Being a Latina in America

The sociological meaning of culture is "a people's total way of life," and its core elements include symbols, values, language, norms, mores, folkways, laws, taboos, technology, and artifacts (Macionis). As a native Cuban, the Latin subculture to which I belong is distinguished by its language and folkways, so cultural relativity might be useful where I must communicate or deal with those of other cultures. When pressured to assimilate into the American culture, or become just like Americans by giving up my own culture, I resisted. I value my native culture and do not want to lose touch with it.

An institution of which I am a part is the Latin dental community clinic where I work. The clinic's main function is to provide dental care for the Latin community, and my status, or social position within the organization, is as a dental professional. My role is that of a dental assistant, although that is not a master status-the main identifying social position-for me. My master status is that of being Latin.

Being an "outsider" to mainstream American culture, socialization is a reality for me. By socialization, I mean picking up the behaviors and customs of those around me. Agencies of socialization for me-people and institutions that have helped me to socialize-have been my employer, my American friends, my school, and my classmates. Role taking and identification refers to taking on a role because you identify it as belonging to you. I d

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in society takes action on an issue. I do not know anyone who has ever been part of a social movement, and I have not tried to organize people around an issue, because I feel like an outsider and want to fit in more than I want to try to change things. Ageism is discrimination based on age. I witnessed an experience of ageism when I saw an elderly man turned down for a job. He was told, "I'm sorry, but we don't hire anyone your age. Why don't you see if you can get a job at the Senior Center?" Religion plays a strong role in my family. We are Catholic, and our religion structures our social relationships and activities. We go to mass every Sunday, for example, and we pray together as a family when we need God's help. Our notions of what is right and wrong come from our religion, also. We know what things are sins and what things are okay to do, and we do our best to avoid sins. Educational tracking is where a student is put into a certain level of classes based on what the teachers think the student's capabilities are. When I was in high school, I remember being told by the school counselor that I should enroll in vocational classes instead of college-prep classes. The counselor tho

Category: People - B