SpanishEssayAAM17

= Hispanic Heritage: Why do we keep it alive? =

//__**How Spanish religion, language, and communication styles influenced our Hispanic Heritage.**__ //
Spain opened the door to the Americas. New countries were created there that had Spain's language, culture, religion, and traditions. Many Latin Americans have brought these to the USA, and they are now part of the American story. This essay will explore the importance of some of these Spanish influences like religion, language, and some communication styles.

In the late 1400's, Spain was ruled by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella who were known as the "Reyes catolicos", or Catholic kings. Both had just finished Spain's 800-year war to reclaim their land from the "moros" (Muslim Moors). They were eager to spread Catholicism. Besides the conquistadors, Spain colonized the Americas with Catholic monks and priests. They came to evangelize the natives to Catholicism, and convert them away from their beliefs, such as the Aztec's and their human sacrifices. Missionaries founded churches, schools, and hospitals, and some of these missions became large cities, such as Los Angeles (LA), CA and San Antonio, TX. The role of the Catholic missionaries is important because there would have been numerous Indian beliefs instead of one religion bringing them together. Latin American immigrants have increased the number of Roman Catholics in the United States. There are over 68.2 million Catholics in the United States, (U.S Churches 2012) and statistics show it is the largest religion here. The oldest Catholic parish in Tampa, Florida is Espiritu Santo in Safety Harbour which was founded by Spanish missionaries in the 1500's. My own Incarnation Catholic Church parish has masses and confession in Spanish. King Ferdinand's and Queen Isabela's Catholic evangelization efforts are one of the main reasons that the Western Hemisphere is mostly christian.

Spanish Catholic monks and priests brought the Spanish language to the New World, and taught it to the natives at the new mission schools. The Spanish language unified the different areas of Latin America, and when new countries were created there, Spanish was kept, but with different slang words and accents. Spanish is the official language of the majority of the countries in the New World. Today in the United States, there are over 37 million Spanish-speaking people.(Spanish Speakers) Many Americans are bilingual, and Spanish is taught as a foreign language in most schools. By speaking both English and Spanish, I will be able to understand more people, and perhaps get a better job when I grow up. By introducing the Spanish language, those Spanish monks and priests were able to have large amounts of natives speaking the same language and communicating better, instead of misunderstandings with the many native dialects.

Another Spanish custom brought to the Americas was how people spoke. The Spanish custom of more hand gestures during conversations has stayed throughout the centuries. Also, greeting each other is different. For example, men hug each other with a pat on the back, and both women and men greet friends, relatives, and each other with a kiss on both cheeks. (Spain Facts) Another custom is more politeness and courtesy in greetings, especially among strangers. For example, you say "buenos dias" (good morning), "Como Estas?" (how are you?), and a lot of "gracias" (thank you) when entering a small store or bus riding or entering a classroom. The Spanish custom of more open affection remains in our American society. I also saw it in Spain when my mom greeted our Spanish camp teachers with two kisses. I had to greet more formally than just a simple "Hi" a lot more handshaking. Spanish speakers also have closer personal space, instead of the more far apart American English speakers. These conversation styles are very different from the American conversation style, and the Spanish speaking style is more interactive and engaged.

The religion, language, and communication styles introduced by Spain in the late 1400's are still with us today. Here in the United States, we have benefited from the evangelization of the Spanish missionaries from long ago. America has adopted many Spanish words, especially in foods. And finally, the Spanish conversation styles can be a positive example to help our American society. Hispanic Heritage is __already__ kept alive and is part of the American Story not just a separate story, but already in the American Story.

**Works Cited**
"LA." //Wikipedia //. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. __[]__
 * Information is from:  "Portola Expedition 1769 Diaries" . Pacifica Historical Society . Retrieved January 7,  2015 .
 * Wikipedia is a excellent source for information.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">"Spain Facts." //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Spain Facts, Culture, Recipes, Language, Government, Eating, Geography, Maps, History, Weather, News, Economy, Family, Fashion, Events //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. <http://www.countryreports.org/country/Spain/facts.htm>.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Country Reports is a good place to find a lot of information

"Spanish Speakers." // Persons Speaking a Language Other than English at Home, 2000 and 2011 //. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. []
 * Fact Monster is a good place to find information about people.

"U.S. Churches, 2012." // Largest U.S. Churches, 2012 //. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. []
 * Its an online encyclopedia.