Tradition Meets Culture

Tradition Meets Culture

Tradition Meets Culture
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 6 to 8
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	7.49

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		rates, divorce, society, authority, civilization, intend, religion, term, goal, rarely, attend, belief, pure, convert, technology, influence
	content words:		United States, Mexican-American War, Spanish Catholic Church, All Saints Day, Today The Day, American Catholic, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo

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Tradition Meets Culture
By Jane Runyon

¹     The people of Mexico realize that they have a mixture of customs, traditions, and cultures in their country. The land was first settled by tribes of people. These tribes developed into great civilizations called the Aztecs and the Mayans. When the Spanish conquered the Aztec civilization in the 1500's, many of the soldiers and explorers who stayed in the new land introduced European customs to the area.

²     Family is at the heart of Mexican culture. When the people marry, they intend to stay married. This is shown by the fact that the divorce rate in Mexico is one of the lowest rates anywhere in the world. You would see only 33 divorces for every 100,000 marriages in Mexico. The father is the head of the household in Mexico. What he says is the rule. A term is given to this male authority. The term is machismo. The mother in the family is generally expected to take care of the home and the children. Influence from other parts of the world has softened these roles slightly. The farther south you travel in Mexico, however, the more you see this custom practiced.

³     Families tend to stay close together. When siblings marry, they many times move into homes near their parents. Extended families consisting of aunts, uncles, and cousins living in the same neighborhoods are quite common. These family members will work in each other's business. They attend the same church. They go to the same schools.

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