How Gender And Ethnic Identity Shape Transculturalization...

Throughout hundreds of years, the U.S.-Mexican border has been changed numerous times due to many different events. The government and war are not always the cause of these changes between the United States of America and Mexico, however. Many times citizens become the base of the effects that happen along the border. Culture, class, and nationality are main causes as to how gender and ethnic identity shape transculturalization on the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Susan Shelby Magoffin, a newly married Anglo woman, spent the end of her teenage years traveling down the Santa Fà © Trail with her husband for trade. Growing up in an elite Anglo household, having sense of womanhood was very important to Magoffin. She believed she needed to wear†¦show more content†¦border, Torres was exposed to many different types of cultural exchange between the Mexicans and Anglos. Although many events happened on the way to Mexico, most of the cultural exchange from the Mexicans to Susan Shelby Magoffin happened while she was living in Mexico. The first large encounter between Magoffin and Mexican workers was while she was traveling down the Santa Fà © Trail. As they stopped at the stream near Vegas, they cut through the path of many Mexican children swimming in the creek, relaxing without clothes on, and cooling off in the water. While witnessing the fun that they were having, Magoffin states, â€Å"I could only bite my lips and almost swallow my tongue to restrain my laughter.† Due to the fact that this behavior was common in Mexico, but Magoffin sees it as inappropriate and unfamiliar, shows us that there was a difference in culture between the two countries. Magoffin states that it was repulsive to see the children to running around naked. Mexican men and women saw that the ways of doing things in society should be simple and efficient. They bel ieved that there was no sense of doing things similarly as the Anglos, because they wouldn’t be beneficial in society. Some of these ways were the clothing they wore, the food they ate, and the houses that they lived in. Mexican clothing was lightweight and simple, so that they could be efficient and comfortable, along with keeping their dress separate from the men. As Magoffin