A Collective Style of Living
The way in which people use social space
reflects their social relationships and their ethnic identity.
Early immigrants to America from Europe
brought with them a collective style of living,
which they retained until late in the 18th century.
Historical records document a group-oriented existence,
in which one room was used for eating,
entertaining guests, and sleeping.
People ate soups from a communal pot,
shared drinking cups,
and used a common pit toilet.
With the development of ideas about individualism,
people soon began to shift
to the use of individual cups and plates;
the eating of meals that included meat, bread,
and vegetables served on separate plates;
and the use of private toilets.
They began to build their houses
with separate rooms to entertain guests—living rooms,
separate bedrooms for sleeping,
separate work areas—kitchen, laundry room,
and separate bathrooms.
In Mexico, the meaning and organization of domestic space
is strikingly different.
Houses are organized around a patio, or courtyard.
Rooms open onto the patio,
where all kinds of domestic activities take place.
Individuals do not have separate bedrooms.
Children often sleep with parents,
and brothers or sisters share a bed,
emphasizing familial interdependence.
Rooms in Mexican houses are locations
for multiple activities
that, in contrast, are rigidly separated in the United States.