1. Hispanic Culture Christopher Garrett EDU Human Relationships and Learning in the Multicultural Environment Dr. Sara Mattson

2. In The Beginning The term Hispanic was developed by the United States Government as part of the 1970 Census to identify people living in the United States that were descendants of Latin America (Explore Hispanic Culture, 2012). The culture derives from Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Spanish speaking Caribbean countries. These countries are identified as Hispanic America (Explore Hispanic Culture, 2012).

3. Overview of Culture Hispanic Culture refers to and includes individuals who are of Latin American descent and their primary language is Spanish. Hispanics make up about 11 percent of the United States Population (Cutter & Nieto, 2014). Hispanic families are usually very close as family is an important aspect of the culture. Majority of Hispanics primary religion is Roman Catholic (Cutter & Nieto, 2014).

4. Overview Cont. “Hispanic countries celebrate the more popular international holidays, notably Easter, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Day, and the Three Kings' Day. In addition, each country celebrates its El Dia de Independencia. The term fiesta nacional refers to an official national holiday; las fiestas refer to festivals - local, regional, or national - that may be held only one day or may last several days (Cutter & Nieto, 2014).”

5. History Hispanic’s are America’s largest growing ethnic group. There are around 1.1 million Hispanic Veterans of the U.S. Armed forces. According to the 2010 Census, Hispanics accounted for more than half of the growth in United States population between 2000 and 2010. The U.S. is considered the fifth largest Hispanic country in the world. (Georgia Regents University, 2013).

6. Educational Considerations Teachers must know if English is the primary language at home. If not the student may be a dual language learner (DLL). This is a term used to describe students who are growing up learning more than one language (Wardle, 2013). Teachers will need to look at the academic level of the student once the school year begins. Culturally-responsive teaching is an important consideration for Hispanic Students. Teachers should want to prepare the students to take successful roles in society that directly relate to their culture (Padron, Waxman, and Rivera, 2002).

7. Educational Considerations Cont. Teachers need to consider many different teaching methods to teaching Hispanic students. Music education is a way to assist DLL students in their journey to learn English (Abril, 2003). The involvement of the family is vital in the students success as well.

8. Inclusionary Practices Cooperative Learning This allows students to work together and communicate with each other in groups. It can also decrease anxiety and build confidence in Hispanic Students. Technology-Enriched Instruction Technology gives alternative ways for Hispanic students that may struggle with English instruction a chance to truly show what they know. Cognitively-Guided Instruction Is a reciprocal teaching method that requires students to summarize, self-question, clarify, and predict the information that they are learning (Padron, Waxman, & Rivera, 2002).

9. Parent/Community Involvement – Improving the Learning Process Hispanic families tend to be very close. One way for teachers to reach out to improve the success of the student is through extended family members (Inger, 1993). Schools will need to respect and empower the students communities to improve learning in the classroom (Pardon, Waxman, Rivera, 2002). Schools can host events to invite parents and members of the community in to discuss the culture and truly showcase it to all students in the school.

10. References Abril, C. R. (2003). No Hablo Inglés: Breaking the Language Barrier in Music Instruction. Music Educators Journal, 89(5), 38. Clutter, A., & Nieto, R. (2014). Understanding Hispanic Culture. Ohio State University Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5237.html http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5237.html Explore Hispanic Culture. (2012). Let’s Explore Hispanic Culture. Retrieved from http://www.explore-hispanic-culture.com/http://www.explore-hispanic-culture.com/ Georgia Regents University. (2013). Facts About Hispanic Heritage, Culture, and History. Retrieved from http://www.gru.edu/diversity/hhm/facts.php http://www.gru.edu/diversity/hhm/facts.php Inger, M. (1993). Getting Hispanic parents involved. Education Digest, (8), 32 Padron, Y., Waxman, H., & Rivera, H. (2002). Educating Hispanic Students: Obstacles and Avenues to Improve Academic Achievement. Center for Research Education, Diversity, and Excellence. Retrieved from http://www.cal.org/crede/pdfs/epr8.pdfhttp://www.cal.org/crede/pdfs/epr8.pdf Wardle, F. (2013).Human Relationships and Learning in the Multicultural Environment. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.Human Relationships and Learning in the Multicultural Environment