WHAT’S HAPPENING
- Some Salvadoran immigrants moving to L.A. adopt Mexican language habits and customs as a way to blend in with the local Latino culture (LATimes.com 11.3.08).
- Speech changes first, as Salvadoran immigrants bend their accents and use common Mexican expressions such as córrele (hurry) and substitute Mexican words for Salvadoran ones: ice cream becomes helado, not sorbete, and a kite is a papalote instead of a pizcucha.
- They listen to Mexican music, root for Mexican soccer teams, and watch Spanish-language newscasts, telenovelas and celebrity gossip dominated by Mexicans.
- An effort to retain their identity: In 2007, Monseñor Oscar Romero Charter Middle School was founded to help young Salvadoran children learn about their heritage.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS
- Latino immigrants who move to heavily populated urban centers often learn to adapt to the mores of the established Latino community before they begin to assimilate to mainstream culture.
- Not all Salvadorans blend in; some seek to retain their native foods, traditions and customs by forming organizations and gathering for home country celebrations.
RESOURCES
