🇲🇽 Cultural Barriers 🇺🇸

I was born and raised in Nebraska and have lived there my whole life so it has been an adjustment at college. None of my roommates are from the Midwest and don’t have a clue where Nebraska is. It has been surprising to learn about different traditions, restaurants, and lifestyles that are way different than the 2,000 person town I grew up in. It is evident we’ve been raised differently and have inherited different cultures.

When I think of people living together who have contrasting cultures, I think of my brother and sister in law who have been married two years. My sister in law is from Mexico City and they both met while they were serving their missions. It was one of the classic situations where you go on your mission and maybe see that person occasionally and don’t think much of them, but then you get off your mission and run into each other somewhere and reconnect. Well after they connected they started dating and eventually got married. I don’t think they realized how challenging things would be because of their cultural differences, but they also had some cultural similarities that brought them together. They have had to find a balance as they introduce different traditions as a blended family.

In the Mexican culture, family is very important. It isn’t uncommon for a family to have many extended family members like aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents to live close by. They are all there for each other because they are close physically and emotionally. Having family in close proximity is something I value a lot in my family because my dad's parents and his 6 siblings and their families all live in the same town or a short drive away. My mom’s parents and sister’s family live close too. It is nice because family is close by to help you and we are able to build closer relationships than the ones I have with the other extended family I rarely see. Living by or seeing my family often is one thing I want to inherit into my family culture because I love the experience I’ve had with my own extended family. It is very hard for Mexican families when they immigrate to the US because they lose that family connection as they come to a new place where they don’t know many people.

Mexican families who immigrate here often experience very stressful situations within their household as they are enduring a big change in culture. Many times the father will first come to America to save money and start a life as they prepare for the rest of their family to come. They try to be away from their family for only a couple months, but because of the language barrier and the difficulty to find work it can take up to several years. When families finally reconnect there is a disconnect between the parents and children as the children have gotten older and become more dependent on their mom because of dad's absence. For my future family I don’t want to put a strain on the relationship by spending a lot of time apart whether that is for a job or different opportunity. These families wish they can get back together again and just pick up where they left off, but it is hard.

As these families come they are thrown into what feels like a different world as they face a new language, jobs, education, and race. A lot of these parents make the decision to immigrate to provide better opportunities for their kids' future. Even though they travel to the US for new experiences they still want to keep the traditions and cultures alive. Maintaining their traditions has helped families become closer again and helps them bring part of their home country into their new homes. My sister in law and brother have introduced a lot of new traditions into their home since they’ve been married to educate each other about their culture and to stay close to her Mexican culture. She has introduced to him how to make Mexican dishes like pozole and pan de muertos, Mexican music and dancing. He has shown her some of his interests like going to sports games, watching Husker football, and celebrating holidays like Fourth of July and Halloween. They are able to inherit new traditions and learn new things as they spend time with our family in Nebraska and hers in Mexico. Even though challenges arise because of their differences they are able to break down these barriers and help each other understand more about one another through their various cultures.

I think culture is important in helping a family build stronger bonds and relationships. We are able to feel closer to our families in the past, present, and future as we keep traditions alive.