Preview: ... istorically very active in politics (Aparicio, n.d.).
Being a fairly new immigrant group, Dominican Americans are often reluctant to assimilate into the mainstream culture of the United States. Many Dominicans migrate to the United States long enough to obtain enough wealth to move back their homeland and establish businesses. Many Dominicans never abandon their home culture nor embrace the culture of the United States (Angel, 2008).
Buffington (2006) tells of the socioeconomic status of Dominican immigrants. “The proportion of professionals among migrants decreased markedly as migrants moved from the Dominican Republic to the United States. At the same time, the proportion of laborers increased dramatically.” Most Dominican men have taken jobs in manufacturing, while Dominican women have taken jobs in the garment industry. Because they are likely to accept low-paying jobs with little security, many Dominicans are toiling in dead-end jobs.
Dominican nationals practice Roman Catholicism, and it is likely that the majority of Dominican Americans practice it as well. Santeria, being more associated with Cubans than with Dominicans, is also practiced by some members of the Dominican community. It is important to note that the practice of Santeria does not exclude someone from also practicing Catholicism (Buffington, 2006).
Immigration has played an integral part in changing the family dynamic of Dominicans. Families in the Dominican Republic tend to be larger, but Dominican American families tend to be smaller. The patriarchal family structure is evident here as well (Buffington, 2006).
Summary
Of the four groups presented, many similarities exist. Each group shares the Spanish language, though each group has its own varying dialect. On the political front, the Cuban American seems to be more active and successful than members of other Hispanic groups. Assimilation into the mainstream culture seems to be more readily accepted by Mexican Americans. Each Hispanic group presented here shares a strong belief in Roman Catholicism, which was brought to each country, along with the language, by the Spanish. Each group shares a propensity for patriarchal family structure, and each of these family structures is based on strong ties.


REFERENCES

Angel - un ange passe (2008, February 8). Hispani ...

Preview: ... hat others refer to immigrants as not smart (¶5). The children who were not fluent in English, scored lower in tests than those who are fluent.

Some anti-immigrants activists feel strongly on opposing of bilingualism in education. That is merely racial generalizations. Rodriguez states, “Conservatives and anti-immigrant activists, meanwhile, have tended to react against such measures, arguing that today’s immigrants are not as eager to “Americanize” as their predecessors were (1998).” Many Latino voters voted against abolishing bilingualism education. Rodriguez says that the bilingual education helps children learn to read and write in their own language. With helping child to read and write, it will also help them to learn ...