...Self-Awareness Assignment I thought I knew everything about culture because I have studied this phenomenon in four intercultural communication courses in the past. I have learned many concepts and terms, but actually being in the context where the cultural differences are taken place is another story. I have learned a lot about the Spanish culture and myself while living in Sevilla; whether it is truly understanding the culture I belong to, values I cherish, and/or expanding my perspectives while staying true to my culture. I still have a lot to learn about the Spanish culture, because I have some unanswered questions to why Spaniards do certain things. I know cultures are continuously evolving so I have to understand that I will not fully understand a culture’s values unless I am from it. Values are influenced by one’s upbringing and how they were raised by their parents. Parents usually embed values into their kids by implementing what they know from their culture. My parents learned these important values from my grandparents. My grandparents were immigrants of Sicilia and Pais Vasco, so they know the importance of starting a new life and working hard to build a foundation for a family. Generations later, I embed these values in my life every day, so I can express the importance of hard work to my children in the future. I am a Sicilian-American who is from the small fishing town Monterey, California. I am unconsciously influenced by the language (slang) and lifestyle that...
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...Padilla 1 Alejandro Padilla Español 125 Octubre 10, 2013 Mi Herencia Cultura Hola mi nombre es Alejandro Padilla, mi herencia cultura que yo me defino con es mexicano americano. Ay varias razones que me identifico con estas dos culturas. Para empezar estaba nacido en Los Estado Unidos de América en la ciudad de Fresno en el año 1992. Mi primer idioma era español porque mis dos parientes son de México y son nacidos en Guanajuato. Este ejemplo es unas de las más importante razones que me identifico con la étnica mexicana. Estoy consciente que algunas personas no se quieren identificar con étnica mexicana por que no estaban nacidos en México pero cuando era niño menor mis padres me ensañaron de la cultura mexicana a llevando me a las fiestas, escuchando la música, comiendo y preparando la comida, y también vistiendo me con lo ropa identificada con la cultura mexicana. Una grande razón que yo me identifico también americano es que estoy nacido aquí, la mayoría de la música, televisión, y actividades están establecidas en los Estados Unidos. Por ejemplo mis dos favoritos deportes futbol americano y el baloncesto están preferidos. Un grande parte de mi infancia era a atender y participar en las fiestas mexicanas. Las fiestas incluyeron Las Posadas y Quincenarias. Cuando tenía 9 años era mi primera vez participando en las Posadas y participe hasta que tenía 12 años. Eran muy divertidas, siempre había varia comida, piñatas para abrir, y juegos. Mi familia siempre estaba en atendencia...
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...fascination with Italy and knew I would love the food there, or London because there would be no language barrier but my colleges had shied me away from those two choices. The reason was because everyone that I talked to said that Valencia had the best international program at FSU. After spending a very quick 5 weeks here, I don't even need to see the other programs to know that I made the best decision. This program has been above and beyond every expectation I had of it, and if I had to make the same decision again I would make it 10 out of 10 times. Everything from the housing to the staff has been perfect for the program and has really made it easy for the students especially myself never being in Europe before and speaking very little Spanish. So as I am getting extremely excited and anxious to make this trip of a lifetime I decide to fly out of JFK instead of Miami where I’m from to get over directly to Valencia rather then having to switch planes in a foreign airport for the first time. Unfortunately for me and about 15 of the students the plane was delayed for about 7 hours. I was scared for a while that we weren’t going to be able to go since it was around 12 at night by the time we eventually boarded the plane. After much delay and dismay we got in the air and it was off to Spain, and I have not looked back since. Once we got here I was in shock of the study center and the Torres de Sorranos put me in awe. We grabbed a quick bite to eat as a group and then it was...
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...Josemaria Ruiz Hernandez September 18th 2014 Draft 1 – Culture in Spain The most important value in Spain is the family. Most people don’t realize how precious the family is, for example Americans. They like to be independent as soon as possible, which is a thing that in some way is a great value because you get older before and so mature. But the family is very important due to the love that they have been given you and so you keep that even though some times you do not want your parents to treat you as a kid, although they will love you as so forever. This is a very considering thing in Spain, for example: Here in America I talk with my family every day, while all my American friends speak with them maybe three times a week and that is a considerable amount of times in America. As in Spain we take the family very seriously here in America the maturity. One of the other values we usually have is history, as a country with a thousands of years history, we feel very proud of being from Spain, right now we are having economical problems so that changes this value. Although through out the years we have made amazing things as a country we love being that we are. As history comes with it religion, just a little bit of it. I find America very interesting, because they are the country with fewer beliefs in the world. In Spain usually every one has a belief, even though not all of them follow their belief as hard as other people, which is understandable. To end my argument...
