Mexican Family Culture and Traditional Values

What Is Meant by the Term Mexican?

In the most basic terms the word Mexican refers to the peoples, traditions, beliefs and other items that may originate from the country of Mexico. Part of the broader Hispanic culture that originates from Spain, Mexico like many other former Spanish colonies has its own interpretations of traditional values and culture.

History of Mexico

The first evidence of human presence in what we know as Mexico today was chips of stone tools found near an ancient campfire. Carbon dating suggests this fire burned over 10,000 years ago but humans in the region almost definitely predate this.

Findings in South America show habitation as far back as 16,000 years and those peoples would have passed through the Mexico region on their way south from North America.

Evidence suggests that cultivation of maize, tomatoes and beans began in this region which was grown in vast quantities. This abundance allowed the early hunter gatherers of the region to settle down to a more stationary agricultural lifestyle.

Around 5,000 BC villages of collective farmers would have developed. The resulting advances in this region such as religion, vigesimal numeric systems and farming techniques would over time spread further south.

The Olmecs

The earliest civilization in the region were the Olmecs who populated the tropical lowlands of the region. They themselves may have derived from the neighboring Mokaya or Mixe-Zoque cultures. They flourished between 1500 – 400 BC and are credited with being the first to practice ritualistic blood-letting.

With the fall of the Olmec came the rise of other civilizations in the region, firstly the Zapotec and later the Maya. These newer civilizations took the understanding of written language to the next level leaving behind engraved histories using hieroglyphic script.

The Maya ultimately would become a dominant civilization in the region and far beyond although by around 900 AD they were in serious decline and would eventually become a splintered and scattered people.

In around 1250 AD the Mexica (Mexihcah) arrived in the region settling in the valley of Mexico. They would have some issues with local groups such as the Tepanecs but ultimately would become assimilated into a collection of civilizations that would become known as the Aztecs.

A so-called Aztec triple alliance would rule the region for decades before Spain’s arrival in the early 16th century.

The Spanish

The Spanish had been in the South Americas for a while before, in 1518, they heard of the region we today know as Mexico. It took less than a year for Spain to begin a plan of conquest of the Aztec empire. They were largely successful with the help of disgruntled city states in the region who were willing to join the battle against the Aztecs.

In 1521 the Spanish captured the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, founding Mexico City on its ruins. This would be the start of three centuries of colonialism. It was the Spanish who would extend what became known as the Territory of Mexico far into North America taking with them the DNA we find in the Indigenous Americas Mexico region.

Culture and Traditional Values of Mexico

Language

Mexico is a linguistically diverse country which is home to a number of European languages and many indigenous Mexican languages as well. Spanish however is the predominant language of the country with around 92.17% of Mexicans speaking it as their first language.

The Mexican language is distinct in dialect, tone and syntax to the Spanish spoken in Spain itself. The language of Mexico, unlike Spain's, has a great many lone words taken from indigenous languages of the region. Most of these are taken from the Nahuatl language.

In Mexico there are also 68 different indigenous Amerindian languages that are also considered national languages of the country. These are protected under law meaning that the indigenous groups can receive their official government documents in their own language.

Culture

Mexican culture is complex and unique in many ways. It is the result of over 300 years of colonization from Spain and a further two centuries of cohabitation with Indigenous and European settlers.

During the rule of Porfirio Díaz spanning the latter quarter of the 19^th century and extending into the first decade of the 20^th century, Mexico saw a great deal of economic progress and peace. This came on the heels of 4 decades of civil war and saw growth in philosophy and the arts in the country.

This would lead to a cultural development which surrounded the mestizaje that at its core had huge Amerindian influences. From this various cultural identities formed or resurfaced defining the unique and varied ethnicities found in Mexico.

Mexican Naming Practices

In some cultures you will find patronymic or matronymic names used as family names; these are names that are passed either from the father or the mother. They are often based on the given name of the respective parent.

In Mexican culture the naming practice follows that of Spain which does not choose the name of just one parent. A person's name would be as such: .personal name(s). .father’s (paternal) family name. .mother’s (paternal) family name..

