we are one, one united
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We areOne, OneUnited.
Valeria Salazarper: 1-A
Once you try Mexican cuisine, you cant get enough of it
The rumba that your taste buds get, when that delicious food touches your tongue,
spicy at first, but then all you can taste is the delicious flavor. As you can tell by now, I love
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Mexican food. Mexican food can be spicy, bland or sweet, it depends what you put on it.
For instances you could have a bland taco, but if you add some cilantro, cebolla, and salsa,
it makes a party in your mouth. Id say that real authentic, homemade Mexican food is the
best because you you taste the real food, not the Americanized version of Mexican food.
Lets start of with the history of Mexican food. Its believed that the authentic
Mexican food , came from the Mayans/Indians. In 1521, Spain invaded Mexico. Spanish
foods had the most influence on Mexican cuisine. They introduced new livestock, such as
sheep, pigs, and cows. They brought with them dairy products, and garlic as well as many
different herbs, wheat and spices. The early natives of Mexico did not have ovens, instead
they heated food over an open fire, using cast iron skillets and ceramic ware. Another
method was steaming. They would wrap the meat in cactus or banana leaves, over boiling
water in a deep pit. Frying was also popular method. They used the molcaiete, or mortar
and pestle, is a small bowl shaped container that can be made of stone, pottery, hard wood,
and marble. My favorite Mexican dish are Tamales. Id eat them everyday if i could. The
word tamale comes from the word tamalii from Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs.
The word means wrapped food. No one knows for sure who invented the tamale, but we do
know that have been written about since pre-Columbus time. In the 1550s the Aztecs
served the Spaniards tamales during their visits to Mexico. Theres different types of
tamales pork, beef, chicken, mozzarella cheese with slices a of bell pepper, veggies, and
theres also sweet tamales. In some Mexican families like my, we all contribute to make the
tamales for Christmas. My grandma makes the
masa, the filing for the tamales. We spread the masa on the corn husk and we fill them with
pork with mole, cheese and bell peppers, and sweet tamales that are made out of guava and
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a little food coloring, to give it color. We usually make over 100 tamales, so we can take
some home and enjoy the delicious taste of them. They are my favorite because we usually
eat them during Christmas. The aromas fill my grandma's house in the winter, I wouldnt
trade that for anything,
Theres many positive attributes that Mexican food brings to a family and a happy
stomach. First of all, the flavor of it is just outstanding. All the delicious species the chiles,
the salsas, and the food overall. Another thing is that in a big Mexican family, the food
brings us all together. In my family, food and our values are our main priorities. Where ever
theres food, theres happiness, a happy stomach, and a happy family. Im proud of my
culture and food. I love how not just in my culture, but my friends talk to me about how
food is very important to their families, and it brings their families together. I asked my
brother about his point of view on Mexican food, he said, Theres nothing better than
Mexican food. Who doesnt love the spices and the chiles. I grew up eating Mexican food,
I got used to the chiles and the salsas. I love Christmas time, we all gather around an eat
tamales. Mexican food is the best because the flavor, like the delicious taste of chile.
There are a lot of tex mex here in the US. Theres chimichangas, taco bell, fake
enchiladas, nachos, and burritos are all Mexican American foods. I didnt even know that
chimichangas were until two years ago. I tried it, I didnt like them. Real authentic
Mexican food are enchiladas, posole, mole, tacos de asada, tacos de pastor, burritos de
frijoles y queso fresco, homemade salsas, chilaquiles, and theres many more. In my home
we cook everything from scratch. You know its real Mexican food when you can taste all
the different spices. For example enchiladas, here in the US, they are served differently.
They used canned red salsa that makes them look red, they add melted cheese, on top, and
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doesnt mean that we cant achieve our goals in life. Mexican Americans/Chicanos should
have the same opportunity as the rest of the people in the US.
One person that I admire a lot is Jose Hernandez. His parents come from Mexico,
but he was born here in the US. He attended many schools, but he didnt learn how to
speak English until he was 12. He attended Franklin High School, he was also enrolled in
the IB program. As a young kid he didnt know how to speak English, but he learnt it and
he graduated. He became an astronaut and was assigned to the crew of Space Shuttle
mission STS-128. Hernandez recently developed equipment for full field digital
mammography at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He got there, he achieved his
goal, hes a great role model for all those Chicanos that want to do something big with their
career.
Some Chicanos are sometimes put down because of their race. They usually call us
failures, screw ups, and bad people. Some students here in the US are put down because
they dont have US residents. After high school they cant go to college. Except here in
California. We passed the Dream Act, which allows the students to go to college and keep
their education. All the students should have the same rights as everyone else. You never
know if one of those students has the cure to cancer, the student cant go to college, the
student cant work in a hospital, to save lives. I dont speak for all Chicanos, but I know
that a large percent of them want to go to college and get the same opportunity as others.