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...1) The Spanish title of the essay allowed me to believe that this essay will have some connection with the Spanish language or the Hispanic culture. When we translate the title of the essay it means “I can speak Spanish.”. Therefore, I thought it will be about her frustration and journey of learning a new language, or fitting into the Hispanic culture. Reading the essay further reviled that not knowing Spanish or having the Spanish accent made it easier for her to fit in with the students in her school, but my first thought about the essay was not relevant to any part of the essay. 2) Beginning the essay with this anecdote allows the reader to know this essay could be about someone’s journey and frustration about learning Spanish. It interested...
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...between Indian and Spanish Culture According to Samovar and Porter (1994) “Culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving.” (Stanford.edu, n.d.). Our culture defines who you are as a person; it contours ones judgment to a certain approach. In other words, it is our identity. Every nation has its own set of morals and is defined by its own distinct cultures; which gives rise to cultural differences between each and every country in this world. In this vast world, no two cultures are exactly identical. Taking into account India and Spain, needless to mention, both the cultures have an enormous amount of differences between them. Spain being a part of Europe is largely influenced by the European culture furthermore the Rome culture; on the other hand India’s culture is more multifaceted and has been influenced by colonialism over the past century- both collaterally and vernacularly (Sen Amartya, 2005). India is a home to a variety of different cultures; it is known to be the most diverse country in the world in every aspect. Looking into a major aspect of any culture that has existed, religion plays a major role in the upbringing. It influences the framework of a particular culture and individual...
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...The Spanish and English cultures were scarcely similar and notably different because of the ways the settlers made their strong economies and who ran the government. The English and the Spanish were very different in the ways that they made their strong economies. The English societies were set up on the coast with very fertile soil for farming. The English was originally a communal society which meant the whole community owned the same land. In this society everyone had worked together. Two years later the communal society was not high in the production of the products so the community had to make a change. The community had divided land ownership to individuals which had help the economy grow. The English had made slight income through fur trading and fishing, but a large amount of their income was made through trading crops and cattle. The English traded with New Amsterdam to have manufactured goods in return. When the Spanish had come to the Americas they were further west than the English and their soil was not as fertile. There were many natives that already lived were the Spanish had settled who were forced to work as slaves along with the Africans. The slaves were shipped to Spain which was a way of income. The slave trade had gone all the way from the island of Hispaniola to the Caribbean: Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas. Slavery was a large source of income for the economy of the Spanish. Nonetheless in 1542, the Spanish had outlawed enslavement, but sadly...
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...Spanish for the Future Specific Purpose Statement: To persuade my classmates to further their knowledge of the Spanish Language and Culture by enrolling in their first Spanish class or another one. Central Idea: To make my classmates realize all the benefits of enrolling in Spanish classes. INTRODUCTION 1. Gain the attention and interest of the listener/s: (“Attention” of Monroe’s Sequence) When I was in seventh grade, I enrolled in my first Spanish class. All I thought was, “Wow this class is a pain in my butt, it is so hard, and what is the point?” After nine years of studying this language and culture, my feelings have not changed, but I have discovered “the point” of learning Spanish. 2. Reveal the topic: I understand the negative feelings that you may feel about taking a Spanish class, but being a college student is all about pushing your limits, reaching your greatest potential, and...
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...by the school system to stop speaking Spanish at home and start speaking English the whole time. Although he became proficient in school, having no trouble with reading or writing in English, there was a price for this advantage Rodrigues gained. Slowly but surely, Rodriguez started to lose touch with his culture, letting it fade away like his memory of Spanish. Aria is just one example of many stories that chronicles a switch between American and Hispanic culture. One must always give, and usually this ‘give’ of the American culture is painted in a very negative light. Many Hispanic-Americans recognize what they...
