is this true on an individual or collective level? If so, how do cultural mores/values (including religious) convene to make this a true characteristic about the Mexican-American community?
Also, since I see a lot in the news regarding the illegality of Mexican immigrants in America, and since in 2010, Mexico was the #1 sending country of immigrants, how has American society and government's reception of Mexican immigrants (whether hostile or welcoming) affected this ethnic minority? Has this affect been mostly negative? Does it contribute to the poverty, alcoholism, obesity, illiteracy rates of this demographic? What are those rates (here, I hold the premise that these statistics are not favorable compared to those of Asian-Americans and Whites)?
"Mexicans are more social than Americans." What a peculiar conclusion. Itstems from a study which proffered a significant amount of qualitative information about Mexican's tendencies to be more interdependent than Americans, but that says nothing about sociability. I think the phrasing is off, suggests an inaccurate generalization.
DeleteThis does hint at the culture, though, of Mexicans and how that translates into American's perceptions of Mexican immigrants.
We've all witnessed a get-together of a large Mexican-American family. They know how to have a good time.
But what stereotypes become linked to this sociability, this emphasis put on community and strengthening family ties?
And it is evident that the government has responded fairly negatively to the influx of Mexican immigrants. I do think this contributes to the struggles of assimilation and the patterns of obesity, illiteracy, etc, which have emerged for this demographic in America. But these patterns are not limited to Mexican immigrants.
DeleteA common premise people hold about Mexican-American immigrants is that they are illegal, crossed the border by foot, and are employed in menial labor jobs. I believe this supposition partially emerged from our sharing a border with Mexico; it is easier for them to sneak in here, so we assume that is is a frequent trend. This assumption, though, is harmful towards Mexican-Americans self-concepts.