Free Research Paper About Conflicts

Mexican and Cuban are Americans with a lot of things in common, yet they are still separate ethnic groups, originating from different ancestors. Although, many people migrate to America for different reasons, they all settle on their niche towards achieving the American dream. Mexican Americans and Cuban Americans are known to have the same Hispanic origin but have been coined to exclusivity by different ancestors. There exists a cultural conflict between the Mexican and Cuban Americans. The uniqueness of every group defines the uniqueness of the cultures thus creating the cultural conflict between them.

Religion
One of the crucial centers of conflicts between the two groups is religion. The identity of every society is usually based on the religious beliefs of the people. The Mexican and Cuban Americans have some common religious practices while they differ in others.
The Cuban Americas are of primary Spanish extraction. Therefore, most of them are Roman Catholic. However, following their intermarriages with the Africans most of them practice African traditional religions like Santeria and Ifá (Holloway). The two religions were because of mixing the Catholic religion with the traditional African religion. Moreover, in the group there exist Protestants who are Pentecostal. The Cuban American has a small number of syncretists as well as non-Christians or small communities like Jewish and Muslim.
Mainly the Mexican culture revolves around religious values as well as the church and the family concept. The family mainly inclines to the religion of a group of people. It is evident that approximately 82% of Mexicans are catholic (Mirowsky and Catherine 13). However, most of them still incorporate the Hispanic Mayan elements as part of their faith. There is also a number of them practicing Christian denominations such as Presbyterians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, Mormons, Methodists, Baptists, as well as Anglicans. There also exist a small number of Buddhists and Jews (Mirowsky and Catherine 10).

Language

Language is a usually a major cultural value that people tend to use in identifying certain people. The Mexican Americans and Cuban Americans have different languages that have some connection since they were of the same origin.
Nearly all the Cuban Americans can speak and write English. Following their Spanish origin, a good number of them can speak Spanish. Although, there is an exclusive challenge for Spanish speakers among the Cuban Americans, it remains recognizable as a language for the group. The people tend to watch and listen to Spanish Media in addition to the mainstream American media (Szapocznik 319).
The majority of Mexicans are Spanish speakers. Approximately 92.7% of the Mexican population speaks Spanish. Therefore, Spanish is the main language of the Mexicans. Around 6% of the Mexicans speak indigenous languages like Mayan, Nahuatl as well as others (Mirowsky and Catherine 03). There are several indigenous Mexican words that are common in other languages such as English such as coyote and chocolate.

Food

Cubans have varied food. Rice is the staple food and can be served for lunch or dinner. Pan con bistec, arroz con pollo, Platanaos maduros, and Lechon asado are the other common dishes.
The Cuban sandwich is a common lunch staple, and it is built on Cuban bread. There are various versions of Pizza that contain bread, which is soft and contains cheese, toppings, as well as a sauce. Beef is also common among the Cuban Americans though it is mainly used in making sandwiches. Picadillo, ground beef has also become common over time, and it is highly served with black beans and rice. Cubans often drink café cubano. Cafecito which is a small cup of coffee which is traditional espresso coffee sweetened with sugar is also common. Cortadito is also common, and it is a small cup of coffee that has been added some milk (Szapocznik 326).
The culinary norms of the Mexicans are usually based on income level as well as social class. The working class usually enjoys the staples such as Corn or wheat tortillas as well as long beans. They are great lovers of chili peppers and chorizo (Pavich 49).The working class also enjoys the Empanadas, which are handheld pasty pockets that may contain savory or sweet fillings. The middle and upper income Mexicans are mainly aligned to the American and European foods. Also, Mexico is famous for its tequila, which is made of the agave cactus, which is common in Mexican climate. Soda is the most common drink among the Mexicans (Mirowsky and Catherine 07).
The conflict between Cuban Americans and Mexican Americans has been existence for a period of time. After the 1959 revolution, the Cubans exiled from the Caribbean Island. The revolution changed Miami and Florida into Cubans cities which were formally known as residences for Latin. The period marks the differences that changed the commonalities between Cubans and Mexicans. The revolution was the beginning of the extensive differences between the two groups.

Solutions for the conflict

The conflict between Mexicans and Cubans can be resolved in a number of ways. The steps are meant to ensure the two groups get into terms with each other, and they can share most of their cultural practices. Since the two groups were initially from the same origin, their conflict can be resolved easily.
The first step is to develop interaction points between the two groups. There should be programs that will bring the two groups together so that they may interact with each other accordingly. A plan may be put forth to ensure the two groups interact and exchange various values. For example, sports activities should be organized for the two groups where they would be allowed to have interaction moments. The strategy might be useful if schools were found to be matched so as to ensure the strategy reaches as many people as possible. Communication is key and through the sports activities it will be easy to interact with each other.
Cultural events would also be highly significant in restoring the conflict. Cultural events are usually organized as moments where the people present showcase their cultural practices and values. In such events, there are usually cooking competitions where the parties involved show their food and the preparation processes for the food. Also, they show their art practices, which may easily define their cultural values. At such a point, the Cuban Americans will show their prowess in the preparation of various foods while the Mexicans will also have a chance to show their potential in the different cooking methods, as well as art(Szapocznik 321).
Also, common religious events may be organized to attract the different people from the two cultures. For example, interdenominational prayers and summons may be held with the aim of having a common ground for prayers. Such an event will bring the different believers together. Since most of the people believe in God, it will be easy to bring them in to understanding that they are of the same origin, and they share a number of values.

Contributions by the respective cultures

Cubans have been extremely keen to protect their culture. As a group, they have tried to defend their practices, and they intend to achieve equality in the society as an equally dominant culture. Therefore, they ensure they market their core values, beliefs, and practices. Their food is becoming common in America as well as other parts of the world like Africa. It marks the sensitivity of the group in the entire world. Their languages are unique with a different accent. The uniqueness of language attracts many people, and they would be willing to learn more about the language (Szapocznik 321). Therefore, the group will protect its values in a unique way.
The Mexicans are using language to protect their culture. The group has a number of words that have been borrowed into English language. The strategy is unique in making people remain sensitive to the language and the culture. The different words have different meanings that may be unique for the Mexican culture. Therefore, it will be easy to pass the meaning to different people who may use it for communication. Through the strategy, the group has succeeded in protecting its culture, as well as its people.

Conclusion

The Cultural conflict comes as result of differences in cultural values or beliefs among people who live in the same place or have previously shared an origin. The values change over time making each of the parties involved. The conflict may lead to major differences that may be evident in both parties. Cultural conflict is usually confusing and may be resolved through the development of unique strategies that will bring the involved parties together and resolve a common problem among them.

Works Cited

Holloway, Joseph E., ed. Africanisms in American culture. Indiana University Press, 2005.
Mirowsky, John, and Catherine E. Ross. "Mexican culture and its emotional contradictions." Journal of Health and Social Behavior (1984): 2-13.
Pavich, Emma Guerrero. "A Chicana perspective on Mexican culture and sexuality." Journal of Social Work & Human Sexuality 4.3 (1986): 47-65.
Szapocznik, Jose, et al. "Bicultural effectiveness training: A treatment intervention for enhancing intercultural adjustment in Cuban American families."Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 6.4 (1984): 317-344.