<< Chapter < Page Chapter >> Page >
The Mexican town is deeply religious. Religiousness impregnates its life in such a way that it will surely influence any event, happy or sad, triumph or failure. The cultural values and religious experiences of its ethnic group constitute the spine of their existence.

This manuscript has been peer-reviewed, accepted, and endorsed by the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration (NCPEA) as a significant contribution to the scholarship and practice of education administration. In addition to publication in the Connexions Content Commons, this module is published in the International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, Volume 5, Number 1 (January – March 2010). Formatted and edited in Connexions by Julia Stanka, Texas A&M University.

A reflection: function of religiousness in the hispanic community in the usa and its comparison with spain

Father D. José Gil Márquez

The Mexican town is deeply religious. Religiousness impregnates its life in such a way that it will surely influence any event, happy or sad, triumph or failure. The cultural values and religious experiences of its ethnic group constitute the spine of their existence.

Religiousness also forms an essential part of its principles— traditions and customs— appearing in all details of its daily life, even in the most insignificant ones. Its houses; language, which sanctions blasphemy (these people leave the presence of a person who blasphemes); the citation of the Peregrination when marching to protest; and religious symbols like sponsors of some event (Guadalupana in strikes of Delano and Salinas). All religious or social events; such as baptisms, communions, marriages or deaths; also quinceañeras, strikes, encounters, are celebrated with mariachis, shared meals and drinks.

Ancestral religion provides a background in which nature weighs heavily; it cohabitates with Christianity without creating any problem, while influencing their vision of the world, others, and themselves. They speak of spirits, La llorona , healers, card readers, always with religious reverence.

I am an admirer of the capacity this race has to harmonize heterogeneous, opposite, and even contradictory principles! The capacity of this culture to maintain their ontological selves while integrating, agglutinating, and giving sense to antagonism, frustration and desire, constitutes the culture’s most powerful key.

In this sense, the absence of conflict between the deep Christian religiousness of the farmer Mexican and the secularized Chicana culture in its multiple manifestations calls the attention. The Chicana culture stirs something in the same indigenous roots of the farmer; the secularized Chicano cannot completely detach himself from his Christian roots, transmuting religious forms to mystic ones. The objective of this is the salvation of the race.

From its deep religious principles it derives its vision of the universe; a totality organized by the creator where each creature is different from the others, and has different functions to fulfill. Something similar happens in humans’ social relations; each one takes his or her place and has a mission to fulfill. This mission has to be respected so as not to alter the social order, demanding personal and familiar respect as well as fame, honor, dignity, and its customs and traditions.

Get Jobilize Job Search Mobile App in your pocket Now!

Get it on Google Play Download on the App Store Now




Source:  OpenStax, Immigration in the united states and spain: consideration for educational leaders. OpenStax CNX. Dec 20, 2009 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11150/1.1
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc.

Notification Switch

Would you like to follow the 'Immigration in the united states and spain: consideration for educational leaders' conversation and receive update notifications?

Ask