One noticeable difference that I picked up on rather quickly after becoming married to a Mexican woman was how we Americans observe the notion of "disturbing the peace" differently than they do. For Mexicans the concept does not exist! I discovered this days before Xmas in Mexico City back about 20 years ago while lying in bed attempting to do what was normal for me to do at 1:00 am. Sleep! The string of explosions from fire works start at about 9pm. As drinking drags on, the most festive continue with the flagrant disregard for this visiting gringo's need for sleep. The drunkest of the drunk continue the fireworks torrent until they pass out at around 4:30 am. Then, as you begin to think you are given a respite for the rest of the night, the kids who are too young to drink and who go to sleep early begin new rounds of explosions at about 7am.
For Mexicans priority is centered around the right of the individual rather than that of the collective.
In one sense, as an American, this still seems ironic to me.
