Compare and Contrast the customs of Mexican Americans and Puerto Term Paper

Compare and Contrast the customs of Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans - Term Paper Example There are as many Puerto Ricans living in the United States than those living in the small island that has a population of four million (CountryWatch, 2011). Puerto Rico became property of the United States back in 1898 after the United States won the Spaniard-American war. A common trait between both ethnicities is that they are typically bilingual (English / Spanish). The Spanish spoken by Puerto Ricans is a bit different than the Spanish spoken by Mexican Americans in terms of words and accent. The parents of Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans teach their kids Spanish at home and Spanish is often spoken in their households. Both races are sports fanatics. In boxing there is a big rivalry between Mexicans and Puerto Ricans. The Oscar De la Hoya vs. Tito Trinidad bout at the time was the biggest revenue generating non heavyweight pay per view bout in the history of boxing. Oscar De La Hoya is the most successful Mexican American fighter in the history of boxing. Baseball is the national pastime of Puerto Ricans, while many Mexican Americans prefer to play soccer. The tourism and travel tendencies of the two groups are different as Puerto Ricans often travel back and forth from the mainland US to the island of Puerto Rico. Sometimes Mexican Americans due to immigration issues of their parents do not travel as much back and forth. When they travel Puerto Ricans do not have to worry about foreign exchange considerations since Puerto Rico shares the same currency with the United States. Both ethnic groups believe a lot in the value of being a good host to their guests. Offering food and drinks to guests is a mutual custom of both groups of Latinos. The traditional foods of each Latino group are very different. Mexican Americans often eat a diet associated with floor tortillas, corn, refried beans, and rice, and chilies, spices, vegetables, beef, and cheese (CultureGrams, 2011). In Puerto Rico the most common meal is