Learning Outcome #1:

I learned essential information on the history of Mexican Americans. I learned about the
conquest of Mexico by the Spanish specifically Hernan Cortez. When Cortez and his men
reached Mexico they were welcomed by the natives with gold and precious gifts. The Spanish
were after the gold and after seeing their gifts they sought to finding and exploiting the land for
its riches including its people. After this initial conquest Mexico was handed down from dictator
to dictator as time passed, with its people being subject to poverty, injustice and corruption. As
Mexico has suffered so many misfortunes the people have been left to seek something better. I
have learned that the history of Mexican Americans has shaped the way they live and view the
world.
Mexican Americans are seeking the social justice and civil rights that over and over again has
been denied to them by their own country. I have come to understand the reason why so many
Hispanic cultures specially Mexicans leave everything they know to come to the United States.
Mexicans have come to the United States seeking liberation from the oppression experienced in
their own country. The United States is known as the Land of the Free and everyone should be
entitled to it. Mexicans have not come to take over the country as some believe, they have come
to offer a better life to their children and their families. They have come to this country seeking
success for themselves.
Learning Outcome #4:
I learned about the culture found in Mexican American families and how this affects the way
they live. One of the characteristics I found very interesting was familism. Familism refers to the
central value that the family has in the culture. I have had some personal experiences which have
strengthen this concept. When I visited Mexico I experienced first-hand how important families
are for them. We visited a family who lived in an area with various tiny houses constructed side
by side. Every single house was owned by an immediate family member of the person we were
visiting. They had uncles, cousins, grandparents all living under the same roof or in the house
next door. This vecindad had been the same for past generations and would continue to be for
generations to come.
Another important thing I learned about the strong family roles found in Mexican American
culture. The concepts of Machismo and Marianismo seem to be more prominent this culture and
will help guide my interpersonal approaches when working with them in my future career. As a
social worker I will be able to better understand how to work with a family if I know how the
roles are structured. I also will be able to provide better social services if I can narrow their needs
based on what their cultural values are. Not only has learning about the Mexican American
culture helped me see how to better interact with them, it has also increased my cultural
competence overall. Because of the things I have learned this class I am able to apply them to
different minority groups in the same way.
Learning Outcome #5:
As I have completed the final research project, I have been able to demonstrate an awareness of
the need for social justice among Mexican Americans. I have researched the issue of domestic

violence in Mexican Americans and it has really expanded my empathy and consciousness of the
issue. I have realized that I have been almost insensitive to the subject of domestic violence. I
have avoided feeling compassion toward the victims because I felt that in the end it was their
choice to remain in the relationship. I thought they could decide at any time to stop the violence
cycle and the victims were foolish for not seeking help. I have learned so much about a victims
plight that its hard to put into words.
I read multiple accounts of Latina women sharing their story and I understand now that so much
more goes into domestic violence then just choice. There are cultural, social, and economic
barriers that Mexican American women face apart from the emotional, psychological and
physical abuse that comes with domestic violence. I have developed a big sense of compassion
not only for the victim but also for the abuser. In addition to the compassion that I have been able
to develop I have seen how much more can be done to offer help in the Latin community. There
is a big need of education to the Latin culture about domestic violence that it has motivated me to
become more involved in seeking the social justice that should be offered for this group of
victims and offenders.