Why Mexicans Think and Behave the Way They Do!

In this book, "Why Mexicans Think &amp Behave the Way They Do!—The Cultural Factors that Created the Character & Personality of the Mexican People!" by Boyé Lafayette De Mente, internationally known for his books on the cultures of China, Japan, Korea and Mexico, says that Mexico’s traditional values and morals were forged in a caldron of corruption, racism, male chauvinism and an elitist political system that connived with the Catholic Church to keep ordinary people ignorant and powerless and deny them the most basic human rights.

De Mente adds that the traditional character of Mexicans was a mixture of medieval Catholicism, Indian and Spanish-Moorish authoritarianism, machoism, violence and personalism—traits that continue to impact on the character of many Mexicans still today, and if you want to understand the Mexican character—and all that this implies because of the huge number of Mexicans now in the United States illegally—you must be intimately familiar with their cultural background!

"But,” he continues, “most Americans know almost nothing about why Mexicans think and behave the way they do because the reality of Mexico has been obscured behind a variety of masks—of piety, pride, courage, gaiety, indifference and stoicism—and a romantic Hollywood image.”

De Mente notes, however, that despite the negative aspects of Mexico’s violent history, Mexicans have another face—an inherently joyful nature that manifests itself in music, singing, dancing and art.

“It is this joyful nature of Mexicans that gives the country its aura of romanticism, and for those who are sensitive to the layers of Mexico’s unique culture, makes it a wonderful experience for the casual visitor,” he says.

De Mente points out that industrially speaking Mexico is Western-European oriented, but intellectually and spiritually Mexicans are more Oriental than Western— and that this has a profound influence on their attitudes and behavior.

“If you do not have an understanding of the subtleties of Mexican values and have not had experience in dealing with them, their circumstantial ethics and morality can appear to be totally irrational,” he says.

Why Mexicans Think & Behave the Way They Do! is a valuable resource for American law enforcement agencies, employers, hospitals, religious groups and schools.

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