1. Hispanic Culture and Relationships

2. What is Culture?
Ask participants to give ideas and discuss what culture is.
As human beings we cannot help but create and communicate culture in our daily lives.
Culture is communicated through:
Knowledge, beliefs, art, laws, morals, customs and any other habits and ways of thinking learned as members of society

3. What is Culture? *Music *Food *Customs *Traditions *Values and Beliefs
Use this slide to discuss the various factors that make up culture.

4. Cultural Beliefs
Familismo – the belief that doing something for the family’s benefit is most important
Explain that the next four slides will highlight some traditional beliefs that are commonly connected with the Hispanic culture. While participants may agree with some of these, they may disagree with others. We’re trying to highlight traditional beliefs connected with Hispanic culture, but individual family beliefs may not be exactly described here.
An example of familismo is a child who is gifted and bright and gets a scholarship to Harvard, but chooses to stay home because leaving is not good for the family. Familismo also can be a family working together so a child can go to college and not have to work.
Another example is an adult child who chooses to take a job in the same community as his family instead of looking in a different state so he can continue living near home.

5. Cultural Beliefs Benevolent Machismo – the belief that the man is the
head of the family and is responsible for protecting
and providing for the
needs of the family
Another traditional belief commonly connected to the Hispanic culture is benevolent Machismo, which is the belief that the man is the head of the family and responsible for protecting and providing for the needs of the family.
Remember that while participants may agree with some of these general beliefs, they may disagree with others. We’re trying to highlight traditional beliefs connected with Hispanic culture, but individual family beliefs may not be exactly described here.

6. Cultural Beliefs
Marianismo – the belief that women are expected to wait until after marriage to have sex and that they are expected to focus on becoming good mothers and faithful wives.
Another traditional belief commonly connected to the Hispanic culture is marianismo, which is the belief that women should wait until after marriage to have sex and that they should focus on becoming good mothers and failthful wives. As with the previous slides, marianismo is a traditional belief connected with the Hispanic culture, but it may not apply to all Hispanic families.

7. Cultural Beliefs
Affiliation obedience – the belief that children are expected to obey their parents
in response
to receiving
their love
and care.
The idea of affiliation obedience is another belief generally associated with Hispanic culture. Affiliation obedience is the belief that children should obey their parents in response to their love and care. As with the other cultural belief slides, affiliation obedience is a general cultural belief, but is not held by all Hispanic families.

8. Two Types
of Culture
The next few slides will be related to two general ways of looking at relationships. We will look at a “we” culture and a “me” culture.
Specifics may be different from couple to couple and individual to individual, but these slides point out the broad Hispanic cultural beliefs.

9. ‘We’ and ‘Me’
A “we” culture is best described as: cooperative, group oriented, mutual
We’re going to discuss two general ways of looking at relationships
“We” culture – combination of cultural beliefs that protect the family unit; designed to promote health and security in its members. These cultural beliefs include familismo, benevolent machismo, marianismo, and affiliation obedience.
The family’s overall well-being is more important than any individual’s (including the couple relationship)

10. ‘We’ and ‘Me’
A “me” culture is best described as: independent, secure and competitive
Me culture –beliefs that tend to favor an independent and competitive lifestyle
Marriage is for personal satisfaction
Relationship between husband and wife is viewed as the foundation of the family and is most important.

11. ‘We’ and ‘Me’ How are “we” and “me” cultures reflected in:
Relationships
How we see ourselves
How we act toward
other people
Love and marriage
Explain that there are always exceptions, but the following slides compare cultural characteristics related to each of the items listed.
NOTE: These characteristics are not presented to promote either as being better than the other, but are only intended to show some of the distinctions between a “we” and “me” view. Both have positive and negative aspects.

12. We Me Relationship between parents and children is most important
Relationship between husband and wife is most important
How we see ourselves is based on rules and family commitments
How we see ourselves is based on personal interests
People seek happiness in others
People talk more about their own personal interests
Love is viewed in the context of family
Love is more connected to meeting personal needs
Relationships:
In a “We” culture, the relationship between parents and children is most important. Parents are responsible for proper upbringing of children based on intimate relationships and on values of love, respect and obedience.
In a “Me” culture, the husband-wife relationship is viewed as most important. The family focuses on Individual rules and satisfying personal emotional needs.
How we see ourselves:
In a “We” culture, identity is based on strict social rules, an obligation to give in return and commitment to the group, family and community.
In a “Me” culture, identity is based on independent and secure individuals whose primary focus is on personal interests, individualism, competition and personal growth and goals.
How we act toward other people:
In a “We” culture, people tend to be more sensitive to others and focus on making other people happy. They adapt to the needs and values of others.
In a “Me” culture, people are more likely to tell others about their own needs and desires.
Love and Marriage:
In a “We” culture, love is viewed in the context of family, including children, parents and siblings. Love and marriage go together, and there are strong gender differences in expectations and roles. There is a strong social pressure to not consider divorce as an option.
In a “Me” culture, love and marriage are connected to meeting personal needs. A relationship is satisfying if both partners’ needs are met. There is an emphasis on feelings, which determine the level of satisfaction. Couples are more likely to consider divorce as an option.

