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Re: [OM] Nathan's PAW 25: Hogueras and World Cup

Subject: Re: [OM] Nathan's PAW 25: Hogueras and World Cup
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:05:04 -0700
  On 7/8/2010 9:02 AM, Brian Swale wrote:
> Very enjoyable insight.  I liked it as always.
>
> So many people !!!
>
> I always have a feeling of amazement that these large gatherings in this part
> of Spain, with so much alcohol, seem to be so good natured and friendly.
>
> Here, there'd always be somebody spoiling things with violence, and here,
> alcohol always seems to cause problems especially with young people ( of
> both genders) drinking far too much and getting hopelessly drunk.  We have
> too many young people here (males especially) dying due to excessive
> alcohol poisoning their bodies in one session of drinking.

My late wife was half Mexican and born in Mexico City. I don't know directly 
about Spain, but there are significant 
cultural differences between the largely N. European derived mainstream culture 
of the US and that of our neighbors to 
the South.

When I was working on a joint venture with a Mexican supermarket chain, we 
discussed some specific differences that 
affect that business. In the US  Canada, customers don't much like navigating 
close quarters, where they may get too 
close to others customers.

In Mexico, at least at that time, leaving too much customer space, especially 
in the produce section, made the customers 
uncomfortable. Anyone who has been in a public market in Mexico or Central 
America will know the feeling of being 
crowded up with many other people, and very often touching. The concept of a 
queue is entirely missing there.

There is also a different family dynamic and attitude toward public 
celebration. I especially recall a Fourth of July at 
a large park not far from here. The Hispanic, mostly Mexican, families were 
playing happy music, grilling food drinking 
moderately and having fun as families. Many of the culturally USians, of 
various skin colors, were groups of under 30s 
already drinking heavily at mid day, many already getting pugnacious.

I've seldom been less proud of my cultural peers. That's not to say there 
aren't problems in Mexican culture, or any 
culture, for that matter. And the mixed culture apparent in many poor Hispanic 
areas has it's own issues.

On the other hand, apropos another current thread, I've not seen that sort of 
behavior problems with drinking and 
violence in my children or their peers. and the possibility of a Hispanic 
majority in Calif. in my lifetime doesn't 
bother me at all.

Moose
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