Me being a Latina, I want to prove all those people wrong that say that Latinos
cant do anything right. What i would like to do after I graduate I want to either enroll in a
four year university to become a news reporter, or study engineering and aerospace and
work for NASA. Yes I might sound a bit crazy, but its what I want to do. Sometimes I get
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put down, and I feel that if I try, I will fail, fail in life. My inspiration, is Jose Hernandez,
he accomplished his dream, he made it to NASA, and now he wants to become a
congressman. I know that there will be some obstacles in the way but I will over come
them, and accomplish my dream, not matter what. I will work day and night if I have to.
We all know that theres racism here in the US but all we can do is prove them
wrong. Its the best thing we can do, show them what we got. We are all made equal, we
should be treated like we are. Doesnt matter what race we are, Mexican, African, Asian,
Indian,etc. we all are the same. We will keep on dreaming, and accomplish our dreams !!!
Christmas ,Tamales, Presents, and Family
Its the most wonderful time of the year ! This little phrase can bring back so
much memories! Christmas might be the best holiday out of the whole year. It brings all the
family together in one place for one night, you dont get that much often throughout the
whole year. Christmas has a very special meaning to me and my family, its important.
In every culture theres that one special holiday that you enjoy the most. In Mexican
culture, the special holiday is Christmas. You may ask yourself, why is it so important to
me and my family? Its important because during Christmas family is the priority. Also
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Christmas is very religious holiday for us because were catholic, and the birth Jesus.
Christmas is the time of year that we celebrate the birth of Jesus, where our faith begins.
The day virgin Mary gave birth to our savior. We value our religion because we have faith
in it, we believe. We always pray before every Christmas meal.
My family traditions are getting everyone together, have a good time and celebrate.
In my family the day before Christmas most of my family brings all the stuff for the
tamales and atole. Everyone helps prepare the food. While some are doing the spreading of
the masa, other are putting the fillings inside. My grandma puts them in the pots to be
cooked the next day. The mornings of Christmas are always busy. After the food is made,
everyone is looking their best, its time to party. The cars start coming one by one. You go
inside the house and you smell the delicious smells of the food. We wait until every single
person is at my grandmas house to eat. We pray together, we hold hands. We pray for our
health, money and family. Following we eat, we dance, and sing. What most Mexicans do
we celebrate Christmas the 24, and stay up till
midnight to be awake when Jesus was born.
Christmas isnt just special to Mexicans, but to other cultures too. I have friends
from around the world, that tell me how special its for them too. My best friend is Indian,
she doesnt believe in the same religion as I do, but we can share that its the most
wonderful time of the year. Presents are open, hugs are given, and most important, you
have your family surrounding you. No matter in what circumstance we are in, we still have
time for family. No matter what time it is, or what day of the week Christmas is, were
there, together as one.
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Christmas can either a pain in the butt or the best day ever. In my case its the best
day ever. It has special meaning to me, as a Mexican teenager, and the rest of my family. It
brings your most loved ones together. Being raised as a Mexican and catholic, I learnt that
your family and your faith will never give up on you, as long as you dont give up on them.
Influences
My culture has influenced the world a lot. Mexican culture is known all over the world.
The food, and traditions are the ones that most are influenced. You go out to eat, what do
you see? Mexican restaurant, taco truck, Asian cuisine, hamburger, taco bell, etc. Every
where you go you see influences of the Mexican culture.
Theres positive influences that Mexican culture has done. Such as the food. When
the Spaniards had certain control over parts of the US, they left some of the traditions and
food. When Mexican people started coming to the US, they brought the food, piatas, and
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the traditions. For example, you go to a birthday party, any birthday party, theres going to
be a piata. The food that sometimes is served are either nachos, tacos, or enchiladas at a
Mexican restaurant. People dont realize how much the Mexican culture has impacted our
society. The US is supposed to be the country where everyone comes and accomplishes
their dreams. A country where all types of races are found, Mexican, Africans, Asians,
Indians, etc. Mexican culture brings life into parties, taste in your food, colors to your life.
Without Mexican culture, there wouldnt be piatas, no Mexican spicy food, no Mexicans!!
What I see in the future of Mexican culture is that theres going to be more Mexican
role models, more Mexican famous people. The Mexican culture is rapidly growing and
spreading. In a couple years, Mexican people are going to be a large percent in the US
population. Theres going to be people that are going to make the wrong choices and make
the Mexican culture look bad, but we can only expect the good.
Like theres bad impacts theres also going to be good things coming out of it. Ive
heard in the news that kids that dont have US residence have been granted a 2 year
permission to be in the US, since the past July. This will have a great impact on the
American culture. Theres going to be new careers opening up for those students. The
future is on our hands, Mexicans, Americans, all types of races. Our generation has the
option to change the world.
I plan to be a part of that by becoming someone that Mexicans can say, Ohh, I
want to be like her. I will contribute with the rest, I will encourage them to go out, and
show them who we really are. I believe that Mexicans will be a huge part of American
population, maybe we can have a Mexican president. Who knows, with what the world has
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