Hispanic Culture

I found this really great link that helps give an insight to some of the cultural aspects of people from Hispanic origins. I was surprised to see how many countries are considered Hispanic. I had not even heard of all these countries before.

Here's a list of all the countries:
Argentina                          Nicaragua
Bolivia                              Panama
Chile                                Peru
Colombia                          Paraguay
Costa Rica                        Puerto Rico
Cuba                                El Salvador
Dominican Republic          Spain
Ecuador                           Uruguay
Guatemala                        Venezuela
Honduras                         Nicaragua
Mexico                            Panama

The article mentions that not all of these cultures are the same within the Hispanic ethnic group so we need to try and be aware of this and not make assumptions. However, there are a few of similarities. They do tend to be conservative and follow traditions.

Family
Family or "familia" is also a very important aspect. This includes not only the immediate family but the extended as well. There is a lot of focus on everyone helping out the "family unit".

Religion
Religion is also a huge influence of Hispanic culture. "More than 90% of the Spanish-speaking world is Roman Catholic."

Gender Roles
 In most Hispanic families the father is the head of the household. He is responsible for supporting and protecting his family. The mother is the caretaker. She is to put her children and elder's care above her needs. This is the traditional family structure.

Marriage
The main reason for marriage is also to start a family.When they get married they tend to follow the traditional family roles but when making decision they will keep talking until the decision is made.

For more information, visit this article:
Understanding Hispanic Culture