COMMUNION CARNE ASADA 1

Mexican Communion Carne Asada

Jessika N. Stiltner

Arizona State University

OGL 350: Diversity and Organizations

COMMUNION CARNE ASADA 2

Abstract

For my cultural immersion activity, I decided to tag along with my boyfriend’s side of the

family to attend a Mexican first communion carne asada. As I am someone who is not

particularly religiously affiliated, I often times either skip out willingly, or don’t meet the

parameters to attend certain religious events. Due to this, I consulted with the parents of the child

who was receiving their first communion in order to see if it was okay, and they full-heartedly

said yes, and encouraged me to be involved. This activity is something that I am not familiar

with in my own culture, so it was very insightful to see how they celebrate big achievements in

Mexican culture.

La Carne Asada

At the conclusion of the child receiving their first communion, families often come

together to celebrate the rite of passage with a party. This event, also broadly referred to as a

‘carne asada’, roughly is translated from the phrase “grilled meat”. This is often a cookout style

gathering that hosts traditional foods, music, entertainment, and gifts for the celebrated

individual. These parties are often considered to be a labor of love, with preparations lasting all

day and through the event itself—acting as a family and friend social hour as well “Receive an

invitation to “a Carne Asada” and you’re in for a day of gathering together to pitch in on the

preparations, bringing items to share, enjoying conversation and, finally, the feast” (Drake-

McDonough, 2022). This aspect of the celebration has less to do with the actual religious

contexts of the event, but rather acts as a celebration similar to a birthday considering the

communion is seen a huge milestone in Mexican culture.

Stationed within a small party venue in the heart of Deming, New Mexico, the festivities

were just beginning, As the food and conversations were flowing, mariachis played in the corner
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of the venue as we waited for the DJ to finish setting up. Family members and friends started to

funnel in, some even traveling (like us) across state and country borders to celebrate this time

with the host family. This was something I found extremely endearing, as I have very little

extended family members—of whom I am not close with. Even aunts, uncles, extended friends,

and people who have only met briefly with the child being celebrated made sure to be present at

the party. As I previously knew that Mexican culture was very family forward, this was just an

extension of how deep those ties are. With family being one of the most important aspects of this

culture, it is intertwined in nearly all of their activities, celebrations, and religion as well “It is

believed that “what God has united cannot be separated by man”. In respect of this, family

relationships are typically very close. One’s family tends to have a major influence on the

individual, providing a sense of identity, community, and support” (Evason, 2018). These close

ties and integral to their culture’s beliefs, it goes beyond theoretical beliefs as well. While this

aspect was further proven to me by observing this celebration, it is something that is overall

ingrained in the concepts of Mexican family and society.

Collectivism

This family-focused aspects of Mexican families goes beyond the family tree —

furthering itself into the basis of their societal practices as well. Mexico is a highly collectivist

country, with the best interests of the whole trumping the individual. The idea of a whole

collective can be seen through the extension of support and celebration in events such as the

carne asada I attended. This idea of collectivism is founded in the thought that protection and

strength come from banding together with the promise that it would be reciprocated “In

collectivist societies, on the other hand, people are integrated into strong, cohesive ingroups,

often extended families, who continue protecting each other in exchange for unquestioning
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loyalty” (Merkin, 2018). As the party continued on, conversations got deeper, and family

members pushed for updates on how each other’s lives were going and how they might be able

to help. Even in times of celebration, they found ways to support one another if struggling. As

someone whose family is very individualistic, seeing this opened my eyes on how societies and

cultures with differing values can influence familial relationships. Taking this experience into

account, I felt better able to understand some of the actions and beliefs of my partner. Seeing him

interact with his family on this level, I found myself connecting the dots in where I had

previously personally struggled to understand.

Transformation

By attending this carne asada, I believe that I better able to understand components of

Mexican culture that I hadn’t seen firsthand previously. As this was my boyfriend’s side of the

family, it also provided me with insight on the basis of why he acts and reacts in the way that he

does. Coming from a culture and family that operates in a near juxtaposition to his, I had

struggled to reason with him on certain topics pertaining to family—experiencing this cleared the

air for me. The carne asada gave me the opportunity to experience the Mexican family cultue

firsthand and differently than before "There's something about deeply understanding and learning

about another culture that's transformative" (NPR, 2020) Rather than just being told how his

culture differs, this experience helped me understand him on a deeper level, transforming our

understandings of one another and ultimately our relationship.

Conclusion

La carne asada marked the beginning of a cultural shift for me as well as furthered my

understanding of the people around me. While the experiences of this day differed from my own,

it gave me insight on why certain cultures operate in the way that they do. It was a day (and into
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the night) full of fun, family, and laughter shared by all. Overall this experience provided me

with better comprehension of the man and the family I am being implemented into from my

relationship and more of what I can expect going forward.

Proof

Picture of Boyfriend and I at La carne asada:

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References

Drake-McDonough, C. (2022, May 17). Carne Asada - an event that's more than a dish - real

food traveler. Real Food Traveler. Retrieved May 1, 2023, from

https://www.realfoodtraveler.com/carne-asada-an-event-thats-more-than-a-dish/

Evason, N. (n.d.). Mexican culture - Family. Cultural Atlas. Retrieved May 1, 2023, from

https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/mexican-culture/mexican-culture-family

Merkin, R.S. (2018) Cross-Cultural Communication: Theory and Research, Overview.

https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118783665.ieicc0098

NPR (2020). Creativity And Diversity: How Exposure To Different People Affects Our

Thinking. [Radio series episode]. On Hidden Brain A Conversation About Life's Unseen

Patterns. 37 min, 58 sec.