13. How does culture become part of us?
People adopt culture in three ways.
Researchers would describe them as socialization, enculturation and acculturation. We’re going to put them into easier terms.
These three patterns are discussed in more detail in the following slides.

14. How does culture become part of us?
Socialization –
how we are
raised
The first way we adopt culture is through Socialization, or how we are raised. It involves:
Lessons we learn from our parents
Lessons we learn from our environment, including family, school, community, state and country
Lessons we learn about what is acceptable or unacceptable
How I see myself based on other people’s opinions

15. How does culture become part of us?
Enculturation – over time, growing familiar with and trying out a new culture’s beliefs and traditions
The second way people adopt culture is through enculturation, which is how people over time grow familiar with and try out a new culture’s beliefs and traditions.
The challenge for families is finding a balance between their own family values that honor and recognize the richness of their own heritage while also becoming familiar with and trying out the beliefs of the new culture.
Examples of a “We” family trying out a “Me” culture might include:
Attending social events without the children
Allowing children to participate in sleepovers

16. How does culture become part of us?
Acculturation – the blending of a new culture’s beliefs and traditions with our own
The third way we adopt culture is through acculturation, or the blending of a new culture’s beliefs and traditions with our own.
There are THREE distinct levels of acculturation. These three levels are described in detail in the following slides. It is common for members of the same family to be on different levels.
People may alternate among the various levels of acculturation, or they may choose to stay where they are.

17. Levels of Acculturation The story of a Mexican immigrant
Juanito Díaz – “No Way”
Speaks only Spanish
Prefers to stay within his own community
Only celebrates Sept. 16, and ignores July 4
The next two slides follow Juanito Díaz through the other two levels of acculturation
NOTE: This could just as easily be a Juanita Diaz.
At this level, Juanito Diaz rejects the new culture where he is living. He continues to speak Spanish almost 100 percent of the time. He stays within his own community. He celebrates Sept. 16, the Mexican Independence Day, but not the Fourth of July.

18. Levels of Acculturation
Juanito Day – “Half Way”
Speaks both Spanish and English
Recognizes multi-cultural environments
Celebrates Sept. 16 and July 4
Here, Juanito honors and recognizes both the traditions of his own culture and those of the new culture. Juanito is “trying out” the new culture. One way he may blend the two cultures is to eat chile poblano on his hot dog.

19. Phases of Acculturation
Johnny Day – “New Way”
Loses ethnic roots and accepts
new culture
Ignores ethnic holidays
and will celebrate July 4
At this point, Juanito Diaz has fully adopted his new culture and chooses it over his previous culture.

20. What Is Your Way? ACTIVITY 1: Juanito Díaz / No Way
See activity description (15-20 minutes)
People often accept some parts of a new culture more than in others. For example, person may celebrate U.S holidays while still preferring food from their country of origin. For this activity, choose the general level that most describes you. Keep in mind, the process of acculturation often happens differently among partners and family members. It is not unusual for a husband and a wife and family members to be at various levels.
This activity is designed to help you:
See where you are
See and understand where your partner is in the acculturation process
Discuss the acculturation experience openly with other couples
Divide the group into small groups of 2-3 couples.
Provide one flip chart sheet (prepared in advance) to each small group.
The three columns on each flip chart should read:
Juanito Díaz / No Way
Johnny Díaz / Half Way
Johnny Day / New Way
Ask the group members to write their names on the list that best describes themselves.
Now list family members living in the household in the column that best describes them.

21. What Is Your Way?
How have these levels of acculturation affected your relationship?
What effect has another culture had on your marriage?
Share some examples of how you have seen families balance various cultures.
Ask for volunteers to share some observations from the activity. Then discuss the questions on the slide.
NOTE: Encourage couples to talk more about these questions on the way home or later in the evening. If participants are on a different level than their spouse, they need to be aware of the differences and continue to talk about them.

22. ACTIVITY 2: Family Crest See activity description (30 minutes)
We’ve talked about different cultures, characteristics of cultures and how people blend cultures together. Thinking about your family and the discussion about Juanito Diaz, take this opportunity to design a family crest representing your own family values.
This interactive hands-on activity is designed to help you:
Have fun together as you make your family values come alive
Discuss and identify values for your relationship and family
Illustrate how your family values may look different in the United States than in your country of origin

23. Time to Share Family Crest
Invite each couple to present their family crest. Encourage them to take it home and hang it in a special place.
For newly immigrated couples, ask about any differences they see in how their values are lived out in the United States versus in their country of origin.