Mecican-American Culture in the Inland Empire Essay Example for Free

Mecican-American Culture in the Inland Empire Essay The area of California known as the Inland Empire, is comprised of Riverside, Ontario, and San Bernadino Counties, and is home to one of the largest, most concentrated populations of Mexican-Americans in the United States. As a result, the area has its own culture, its own style of music, dancing, art, and celebration. Ultimately, the culture of the Inland Empire is an American translation of cultural traditions that immigrants brought with them from Mexico, and they have created a world all their own. Life for Mexican immigrants to the United States, however, is not always easy. As a result, this is a high-risk population for mental illness and substance abuse. Certainly, the Inland Empire provides plenty of opportunities for the culturally aware social worker to provide help and services. According to a 2012 business report, fourteen cities in the Inland Empire have a majority Latino population. 2-million of the 4. 7 million residents in the area, are in fact Latino, suggesting a trend of growing Latino populations all over the United States (Gruszecki, 2012). The Inland Empire has a rich arts and culture landscape, with a strong emphasis on Mexican, and Mexican-American heritage. In a 2008 investigation into cultural engagement in southern California, the James Irving Foundation found that Hispanic populations in the Inland Empire tended to â€Å"practice traditions that represent their cultural heritage at higher than average rates and engage in community events that celebrate their heritage much more often than Whites,† (Brown et al, 9). The study surveyed thousands of people across the Inland Empire, and found that many Mexican-Americans in the area still celebrate many of the same holidays as their Mexican Ancestors, including Navidad, Virgin of Guadaloupe Day (Dec.12), Posadas, Cinco de Mayo, and Dia de Los Muertos (Brown et al, 74). Alamillo suggests that celebrating these holidays once in America may have been a way for the immigrants of the mid-twentieth century to â€Å"further the interests of the ethnic Mexican community† in the area, and the practice stuck (Alamillo, 57). He argues that â€Å"Mexican Americans used Cinco de Mayo festivals not only to promote ethnic solidarity, but as a tool of political opposition, (Alamillo, 59). Mexican culture is also notices in the types of stories that respondents to the James Irving Foundation survey reported that they’d brought with them to their new homes in the Inland Empire. These included many stories representing the strong family values of Mexican culture. Stories passed down from family, with family values, and those in traditional language were all among those types of stories that the study cites. Similarly, mariachi music followed Mexican immigrants to the US, as did making pinatas, dream catchers, and altars, as well as Flamenco and Pueblo dancing, (Brown et al, 77). One of the major problems among Mexican Americans, however, is often overlooked. It is thought that mental illness is more prevalent in Latino communities in the US than in white, non-Hispanic, or African American communities. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Latino girls are one and a half times more likely than white or black teens to attempt suicide, and Mexican-American immigrants to the US are at a higher risk for mental disorders and substance abuse than their counterparts living in Mexico (NAMI, 2002). However, due to the stigma associated with mental illness in Latino communities, many suffering from mental illness do not seek out treatment. Those who do seek out treatment are often more likely to see a general practitioner or clergy than a mental health professional or social worker (NAMI, 2002). There is also a stigma against homosexuality in Mexican-American communities, which may contribute to the high risk of mental illness, substance abuse and suicide among homosexual immigrants. Many studies have shown that â€Å"homosexuality is stigmatized among U. S. residents of Mexican descent and, more generally, in Latino communities in the United States,† while only a couple have found Mexican attitudes towards homosexuality to be on par with those in black and white communities (Herek and Gonzalez-Rivera, 1). It is likely that the same reverence for family that influences the beliefs of many Mexican Americans, also influences their attitudes towards homosexual behavior, ultimately leading to the alienation of Mexican-American homosexuals. The Psychological Counseling Center of California State University at San Bernadino runs a website listing places to turn for help in the Inland Empire: http://psychcounseling. csusb . edu/referrals. html. For many Mexican Americans, the Catholic Charities may be a good option as they offer a fait-based approach to dealing with mental health issues. There are many options available to residents of the Inland Empire to get help right in their community. Mexican culture has a deep and rich tradition in the United States, especially in the Inland Empire. Immigrants celebrate their Mexican heritage as a way of holding on to the history, people and place from which they’ve come. Along with these rich traditions however, come opportunities for receiving help. Often when it comes to societal issues such as mental illness and substance abuse, communities will need the help of a social worker who understands their culture and can meet their diverse needs. References Alamillo, Jose. â€Å"More than a Fiesta: Ethnic Identity,Cultural Politics, and Cinco de Mayo Festivals inCorona, California, 1930-1950. † Aztlan 28:2, Fall2003. Retrieved 15 Feb, 2013. http://josealamillo. com/fiestaalamillo. pdf Brown, Alan S. , Novak, Jennifer L. , and Kitchener, Amy. â€Å"Cultural Engagement in California’s Inland Regions. †Research Commissioned by the James Irvine Foundation,September, 2008. Retrieved 15 Feb. 2013. http://www. southarts. org/atf/cf/%7B15E1E84E-C906-4F67-9851-A195A9BAAF79%7D/Arts%20Part%20-%20Cultural%20Engagement_FullReport. pdf Herek, Gregory, and Gonzalez-Rivera, Milagritos. â€Å"AttitudesToward Homosexuality Among U. S. Residents of MexicanDescent. † Journal of Sex Research43:2, 2006. Retrieved 5March, 2013http://psychology. ucdavis. edu/rainbow/html/JSR_2006_pre. PDF Gruszecki, Debra. â€Å"ECONOMY: Latino Population Shifts. †September 27, 2012. The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved 15Feb. 2013. http://www. pe. com/business/business-headlines/20120927-economy-latino-population-shifts. ece National Association on Mental Illness. â€Å"Latino Community MentalHealth Fact Sheet,† 2002. Retrieved 5 March, 2013http://www. nami. org/Content/NavigationMenu/Find_Support/Multicultural_Support/Annual_Minority_Mental_Healthcare_Symposia/Latino_MH06. pdf.

