The wooden skulls are also placed on altars that are dedicated to the dead. Sugar skulls, made with the names of the dead person on the forehead, are eaten by a relative or friend." Other important customs and traditions in Mexico are related to family. The Mexican people traditionally have very close family relationships. Although the families are traditionally patriarchal in nature, this tradition is beginning to evolve much as it has in the United States towards a more equal relationship between the husband and wife. Divorce carries with it a great stigma in Mexican culture; so much so that in the 1990s the divorce rate was only 6.5% ("Countries and their Cultures," 2011). [secondary]

Peru

Like Mexico, Peru has a host of rich and colorful cultural traditions and customs. One of their most notable cultural features is their cuisine. For example, "Ceviche, fish marinated in aji, a hot sauce made mainly from spicy peppers, tomato, onions and lemon, is an example of a particular Peruvian delicacy" ("Countries and their Cultures," 2011). [secondary] Peruvians are a very proud people and they do not like to show emotion whenever possible. This tradition of not showing emotion goes back to European Colonialism and it especially important for men. Peruvians also treat their elders with great respect, however there is also a very strong and corrupt alternative counterculture, especially among Peruvian youth ("Countries and their Cultures," 2011). [secondary]

Peru shares with Mexico its love of fanciful celebrations, both religious and secular. Also like Mexico, these celebrations tend to center around great amounts of food, libations, music and dance. Some also include sports like soccer and volleyball. The celebrations in Peru are not quite as large or publicly acknowledged as they are in Mexico. The two biggest are National Independence Day, which is celebrated from July 28th through the 30th, Battle of Arica, which is celebrated on June 7th, and Carnival which is celebrated three days before Lent ("Countries and their Cultures," 2011). [secondary]

Socioeconomic/Political Factors

Mexico

Mexico is a federal republic consisting of 31 states and one federal district. Its independence from Spain was officially declared on September 16, 1810 and its Constitution was ratified in 1917. Like in the United States, the Mexican government is divided into three branches: executive, legislative,...

It has a free market economy and U.S.$156 trillion GDP, ranking it 12th in the world. Yet the GDP per capita is only U.S.$13,800, which ranks as 84th worldwide. Mexico's service industry is its largest economic sector, at 62.5%, followed by industry at 33.3% and agriculture at 4.2%. As of 2008 nearly half of the population was below the asset-based poverty line (CIA World Factbook, 2011).[primary]
The country is extremely economically stratified, largely due to the neoliberal economic policies that have been expanding since the 1990s. In fact, "in 1998, the top 20% of income earners accounted for 55% of Mexico's income" ("Countries and their Cultures," 2011). [secondary] the middle class continues to shrivel as the smaller communities, especially those with high concentrations of indigenous language speakers, continue to lack drinkable water, hygienic conditions and education ("Countries and their Cultures," 2011). [secondary]

Peru

Peru is a constitutional republic comprised of 25 regions. It gained independence from Spain on July 28, 1821, just over a decade after Mexico declared its independence. Like Mexico and the U.S. The government is divided into the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Peru is ranked 44th in the world in terms of GDP and 115th in terms of GDP per capita, which was estimated at U.S.$9,200 in 2010. The economic disparities are strongly region-dependent and although there is a large gap between the rich and the poor, it is not as severe as Mexico's (CIA World Factbook, 2011). [primary]