In America, May 5th is celebrated as Mexican Independence Day. However, Mexicans celebrate September 16th, as the day of their National Independence. September 16th marks the day of Mexico’s independence from its Spanish colonizers. Despite the fact that American and Mexican cultures and nationalities differ, most people respect each other's differences. The diversity of ethnic communities and cultural practices that make up American culture has influenced the country's growth. A person's cultural beliefs, language, and traditions make up their culture. People are exposed to various cultures, which allows them to understand the differences between Hispanic and American family beliefs. Learning about other cultures will allow you to see life from different perspectives and understand the meaning behind religious beliefs. 

There is a similarity between our cultures because every Tuesday is Taco Tuesday! Arriba!! An American lady named Karen would say "Arriba,” but would get offended if Mexicans spoke in Spanish. When you think of a Mexican family owning a dog, stereotypically, you would think of a chihuahua, while Americans would have a labrador. Mexicans have a taste for food, and that is why most people love the culture. America would call a quesadilla a cheesy roll-up if they did not know Spanish. Besides owning dogs and eating tacos, Americans and Hispanics have created a unity between cultures due to our beliefs and values. Growing up, as the only Mexican girl in my class throughout school, having white friends started to get boring. This meant that I had to be open about who I was and show my classmates the music they needed to listen to, to start developing a relationship with the Hispanic community. Being willing to learn and grow every day is part of life and if we aren't willing to take those risks with that one person who can change our life we may never outgrow our mindset. Living is a part of growing up and finding what truly makes you happy because our life is too short to only know about one culture. 

English and Spanish are the two most spoken languages in the United States, making it important to be bilingual. You should think about becoming more cultured if you aren't already. Participating in the Hispanic community can help you get prepared for the trip to Rocky Point where you've always wanted to go and get those beachy braids on the beach. Don’t lie, we’ve all seen them and have wanted them to say that we went to Rocky Point and be that basic beach on Instagram #MexicoChick. Americans and individuals from different cultures make the United States what it is today because the people value diversity and promote inclusivity. Have you ever seen someone attractive and found out they have an accent or speak two different languages? Ladies and gentlemen, Spanish is an attractive language and someone is going to use that as an opportunity to pull that one person you like, and your gonna get butt hurt that you only speak English but that’s your fault cause we live in America. Well, I bet you would like to hear someone whisper Cosas malas (dirty things) in your ear with that accent and make your chin hair get chills. I highly recommend you start using Duolingo for Spanish and get started right now! 

When the first Americans discovered the spray tan, more people started to like Hispanics. Nowadays, generations who grew up in Spanish households call themselves Mexicans but they don't even know Spanish or are "whitewashed." That makes gringos (white folks) more cultured! When Hispanics don't want to talk to other people, they will pretend to not speak English and instead speak Spanglish by saying, “No espeak engles”, or they will tell that person that they’re nacho friends. Mexicans are loud and ambient, whereas Americans are more relaxed and lenient. Have you ever been over to a Mexican house? They will feed you until you can’t breathe, and don’t dare talk back because their chancla (sandal) will hit you so hard that you’ll start to look like you’ve had Juan too many shots.

The benefits of growing up in the United States are the opportunities. Knowing two languages or more makes you appear impressive, but it could also change your perspective on life because you’re educated. We have heard that Mexicans need to learn English, but why don't Americans learn Spanish? It is proven that in the southwestern states of the United States, people knew Spanish before they spoke English. There are places in the United States that have Spanish blood! There are many cities throughout the United States that have Spanish names, for example in California they have cities called Madera (wood) and Calabasas (pumpkin). Regardless of liking the culture or not, the Mexican population will start to increase because people are mixing like Conejos (bunnies). People of all nationalities will start to see what they were missing out on in the different cultures and want to be a part of those communities. Today, Americans are accepting diverse cultures and becoming biracial as communities evolve and cultural norms spread across the country.