In essence a person's family names are a combination of their two grandfather's family names. My name may be Alejandro Pedrez Gonzalez. In terms of personal names a person may have more than one given name the first of which would be gender specific while the second does not have to be. For example Alejandro Maria Perez Gonzalez.

Do Women Take Their Husbands Names When They Marry?

Traditionally, Mexican women do not lose their maiden names when they marry. Some women may choose to add their married name to the end of their other names. If this is done then often her own names and those of her husband are separated by the word “de.” A married woman’s name might look like the following: Maria Yesenia Ramirez Lopez de Perez.

Family Culture

Traditionally speaking a Mexican family unit is one which is tight-knit and expands beyond the immediate family into the more expanded family. The focus of the family will tend to be on a patriarch and traditionally in Mexican culture the father is the head of the immediate family.

It is expected that all individuals in the family, even extended members should be willing to help each other when needed. This is what helps keep family ties strong and even when family may live hundreds of miles away they can be relied upon to serve as host to visiting relatives.

Celebration of traditional festivals and family milestones are generally the cause for big family gatherings. Through this connection to family the older generation tries to instill in the younger the importance of honor, good manners and respect for their elders.

These traditions hold strongest in the predominantly Spanish speaking regions but as families expand into other countries through migration this traditional sense of family does start to wane. Often within a few generations use of the Spanish language decreases and the close-knit nature of Mexican culture may start to drift away as well.

Religion

As the Spanish colonized the Americas including Mexico they took with them the Roman Catholic faith. Catholicism remains the predominant religion in the country even today. There is however a smaller swing toward a more protestant faith in recent years mainly with regards becoming born again Christians.

Although Catholicism is the dominant religion based on numbers Mexico does not have an official religion. Other faiths are practiced in the country including various sects of Christianity, Indigenous beliefs and a growing percentage of non-religious people.

The Virgin Mary

Although most Hispanic nations have their own patron saints Mexico has as their patron Our Lady of Guadalupe. Other Hispanic countries also revere this patroness referring to her as Our Lady of the Pillar. She is of course more commonly known as the Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ.

This dates back to a belief that Mary appeared to the apostle James the Greater while he was in Spain in AD 40. Today she is a major aspect of Hispanic belief systems along with a number of saints.

The Constitution of 1917 in Mexico imposed certain limitations on the church. Mexico’s government does not provide any financial contributions to the church, and the church does not participate in public education. Christmas however is a national holiday and other religious festivals such as Easter are observed with school closures.

Assimilated Culture

Wherever the Spanish colonized there existed indigenous peoples who were generally conquered and forced into slave labor. These indigenous peoples would often integrate into the new Spanish colonies such as Mexico. Despite this some groups would remain together practicing their traditional languages and beliefs.

In much of the Hispanic world and certainly in Mexico the traditions of Spain have blended somewhat with those of the indigenous peoples who came before. For example Día de Muertos “Day of the Dead” is a largely Mexican celebration and may have its roots in indigenous beliefs and festivals.

Final Thoughts

Mexican culture has its roots in Indigenous and Spanish beliefs. Over 500 years of shared influence has created a unique culture blending the two. Traditionally Mexican families tend toward Catholicism although there is a growing shift toward Protestantism.

Faith is often important in daily life within Mexico and adherence to this faith is also considered important.

Neil Edwards

Genealogist and family-tree research specialist

Neil was born in Shropshire, England surrounded by centuries of living history. His interest in the past has been a lifelong passion leading to undergraduate degrees in both Economic History & Geography and History & Politics.

This interest in history quickly translated to family history when he moved to the U.S. in 2010. It was here that he began working on his own family tree as well as that of his American wife. That research allowed him to gain a wealth of experience working with both U.S. and European genealogical documents and studying their best uses in researching family history.

Following 9 years of honing his genealogical research skills, Neil was proud to have earned a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University in late 2019. Neil also took part in the research process for a Duke University study into the families of 19th Century UK Members of Parliament.

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