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Las diferencias entre las AmericasOct 27 '01 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Si se va a ir, por cualquier motivo, no sea "the ugly American, por favor This review is about Hispanic culture. More specifically, it is about Latin Americans and the cultural forces which affect them, and it has been written to address a very specific need. Every year more and more Americans are traveling, working and retiring in Latin American countries. Sometimes they have no problems at all at any stage of the process, but occasionally they do run into trouble because of misconceptions arising from cultural differences or from a lack of awareness of the nature of the countries themselves. In Latin America, rudeness, or failure to observe basic good manners is viewed much more critically than in North America. Society is more restrained, conservative, and traditional, with more attention paid to conventions of behavior. People are much more concerned with appearances, "proper" behavior, dress, and social convention than we are in the United States. There are far more "don'ts" in Hispanic culture than in ours, and violations of the rules of behavior are much more frowned upon. Unconventional and individualistic behavior may be acceptable under some circumstances, especially since you are a foreigner and are not expected to know all of the rules, but it will help you a great deal if you know enough to be able to show respect for the Latin way of doing things. Generally, behavior in public places is not as casual as it can be in our culture. For instance, people do not put their feet on a desk; they don't lean back in a chair in a stretched position; they do not sit or perch on a desk or table. In a crowded airport or bus station, no one sits on the floor. Men do not stand or walk with their hands in their pockets. In restaurants, people do not figure up and pay their portion of the check. Customs can be learned in time, though, simply through observation. What can't be observed are cultural expectations and beliefs...those internal guidance systems that cause people to act as they do. More than anything, this is what cultural anthropologists focus upon to gain knowledge of a culture. People can't usually tell you about them, because they are not consciously aware that they exist; only that it feels "right" when it's done that way, and "wrong" when it isn't. If you are seriously interested in understanding Latins, and getting along well with them as well as their extended families, you have to know about those unseen forces which motivate Latinos and control feelings and actions. Your internal guidance systems are not the same as theirs. I would like very much to see the problems that often show up in inter-cultural interactions reduced to an absolute minimum, and that is my objective with this offering. There is one issue that I would particularly like to clarify before continuing. I frequently refer to the United States and Americans. I have done that because I expect the vast majority of the readers to be from that country, but the book will be just about as useful to anyone else who is a foreigner in Latin America. Comparisons are frequently made between Latin American culture and American culture, and that is the main reason I restrict my considerations to Latin America and the United States. Some people may object to my frequent use of the term "American" when discussing citizens of the United States. Writers of travel books usually advise you not to call yourself an American while in Latin America, because Latin Americans are also Americans. My response to that is "hogwash!". In most of my years in Latin America, and there have been quite a few, I have rarely encountered an objection to my referring to myself as an American, and I am almost always referred to as an "American" or as a "Gringo" (Gringo is a neutral term in every country except Mexico, and denotes nothing more than a person of Anglo or European descent). Several years back I followed a hot debate over the use of the term in the Letters to the Editor section of the The News, an English language newspaper published in Guatemala. Most writers agreed with those who think that we shouldn't call ourselves "Americanos", and suggested instead such terms as "Norteamericanos" (forgetting that North America also includes Canada and Mexico) or "Estadounidenses" (United Statesians), overlooking the fact that there is also another United States in the Western Hemisphere (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) who are also "estadounidenses de Mexico". What everyone seems to forget (except for the Latin Americans themselves) is that the proper name for our country is "The United States of America". Our country is the only country in the world that actually has the word "America" as part of its official name. That is why I use the word and that is why its use is justified. I am not being ethnocentric or nationalistic. I simply would like for our usage of the word to conform to usage in the rest of the world and for us not attempt to appear shamefaced about using that name. I don't bandy the word about, though. I frequently get asked if I am American. I either say yes, or I say "Soy Texano". They like that even better. It gives us something else to talk about. I am rarely asked what my nationality is, leaving me to come up with the name. Usually people simply ask me where I am from. When that happens, I just simply say "de los Estados Unidos". To say "I am from America" is inappropriate. I approach the writing of this epinion as if you can speak Spanish. Perhaps you can, but it is most likely, I realize, that you probably cannot, and if you do know some Spanish, your vocabulary may well be limited. This is not an oversight on my part. Many things that you will need to communicate can best be done in Spanish, and my assumption is that you are seriously wanting to understand and interact with Latinos. This being the case, my hope is that you will go about your business in Latin America with a small English-Spanish dictionary in your pocket or an electronic translator in your hand. You will learn basic Spanish more quickly than you expect. But please remember this: Don't be afraid to talk with people, no matter what kind of mixture of Spanish and English you might be able to put together. The people will be delighted, and will do whatever they can to communicate with you.  |
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