Abstract This paper looks at Hispanic culture and how it has helped shape and mold Americanculture. The great extent to which LatinAmerican dance, music, and food have become an intrinsic part of the overall Americanculture is cited as an example of this influence. The paper concludes by suggesting that Americanculture truly is a blend of cultures from all over the world.
From the Paper "America has often been referred to as the great melting pot, a smorgasbord of people with various racial, cultural and ethnic identities and traditions. Tied to this view is the idea that the culture of the American people should be defined as a cornucopia of different cultures melded into one to form a new, hybrid culture. Many different cultures have influenced the overall culture within the United States particularly that of the Latin American people with whom I associate."
Tags: melting, pot, ethnic, cultural, identities, traditions, united, states
Abstract This paper examines that LatinAmerican economic development in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was hindered by a number of geopolitical and socioeconomic impediments. The author points out that LatinAmerican nations were all struggling with the negative legacy of colonialism and imperialism at this time and their governments encountered significant difficulties as they sought to establish modern economic systems. The paper stresses that one major impediment was that despite their wealth of resources, these emerging countries lacked sufficient capital and labor to build land transportation networks.
From the Paper "Latin American economic development in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was hindered by a number of geopolitical and socioeconomic impediments. Latin American nations were all struggling with the negative legacy of colonialism and imperialism at this time and their governments encountered significant difficulties as they sought to establish modern economic systems. One major impediment was that the emerging countries of the Western Hemisphere, despite their wealth of resources, lacked sufficient capital and labor to build land transportation networks. (Conde 90) Without such an internal communications infrastructure, economic progress is difficult to attain."
Abstract This paper claims that defining Americanculture is very difficult as America is a vast nation that encompasses a wide diversity of geographic, climatic and sub-cultural regions. Despite these difficulties, the paper describes some characteristics of Americanculture that are present throughout the nation and which are generally representative of the nation as a whole.
From the Paper "Defining American culture is no easy task. After all, the United States of America is a vast nation that encompasses a wide diversity of geographic, climatic, and sub-cultural regions. The heavy incidence of immigrants in the United States not to mention a relatively short history also contribute to difficulty that some individuals have in pinpointing what qualifies as American culture. Worse, we must remember that culture as a term includes all the "characteristic activities and interests of a people" (Spengler par. 2). This means that defining American culture could be a massively broad affair that consists of little more of a description of pop culture items. Despite these difficulties, it is nonetheless possible to describe some characteristics of American culture that are present throughout the nation and which are generally representative of the nation as a whole. There are a number of characteristics that we can superficially ..."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the Greek and Americancultures in terms of culture and lifestyle, vis a vis priorities, fellowship, entertainment, food and family. The paper contends that America is primarily a land of opportunity and material success, while Greece is primarily a land of camaraderie and familial connectedness.
From the Paper "America's freedom and opportunity have drawn immigrants from all over the world to her shores to join together in one of the largest melting pots in the world. In the streets of America Italians can live next door to Germans and Africans can live next door to Native Americans. Since immigrants bring elements of their culture with them to America, knowing someone of another ethnicity-or even growing up in an ethnic family-can convince us that we are acquainted with that culture."
Abstract The LatinAmerican recording industry has always been a unique industry that blends economics, entertainment, and culture. The majority of its entertainers depict the variety of ethnicity that is part of LatinAmericanculture. This paper investigates the LatinAmerican recording industry, the genres of music and hybrid styles, and the role label companies play in producing and managing the artists. It also looks at how music interacts culturally, politically, and economically, affecting social identity Research in this paper shows that there is a complex relationship between the industry itself and the development of pan-Latin identities, as well as a more intricate relationship between economics and culture. In addition, the research demonstrates that the LatinAmerican recording industry is a powerful medium for creating images among consumers, which impacts the desire to be like their idol. Finally, this paper summarizes the potential changes created by a new business model for the LatinAmerican recording industry.
From the Paper "Aside from the confusion between Latin American and Latino music, the U.S. Latino market is undergoing a crucial transformation, perhaps more in taking stock of reality than in reality itself. It is no secret that U.S.Latino music has largely meant the kind of pop associated with Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin and the like, or with so-called tropical music (salsa and kindred genres). New York and Miami are the capitals of this kind of pop and tropical, but when the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) ?the music industry's trade organization ? began dividing Latin music sales by genre in 2000, they discovered the overwhelming sales dominance of the Mexican regional market, which is based in California and the Southwest, particularly Texas, and generates 60 percent of the US$640 million market for Latin music sales."
Abstract This paper takes a look at how Latin America currently has the potential to be the fastest growing internet market in the world. This paper also takes a look at the effects, predictions and obstacles that have had an influence on the LatinAmerican community as a result of accessing and using the Internet.
