Immigration and Hispanic Culture

What is immigration? Immigration is most commonly known as the action of moving to a foreign country to find permanent residency. Oftentimes, many of the people immigrating to different foreign countries are trying to find better jobs, better homes, better education, and overall better life factors for themselves and their families. Throughout the ages, immigration has helped introduce, and enhance, various cultures among different groups of people throughout the world. Many times, new cultures are introduced through immigration. One example of this is Hispanic culture. In Hispanic culture essay this topic is going to be discussed.

Hispanic culture has become an important part of the United States today. Whether it be the food we eat, the songs we sing and dance, the different languages we speak, or all the other interesting components of this culture, one can see how Hispanic immigration into the United State has introduced such a wonderful Hispanic culture.

When looking at the history of hispanic culture, one can see how hispanic immigration has taken place throughout the decades. According to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, there are 746,000 Spanish origin Hispanics living in the United States as of 2020. Spaniards can be classified as Hispanics of Spanish origin. In the United States, Spaniards are the ninth largest group of Hispanics, and they account for 1.4 percent of the Hispanic population. Many of the Spaniards are Spanish immigrants, or they have family history in Spain. This number is relatively small when compared to the combined number of Mexican origin Hispanics living in the United States today. As of 2020, there are currently 34.6 million Mexican origin Hispanic immigrants living in the United States. Mexicans can be classified as Hispanics of Mexican origin. In the United States, Mexicans are the largest group of Hispanics, and they account for 64.1 percent of the Hispanic population. As a whole, there are nearly 60 million Hispanic immigrants living in the United States. They are the largest minority group living in the United States. Almost 35 percent of the Hispanic population are foreign born citizens that came to the United States. The remaining 65 percent of the Hispanic population are American-born, and they have family history from foreign Hispanic countries. The Hispanic population as a whole accounts for 13.7 percent of the United States population. This number has significantly increased since the nineteenth century, when the Hispanic population was only 9.7 million. By 2060, the Hispanic population is expected to grow and possibly surpass 111.22 million people. By looking at the history of Hispanic immigration, one can see how the Hispanic culture has spread throughout the United States and became such a rich, diverse culture.

When looking at the unique cuisine of the Hispanic culture, one can identify and understand the differences between the delicious, Hispanic cuisine, and the lovely, American cuisine that many people were raised upon. Hispanic cuisine is full of various spices, aromas, and wonderful flavors. Cooking is a very important part of Hispanic culture. Oftentimes, family recipes are passed down from generation to generation. Many Hispanic immigrants and their families brought these delicious recipes along with them when they came to the United States. Hispanic cuisine is full of wonderful food, and can be traced back to Native American, European, and Spanish cuisine. Many of the ingredients that are used in Hispanic cuisine are not usually found in the United States. Therefore, many markets and centers grew and expanded to include the wonderful ingredients needed for many of their delicious recipes. Some of the most enjoyed food items of Hispanic cuisine include tortillas, beans, and peppers. Tortillas are often made of either corn or wheat. Tortillas can be rolled flat and eaten plain, filled with cheese or spiced meat to create an enchilada, and fried to a crisp and filled with some of the similar ingredients to form a taco. They can be prepared in many different ways to form wonderfully delicious meals. In addition to the tortillas, they also prepare special dishes known as Tamales. Tamales are a special dish that is most commonly prepared on Christmas. They are made of a meat and cheese filling that is covered by a tortilla. Once the filling is covered, they wrap the Tamale in corn husks and steam it. Then, they serve them alongside other delicious foods. Furthermore, they also have many dishes that include beans and peppers. They often boil beans, crush them, and then fry them in fat. Then, they use the beans to fill tacos, enchiladas, and many other dishes. They also use peppers of different flavors, tomatoes, and various spices, including cumin, to make salsas. After that, they would combine the salsas with beans, less desirable cuts of meat, spiced sausage, known as chorizos, and create a stew called chile. Once the chile recipe reached the United States, it soon became a family favorite. Many Americans enhanced the chile recipe and created new variations of such a wonderful dish (Kroger). Overall, the Hispanic cuisine is full of wonderful, delicious food. Whether it be tortillas, peppers, beans, and all the other outstanding ingredients in between, Hispanic cuisine will always be an unforgettably unique cuisine that has the potential to make dinner a little bit more interesting.

