Compare And Contrast Aboriginal And Mexican-American Traditions

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Venturing Into Adulthood The Aboriginal and Mexican-American coming of age traditions are very different in the ways that they are carried, but both traditions celebrate the same thing; the transition from one era of their life to another. The Aboriginal Walkabout is a ritual where a native Australian teenage boy is sent out to walk in solitude for six months in the wilderness with only the spirits of his ancestors to guide him. My Mexican-American culture has a tradition where a boy or girl, most of the time a girl, has a huge party when they turn fifteen, and this signifies their transition into adolescence. In the Australian Aboriginal culture, between the ages of ten and sixteen, a boy will start a walk of solitude into wilderness for…show more content…
The tradition of the quinceanera has been in the Mexican culture ever since 500 B.C. Mexicans have carried this tradition, but just like the Aboriginals have adapted their walkabout, Mexicans have adapted their traditions. I am Mexican-American and I can assure you that Mexican quinceaneras are different than Mexican-American quinceaneras. The Mexican quinceanera is more traditional and it is more family based than a Mexican-American quinceanera. Many girls don’t do the traditional quinceanera the way that it was meant to be held. This just proves that as a culture are changing our traditions. The Aboriginal people stay true to their country as well as Mexicans, and both still celebrate their coming of age rituals. Although, over time, both rituals have adapted to fit the era in which we live in and the way in which the kids think, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’d be nice to celebrate it as what it’s supposed to be. We can’t exactly celebrate everything as it’s supposed to be, though because we don’t live in the same olden days and everything…show more content…
This teacher talks about the walkabout to the children and they do activities that help them grow as people. These activities put to the test the children’s skills and they also learn to apply their knowledge to real problems. He said he started teaching this to his sixth graders because he feels it is the correct time since they are in developing. Not only is this teacher helping the children develop in school, but he is also helping them develop in ways that show when they are home or in the community (Isenberg.) What this teacher is doing with his students shows how much a child can grow in an extended amount of time. Since the children’s ages range from ten to sixteen when they embark on the walkabout, most of them are still growing and learning. The Aboriginal people embark on a journey of solitude, unlike the sixth graders who are simply given tasks to complete. A kid who completes the walkabout will be more mature and will know himself better than some kid who simply given activities to do. This just shows how much a kid can grow and how much they can learn on this amazing six month

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