Contents:
Who are the LatinAmerican Internet Users?
Obstacles to Internet Growth and Use in Latin America - The Economy
Infrastructure Problems - Computers and Phone Lines
The Language Barrier
The Future of e-Commerce
Profile of Countries
From the Paper "Although Latin America is behind the times, the Internet is rapidly growing. The Latin American Internet is expected to grow faster then the United States. Salomon Smith Barney's report on StarMedia, issued on March 14, 2000, claimed, "the marketing pace and competitive activity in Latin America is currently more frenzied than what was the experience in the United States." But why is the activity so frenzied? What exactly is the Internet market like in Latin America right now? What are the obstacles preventing a flourishing Internet market? What factors should a public relations practitioner know about when using the Internet in public relations activities in Latin America? The rest of this section answers these questions."
Abstract This paper discusses how Americanculture highly regards individuality compared to many other cultures and for this reason, it is more difficult to distinguish the dominant values, beliefs and traditions of American life, because the lives of Americans differ so much, depending on their race, class and beliefs. It examines how the authors Tracy Ore, John Langston Gwaltney and Lillian Rubin in their three different articles each add a unique perspective to the values that dominate our culture. It also looks at how they provide valuable insight on the American dream and how different groups experience it, due to the cultural differences that America has labeled them with.
From the Paper "Ore makes an excellent point when she says that Americans categorize each other by race and culture. In many cases, race and culture work closely to create significant distinctions among groups within a larger society. Often, race plays a part in establishing separate cultural groups. In the United States, people are disturbed when they are unable to classify someone based on their race. If it is unclear what race someone is, they will ask one another, "What are you"? (Ore, p. 1)
According to Ore, ?the culturally defined classifications are significant in that they are structured as categories that are fundamentally different from one another. (p. 1). People expect to be able to tell is someone is black or white, for example, and are confused when someone is in between. However, while someone may be different, it is not a negative thing."
Abstract The paper discusses African-Americanculture and states that race is about a social construct rather than being biological, since society has a different set of rules for each racial group. Furthermore, the paper states that there is no alternative conceptualization of race that it would advocate, because it is a social construct. This is due to the fact that society has defined what is expected of each racial group, a factor that has nothing to do with biological aspects of being white or black . The paper concludes that despite the struggles, African Americans have contributed to the foundations of American events through culture and music.
Outline:
Introduction
Civil Rights
Music
Conclusion
From the Paper "African Americans are settled in the United States, however some do not receive the same education and treatment as white students due to the fact that they are viewed as a minority race Furthermore, because of their lack culture acknowledgement from teachers, sometimes African American students require educational intervention, which is actually lacking knowledge in their culture even though they have settled in the United States for hundreds of years. "The bar graphs below illustrate the divergent fortunes of America's minorities in terms of living in the best neighborhoods. Asian-American are over-represented (compared to their percentage of all Americans) in every category... particularly in wealthy urban neighborhoods. African-Americans are much less likely to be found in either central cities or suburbia. Hispanics have penetrated the nations best neighborhoods more broadly and deeply than Blacks, but are still woefully under represented in America's landscapes of wealth" (A Racial Summary: Great Info & Bar Graphs). Even though African Americans are still considered a minority group, they have made a historical reputation through culture and music."
Abstract This paper examines how the decades of the 50s and 60s are so influential on Americanculture today. It looks are the period of turbulent change and the icons of rebellion still visible today. It illustrates the classic television family as stable, happy and conformed to mores of the American family. The author demonstrates that both decades hold American ideals that are a result of the political reality of that time.
From the Paper "The 1950s and the 1960s had very distinct and indelible influences on present day America. The 1950's were the source of a great many classic American stereotypes. In contrast, the 1960's were a time of cultural upheaval and rebellion. Together, both of these decades helped to shape the music, culture, and political events of the 1990s and beyond."
Tags: 1950, 1960, usa, united, states, stereotype, cultural, upheaval, rebellion, music, culture, political, events
A discussion of the the black experience in Americanculture as percieved by the authors Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, Langston Hughes and James Baldwin.
Abstract This paper examines how African-American authors have influenced Americanculture as they have come forward to present issues that the society would rather have forgotten. It shows how authors such as Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, Langston Hughes and James Baldwin have come under fire as they have written about the racial and biased experiences throughout their lives and through their narratives they have forged a link between the past, the present (themselves) and their future (the unborn generation).
