Introduction“Viva Mexico!” The Mexican people mourn with pride. “Long live Mexico!” They say, in the face of difficulties. “Long live Mexico!” They scream when they succeed. “Long live Mexico!” They scream when everything falls apart. Welcome to Mexico, the country of tacos, drug dealers, racial and gender discrimination, oppression and mariachis... Think again. The purpose of this article is not to tell you that everything you think you know about Mexico is wrong, but how can you be right if you don't know the whole truth? Western culture imposes itself on others Overview Was Columbus a saint or a sinner? Was his discovery of the New World in 1492 a blessing to us all or, more importantly, a curse that is still with us? Did it bring joy, happiness and progress or did it light the flame of oppression? Today he is considered responsible, at least to a large extent, for bringing Western (then Spanish) culture to the American continent, North and South. So, even now, 500 years after his voyage to discover the Atlantic with a crew of sailors thirsty for adventure and wealth, the debate is still ongoing. Did he do any good or should he have stayed home and never sailed from Spain? Did Western (and then Spanish) culture serve a higher purpose… or not? The spread of a particular culture due to economic or military domination is not a new concept. So the fact that Latin America has been tremendously influenced, first by Spain (the dominant country in the 16th century) and now by the United States is just a continuation of something that is well established. Throughout history, the dominant economic and military power of the time spread its culture to weaker nations. In other words, culture has followed the economy... middle of paper... Also, do many Americans recognize any Mexican national heroes? Juarez, Hidalgo, Iturbide, Morelos? NO! But everyone needs to know who Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. were. Don't be aggressive about it, right? Do Americans know that the result of the Mexican-American War of 1846 was that Mexico lost what was then Texas, California, and New Mexico? In fact, the word “gringo” (considered American slang) derives from that war. The Mexicans scrawled “Green Go Home” on the walls (the uniforms of the US soldiers were green). The angry phrase eventually evolved into the term "gringo," which today is used in Mexico to describe an American, derisively or not, depending on how it is used. Differences in the Two Cultures Here for your enjoyment (??) is a side table to help summarize and illustrate the cultural differences between the United States and Mexico: