Ethics

Among the many Hispanic American communities, there are various notable similarities and differences. Most of the communities share much in common such as language mainly due to the virtual their origin (Tate, 2008). However, they have much difference in their reasons for migrating to America and their ease of assimilating to the main stream culture. This essay work seeks to identify the underlying similarities and differences of four Hispanic American communities. The paper in particular considers the linguistics, politics, social-economics, religion, and family aspects the Cuban Americans, Puerto Ricans, Mexican Americans and the Dominican Americans.

The first group to be discussed is the Mexican Americans. This Hispanic American community is the largest forming an estimated over eight percent of the overall population and an approximated 69.9 percent of the Hispanic population (Schaefer, 2006). The group has Hispanic as it main communication language. However, most of its second and third generations can fluently speak English after the introduction of bilingual classes in the community (Schaefer, 2006). On the economic sector, the Mexican Americans are not well established entrepreneurs. It is nevertheless to be noted that the large population of this community is marked with professionals of varied academic and skill qualification. It is this that has given them a competitive advantage in the job market, even holding positions in the federal government.

Religiously, Mexican Americans are predominantly Roman Catholics (Schaefer, 2006). It should however be noted that there still exist some protestant believers in this community. The group has its family as the core social structure (Tate, 2008). This is best demonstrated in how they treasure and respect extended families just as their immediate ones. Men have been traditionally seen as the heads and breadwinners in the family. They were therefore the final decision makers in the family. This has however changed over time due to economic hardship as well as the eminent influence of the main stream culture and nowadays women have started working to financially assist their families.

The second group is the Puerto Rican Americans. This group hails from Puerto Rico, a commonwealth of US, and is thus legally recognized as citizens of the US (Nostrand, 2005). The group has Spanish as its main language. However, it is worthy noting here that being a commonwealth of the American, the Puerto Rican Americans are quite fluent in speaking English, an element which gives them an added advantage over other Hispanic American groups (Schaefer, 2006). English is a common subject in elementary classes, making their second generation so fluent in English that in many occasions their heritage is put in question. On matters of religion, the Puerto Ricans Americans are mainly Roman Catholics. However, there are some protestant believers mainly of the Baptist and Methodist churches. The group is also marked with some Muslims among other religions.

In terms of family aspects, the Puerto Rican Americans group has a strong family bondage (Schaefer, 2006). However, due to their citizenship and English speaking ability, they have easy time in socializing with others Americans. They also have respect and low divorce rates, a factor which can be closely attributed to their strong religious background. In politics, Puerto Rican Americans enjoy all political rights of the American land except the right to elect the US president. Due to their sovereignty relationship with the American nation, this group enjoys a number of privileges over other groups. They are both free from federal tax payment and can freely migrate into and from America without any restrictions (Tate, 2008). Due to this citizenship privilege, the Puerto Rican Americans have competitive advantage in landing into good jobs compared to other Hispanic American groups.

The third Hispanic American group is the Cuban American community. This group of Hispanic Americans speaks Spanish as their primary language. However, due to the need for fluency in speaking English for survival, many members of this group have been forced to learn English as a way of realizing a competitive advantage in the American land (Schaefer, 2006). This is what has made fluency in speaking English quite high in their upcoming generations. Religiously, Cuban American community is marked with a mixture of almost all sorts of believers including some none believers. It is however worth stating here that most of the members of the community are Roman Catholic believers (Tate, 2008). The presence of none believers in this group has been closely attributed to their widespread assimilation into the mainstream culture.

Nevertheless, despite the widespread assimilation into the American culture, the Cuban Americans strong family bonding has never been fully destroyed. On the economic front, this group has been economically active in entrepreneurship. This is evident from the fact that they converted Miami into a modern city by establishing businesses (Tate, 2005). To demonstrate the value this group has for their culture, Miami has been well known for various Hispanic favorites. Politically, this group is legally recognized by the American constitution under the law of citizenship. They are therefore allowed to vote in general elections as well as nominate their own candidates (Schaefer, 2006). Just to note is that the group mainly practices conservative politics.

Now the paper takes on the fourth Hispanic American group, the Dominican Americans who are primarily Spanish speaking (Tate, 2008). It is however to be noted that this group mainly enter into the American nation illegally. Due to this reason, many struggle to learn English fast as a way of survival. This problem of illegal immigration has also been closely attributed to the ease with which members of this group assimilate into the mainstream culture. This trend is responsible for their increasing ability to speak English.  In politics, this is typically an illegal group and thus has no constitutional right to actively participate in any American politics (Schaefer, 2006).

Economically, the Dominican American community has not practiced active entrepreneurship. However, they have been known to instead invest back into their motherland (Tate, 2008). This has led many of them to live in abject poverty in the dreamland. They are therefore seen to have come with the main motive of developing their motherland. Another reason for failing to invest can be due to their illegal status in America. The members of this group are largely Roman Catholics but with varied mixtures of Jewish and protestant as well as Afro-Christian believers (Schaefer, 2006). The group upholds a strong bond to culture, faith and family thus find much difficulties assimilating into the mainstream culture. Though they believe in communal life and big families, harsh economic condition has forced them out of this big family trend.

In conclusion, there are a number of similarities among the four Hispanic groups discussed. They all have Spanish as their primary language. Still clear is the fact that Roman Catholic faith is the most dominant faith among the members of the four groups. The groups are still marked with strong family bondage culture. This is evident in their communal way of life.  

However, there are some eminent differences among the four Hispanic American groups. This is mainly in the aim of their migration into the American land. The Cuban American group for example still lives to their ancestors dream of realizing the American dream through entrepreneurship unlike the Mexican Americans (Schaefer, 2006). Still Dominicans have their motherland at heart thus living in poor status compared to the other groups. Another difference is the level of assimilation into the mainstream culture. The Dominicans have shown high resistance to assimilation than any other group. On constitutional recognition the Cubans are fully recognized as citizens of American with rights to vote and nominate their own political candidate as compared to the Puerto Rican Americans who are not allowed to vote the US president.