From the Paper "These literary works are an effort on their part to prove to their nations that regardless of the perceived realities their existence and lives have valuable. The slave past some of these authors have had created a void in their lives that at times left then feeling ashamed and wary of their life experiences. These works were then an effort to wipe out shame and abashment associated with a part of their life that they could not control. By presenting the true essence of their potentials as an industry, as folks with rich traditions and high values they made themselves a ?productive citizen.? Thus, it can be said that African-American culture has been dominated by the struggle from isolated individuals towards the creation of a self-confident social figure. [Okafur-Newsum, 1998]."
Abstract This paper examines how although most LatinAmerican countries were given suffrage as early as 1940, 30 years later, by 1971 women were still locked into a culture of Catholicism, control and machismo. The paper discusses the many aspects of women's rights that need to be addressed in order for women to be truly accepted as equals.
Table of Contents:
General Suffrage
LatinAmerican Suffrage
Human Rights/Women's Rights
Women and Employment
Employment and Working Conditions
Argentina and Mexico
LatinAmerican Women Reproductive and Health Issues
LatinAmerican Women's Health Issues
LatinAmerican Women in Politics
Human Rights Issues for Women in Latin America
Legal Protection for LatinAmerican Women
LatinAmerican Women and Violence
Conclusion
From the Paper "The Roman Catholic Church has a strong political hold on the hearts and minds of Latin American and the influence of the Roman Catholic Church has kept a majority of Latin American women chained to the cycle of childbirth. Despite the fact that a majority of Latin American women have been the "beneficiaries" of universal suffrage since World War II, family planning that was not in accordance with the Roman Catholic Church's edicts has been severely limited. A woman who is unable to obtain or hold a job because of her constant gravid state is unlikely to put emancipation before basic survival. Unfortunately Latin American's economic condition has suffered because of as burgeoning uncontrollable population explosion which compromises the health and welfare not only of the women large numbers of children but the children themselves."
Abstract This paper examines the history of LatinAmerican music and the influence it has had on Americanculture, looking at the particular forms that have had the most influence as well as some of the particular personalities that have been the most influential in bringing LatinAmerican music to the United States.
From the Paper ?It would be hard to find any area of 20th-century American pop music ? and now 21st century ? that has not been affected by Latin American music, including Tin Pan Alley, stage and film music, jazz, rhythm and blues, country music, and rock (Roberts, 1998, p. 14). The musical voices of Brazil, Cuba, and Mexico have made their way into each of these American forms, which have been influenced not only by Latin American rhythms and musical forms but also by individual musicians and bandleaders who came to play an important role in shaping American culture (Roberts, 1998, p. 19).?
Abstract This paper first outlines the cultural, business, and technological changes that contributed to the rise in popularity of LatinAmerican music. The paper then analyzes the demographic, cultural, and technological influences that contributed to a decline in demand for LatinAmerican music.
From the Paper "The music industry is undergoing a global technological revolution which has been induced by the introduction of Peer to Peer (P2P) file sharing services, and the proliferation of recordable CD equipment which his now within the financial reach of the average consumer. Any one of these three influences alone could have been absorbed by the recording industry. The presence of a P2P service which was limited only to sharing files between computers would have been convenient and fun. If consumers could only put personal music tracks on portable music devices, the convenience would have expanded the reach of the individual's music collection, much the same way that personal cassette recorders did in the 1970?s. Although the music industry was worried about personal cassette recording abilities of the past decades, the inherent poor quality of personal recordings meant that the demand for studio recordings remained high."
This paper reviews and analyzes the various similarities relating to Latin-American immigration in both Julia Alvarez's "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents" and T. Coraghessan Boyle's "The Tortilla Curtain."
Abstract The writer of this paper details the plot as well as the main characters of each novel while focusing on the numerous similarities in both works of writing. This paper examines the manner in which both authors focus on the real-life problems encountered by Latin immigrants in the U.S. This paper delves into the numerous difficulties which awaited the immigrants upon their arrival to America including issues with gender, culture and class backgrounds. The writer contends and explains why the Garcia girls in Alvarez's novel did not assimilate completely in the U.S., even though they lost their native accents they continue to remain stuck between the two cultures unable to fully adapt to either one. This paper also delves into the topic of illegal immigration and the ensuing problems facing the characters in Boyle's novel.
From the Paper "The Garcia girls come to the United States because of political reasons. They are forced to leave the Dominican Republic because their father got in trouble with the Dominican secret police for protesting the nation's ruling military dictatorship. In contrast, the immigrants of The Tortilla Curtain immigrate illegally, rather than with the help of the CIA like the Garcia girls. The immigrants from Mexico of The Tortilla Curtain do so to better their way of life, economically, rater than for political reasons, when they flee their nation to make their way to Southern California via Mexico. The Garcia girls come from a privileged background. They had enjoyed many, if not more of the toys and luxuries of their American counterparts. True, they still have trouble fitting in, when they come to America."