Anne Frank. Essay example -- essays research papers

Anne Frank The diary of a young girl Anne was a 13 years Jewish girl that lived in Neatherlands in the time world war 2 was taking place; with a bad temper, it helped work with what she wanted. That’s why she didn’t get on well with her sister, her mother, and everybody else. The only different one was her dad, he understood what was happening to her, ( puberty), and helped her with everything she wanted. On her birthday she received a diary, Anne named it Kitty, and Kitty was her best friend ever since. From the first day she had it, she would write all the thoughts, feelings and wishes she had. Her parents were sales people, that thought, that in Neatherlands they might be safe from the nazis. Her life changed, when in July of 1942, the nazis came there searching for jewish people. So the Frank’s took a hard decision: hide from the nazis, living in the house secret room. They were shearing this room with the Van Daan family, close friends to their family. Since that day a different life started, a life they didn’t imagined, and didn’t know what road would take. Living in the secret room wasn’t easy; hiding scared every day and night, and running always with a threatening life. Worse, living with the Van Daan ´s, a family Anne didn’t like, with their little naughty daughter. Anyway, they were protected by people that gave them food and took good care of them. The Van Daan ´s were becoming more and more impolite every day that passed, cause the pressure ...

Reforming Public Education Visual Outline

Reforming Public Education in America Visual Outline Corrie Broughton Western Governors University WGU Student ID # 000235996 Reforming Public Education in America 1. The world around American school children is changing, but the public school system is failing to keep up with all the changes. Many programs that are in place were great 50+ years ago but now true reform is needed. A. The United States used to have the highest standards in the world for education. B. With so many budget cuts, the education of American children is suffering. There is little money for updated textbooks, new technology, and even to updated buildings.Many teachers reach into their own pockets to supply their classrooms even with the basics of paper and pencils. C. Taxes should be paying for world-class education in America, but the government is not using those dollars wisely. School district boards are in complete charge of how the money is distributed to each school. Not all schools will receive the same amount, some will get more and some will get less. 2. The public education system needs change. Children are getting further and further behind in math and science when compared to other countries.The No Child Left Behind law has some good goals but those goals are hard to achieve because the standards are set too high. It’s hard to judge what the standards are because each state has their own test for student achievement. A. Very little money for schools means no new textbooks or technology available to students. Cut backs also mean no counselors or school nurses on campus. Additionally, school buildings do not get much-needed repairs. B. Student/teacher ratios are too high. Teachers cannot give individual attention to students, and students struggle with keeping up with the curriculum.Poor performing teachers make the same amount of money as a good teacher. Tenure and the teacher’s union protect all teachers from any form of discipline. C. U. S. schools have failed to keep up with other countries in education. The common factor with all of the countries that have students achieving their standards is all students use the same curriculum and there is not a No Child Left Behind Law. The United States has the shortest school year and fewest amount of hours children spend in the classroom. 