I have learned so much during this transition of
moving from Tennessee to San Antonio within these last two years. I had never
been exposed to such a large Hispanic culture before. I have had to learn and
adjust to various aspects of my tradition and their tradition. At first it was
very difficult but I was determined to not allow myself to be defended by
diversity. And I realized that it was affecting my ability to communicate with
my children and families; so, I put myself in the position to challenge myself.
I decided to look at this experience through the eyes of a young child trying
to see how I fit in it. It has been enlightening.
I have learned that communication is not just speaking
words. It is understanding the culture, beliefs and perceptions of the person
you are speaking too. There are things that I have said in Tennessee that was
ok but they are offensive in Texas. I have learned that the Hispanic culture
talk and express with their hands which involves touching to ward off their
belief of curses; on the contrary, in Tennessee to much touching is a violation
of personal space and respect unless you have been given permission to touch. I
am still learning so much and I enjoy it.
I think of myself as a dual learner of language,
culture, traditions and beliefs which in turns makes me a dual communicator.
Now it is hard to switch from one culture to the other. I don’t know much but
what I do know I use it as often as I can. I share with my husband things that
I learn. My husband laughs when I tell him to come here in Spanish or I ask him
how he is doing. He just smiles and responds. Most of the time, I don’t realize
I said it in Spanish. Soon he will be speaking it too. My three goals would be to learn more Spanish so that I can communicate with them in their language and promote their ability to learn English, ensure that I am other oriented so that I will be supportive of their needs and effectively practice the Platinum Rule so that there will be a sense of respect between my relationships with my families.
Hello Katrice,
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful that you have embraced the hispanic culture by learning Spanish and essential aspects of their culture. I really enjoyed when you shared how you will speak Spanish to your family without realizing it. I do the same thing with French. I will speak to my children in French and they will respond in English. Now they know what I am saying. It is exciting embracing another culture and learning the beauty of diversity. Families are more inclined to share ideas with us when they feel comfortable we respect their unique point of view.
Thank you for sharing about the importance of how a transition from one type of culture to another can be difficult, but that it is important to not remain in one and offend the other. I hope that your goals become possible and that you find yourself fitting in more with the Spanish culture.
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