In addition to the outstanding cuisine, Hispanic culture also includes many different exoctic dances and music. Many of the fun, exciting dances and music are a mix of Spanish, South American, Caribbean, Central American, Mexican, and other Hispanic related cultures. They often display the different aspects of all the different influences of the Hispanic culture. The history of these Hispanic dances and music can be traced back to the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Despite all of the hardships throughout the centuries, the Hispanic community managed to help preserve and grow a very important part of their culture. There are many famous dances that are related to Hispanic culture. Some of the dances are fast and upbeat, and some of the dances are slow and melodic. Many of these include the Sardana, Flamenco, Muiñeira, Paso Doble, Bolero, Fandango, and Zambra. Each dance is unique in their own way. The Sardana dates back to the 19th century, and is often considered to be a symbol of Catalan. During the Sardana, the dancers stand in a circle and hold hands. Then, they skip to the beat of the rhythm of a song known as the cobla. One of the most famous dances, the Flamenco, is considered to be more of an art then a dance. The Flamenco includes dancing, singing, guitar playing, hand clapping, and finger snapping. It is considered to be a part of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In addition, the Muiñeira is a dance that originated in Galicia. During the Muiñeira, the dancers dance to well known Celtic music. Also, the Paso Doble, a famous Spanish dance, is an upbeat dance to resemble a bull fight. Oftentimes, this dance is performed with couples. Alongside the Paso Doble, the Bolero is a medium paced dance that is a combination of Spanish and Cuban descent. The dancers often dance the Bolero with guitar music and castanets. The Fandango is another upbeat dance that is performed by couples. Due to the guitar playing, castanets, and hand clapping, the Fandango is often considered to be related to the Bolero. Furthermore, the Zambra is often referred to as a Flamenco from Andalusia. They share very similar characteristics. Unlike the Flamenco, the Zambra is performed barefoot at weddings. Moreover, Hispanic culture is full of amazing dances and music that can make any event enjoyable. Whether it be the fast paced Paso Doble, or the famous Flamenco, these exoctic dances are a very important part of Hispanic culture.

In conclusion, immigration has helped influence and promote the expansion of such a wonderful Hispanic culture. Without Hispanic immigration, the Hispanic culture would not have been as diverse and unique. Many times, Hispanic immigrants, who were searching for better jobs, better homes, better education, and better life factors, introduce their new culture when they arrive in different countries. Today, Hispanic culture has grown to become an important part of the United States. Whether it be the food we eat, the songs we sing and dance, the different languages we speak, or all the other interesting components of this culture, one can see how Hispanic immigration into the United State has introduced such a wonderful Hispanic culture.

Works Cited

• Budiman, Abby, et al. “Facts on U.S. immigrants, 2018.” Pew Research Center, 2021 Pew Research Center, 20 Aug. 2020, www.pewresearch.orghispanic20200820facts-on-u-s-immigrants.Accessed 16 Apr. 2021.
• Cashion, Susan. “Latin American Dance.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 2021 Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2020, www.britannica.comartLatin-American-dance. Accessed 17 Aug. 2021.
• “Hispanics in the United States - Statistics and Facts.” Statista, 2021 Statista Research Department, 21 Jan. 2021, www.statista.comtopics3806hispanics-in-the-united-states#dossierSummary. Accessed 15 Apr. 2021.
• Jessop, Tara. “10 Traditional Spanish Dances You Should Know About.” Culture Trip, 2021 The Culture Trip, 2 July 2018, https:theculturetrip.comeuropespainarticles10-traditional-spanish-dances-you-should-know-about. Accessed 18 Apr. 2021.
• Kroger, Grove. “Foodways.” Immigration to the United States, 2015 Immigration to the United States, www.immigrationtounitedstates.org504-foodways.html. Accessed 18 Apr. 2021.
• López, Gustavo. “Hispanics of Spanish Origin in the United States.” Pew Research Center, 2021 Pew Research Center, 15 Sep. 2015, www.pewresearch.orghispanic20150915hispanics-of-spanish-origin-in-the-united-states-2013. Accessed 16 Aug. 2021.