3. Research suggests that the U. S. ducation system could benefit from reform because there is very little money for schools; there are over-crowded classrooms with tenured teachers who are protected by the unions and other countries are surpassing America’s once great education system by leaps and bounds. References Athavale, G. (2009, October 29). U. S. education falling behind those of other countries. Retrieved from http://www. saratogafalcon. org/content/us-education-falling-behind-those-other-countries Behrent, M. (2009, Summer). Reclaiming our freedom to teach: Education reform in the Obama era. [Part of the special issue, Education and the Obama p residency].Harvard Educational Review 79 (2), p. 240-6. Retrieved from http://wguproxy. egloballibrary. com/login? user=true&url=http://vnweb. hwwilsonweb. com/hww/jumpstart. jhtml? recid=0bc05f7a67b1790e84eb37b49561a968d1ff2c9fe8790d78c3c4d7ec0aaa2d1d11262f4eeb607acd&fmt=C Howell, W. ; West, M. ; Peterson, P. (2011 Fall). The public weighs in on school reform Retrieved from Education Next, 11(4), and 10-22 A Failing Grade For Public School Funding (2010, June 01). [Editorial] Los Angeles Times Retrieved from http://articles. latimes. com/2010/jun/01/opinion/la-ed-funding-20100601/2 Leana, C. 2011, Fall). The missing link in school reform p. 30-35 Retrieved from http://go. aft. org/socap National Commission on Excellence in Education (1903, April 26). A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. Retrieved from http://www2. ed. gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/index. html Resnick, L. ; Nolan, K. (1995 March). Where in the world are world-class standards? Educational Leadership, Vol. 52 , p. 6-10, 5p Retrieved from http://www. ascd. org/publications/educational_leadership/mar95/vol52/num06/Where_in_the_World_Are_World-Class_Standards?. aspx Schools and Testing: Left

Lady Macbeths Transformation into a Guilt Ridden Woman in...

From murder to greed Macbeth portrays a story of how a human’s flaws can be elevated to a point where they are no longer flaws but a person’s way of thinking and acting. A lot of the characters evolve from doing what they think is right to doing what their heart desires. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth changes from an evil mastermind to a guilt ridden woman because Shakespeare shows how a person’s actions affect their personality by having selfish desires turn into a person only driven by power and ambition. In the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is the one who is driving Macbeth to kill Duncan. Although she could not bring herself to kill Duncan, Shakespeare made it obvious that she wanted to but didn’t have the power. â€Å"Unsex me†¦show more content†¦She holds Macbeth together when the guilt gets to him and explains to him to shake it off and that he’s done nothing wrong. As ambition starts to take over Macbeth, Lady Macbeth begins to lose power and is not included in the plans to kill Banquo. â€Å"Be innocent of knowledge dearest chuck† (III. ii. 47). Lady Macbeth begins to lose her control of Macbeth; she has no more power nor say in what should be done. This lack of power opens a spot for vulnerability by taking away the one thing that makes her feel useful. Macbeth then begins to share a little of his plan of Banquo’s murder without telling her exactly what he’s doing.â€Å"Thou marvel’st at my words: but hold thee still ./ Things bad begun make strong themselves ill† (III.ii. 56-57). Lady Macbeth is shocked at the words of her husband, as he elusively shows her a glimpse of his plan. Once guilt begins to overtake Lady Macbeth, she looses control of her emotions and actions, sending her onto the fast track to death. In a way, Shakespeare has Macbeth and Lady Macbeth change roles. In the beginning it seems as if Macbeth is more emotionally affected by the killing of Duncan. However, once Banquo is killed Macbeth is perfectly fine with it, and Lady Macbeth becomes vulnerable and lets the guilt overrule her. She begins to repeatedly pretend to was her hands and sleep walk. â€Å"Here’s the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of/ Arabia will not sweeten/ this little hand†Show MoreRelatedLady Macbeth : The Ruthless Mastermind Essay1923 Words   |  8 PagesEver since Lady Macbeth’s debut in 1606, she has been one of Shakespeare’s most iconic female characters. The willing accomplice, the ruthless mastermind – indeed, her standard depiction as a conniving woman grasping for power in a man’s world has endured throughout the y ears. But who is to say that a depiction is immune to change? Most will generally see the Scotswoman as a typical one-dimensional villain, but in actuality, she was a strong woman able to overcome the limitations of her gender in