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...and under these circumstances put the whole family in jeopardy and they had to flee the island. Coming to this country and adapting to the language and the culture wasn't easy for Julia. She faced discrimination from the children at school because of her Hispanic ethnicity. Julia always loved stories since she was little she adored hearing them and also telling them, but is when she came to this country she developed her writing skills. Hispanic culture is more oral expression than written, is not very common for a child or teenager to keep a daily journal but it is for an American. Thankfully to this experiences in her life she was able to transformed them into wonderful written pieces. Since Julia went through the experience of adapting to a different country, culture and language, in this poem she tries to portray what Spanish feels to her and she wants her readers to know this in English with a hint of Spanish, which to me is like a cherry on top. This poem is about the feelings and emotions a person has with two different languages and how hard sometimes is to adapt. We see that when she mentions "the sound Spanish wash over me like warm island waters as I say your soothing names". Spanish feels like home; warm, inviting, comforting, here she relates her country to names in Spanish that make her feel at home and also gives me a glimpse of what...
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...of the largest groups in the United States. They comprise 66% of all Hispanics. Spanish is the main language, but Spanglish, which is the combination of Spanish and English, is being used more and more frequently among younger generations (Bravo, 2005). Mexican American culture varies and is constantly changing due to the influence of other cultures (Bravo, 2005). The social roles in the Mexican Americans are very well defined especially in the more traditional families. Traditionally Mexican families are male dominated but over the years that has changed due to the dominant culture here in the United States. Women were expected to stay at home and take care of the house and the children while the men worked. This has since changed; more women are working outside of the home. Mexican Americans have very strong bonds to grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, godfathers, godmothers, and so on. They are also stereotyped for being Catholics. This is not true. Majority are of them are Catholic, but there are also Protestants, Muslims, Jews, Mormons, etc. Mexican Americans are as equally segregated and discriminated as blacks. The income for Mexican Americans is 40% less than non-Hispanic whites and although Mexican Americans represent 66% of the Hispanic community they are still under represented politically. Puerto Ricans are of Spanish ancestry and as in many Latin American cultures, Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion, but like Mexican American, Puerto Ricans...
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...the same language, religious beliefs and even skin color. Some people are very protective of their cultures and become offended if you mistake their culture for a similar culture. Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans and Latinos are four groups that fit into this category. This research paper will give us an in-depth look at each group identifying their similarities and their differences. Mexico is a Latin country with a complex culture that spans different times in history. The Mexicans are proud of their country, culture and lifestyle and try to preserve it as much as possible even when they are living anywhere other than Mexico. Out of the 26.4 million Hispanics that live in America, 64% of them are Mexican Americans (Thinkquest.org). The Mexican American culture is a mixture of the Mexican culture and the American culture and often causes them to stand out. The primary influence comes from Spain while the secondary influence comes from America. Mexican Americans have strong ties to their families loving each other and taking care of each other. Honor within the family connects all the members together and loyalty without question is expected. They work hard, strive to live in the same house together or in houses near each other. They also have a good temperment (Kwintessential.co.uk). Depending on the generation their first language is either Spanish or it's English. There are some Mexican Americans who have never learned English, however, they have...
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...Composition 15 Jan 2015 Introduction Se Habla Espanol is an essay written by Tanya Barrientos takes readers on her personal journey from childhood to adulthood as she begins to embrace her culture. She was born in Guatemala and came to the states at a very young age. Her story touches briefly on different periods of her life as she ages and details her state of mind as she originally did not identify herself as a Latina. Main Points Barrientos’ family moved to the United States when she was just three years old. The family settled in the state of Texas. At this time, the year being 1963 there was a common stigma against people who held on to their culture. To combat this stigma and ensure their children did not have a rough time they changed the way the communicate. Barrientos regularly recalls hearing her parents speak to each other in Spanish, but they would only talk to her and her sibling in English (Roen, Glau, & Maid, 2011, p. 59). Having the Spanish language effectively eliminated from her household at such a young age had a few adverse effects. Barrientos recalls having a sense of pride when being told that she did not seem Mexican by her friends. Between the ages of 7 and 16, her perception of speaking Spanish was a direct correlation between poverty. Her contention for the culture and wish to not be a part of the Latin label resulted in her saying to her father that she hated being called Mexican when she was 16. Her father sent her to Mexico City as a way to avert...
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...Hispanic-Americans make up a large ethnic group in the United States. Many Americans believe Hispanics are much the same and group them together (panethnicity) but, in fact, the groups are very diverse. Hispanics come from a variety of different cultures and include Mexican-Americans, Puerto Rican-Americans, Cuban-Americans, and Central Americans. Each of these groups vary in their customs, religious beliefs, political views, family views, and other conventions that make them similar in some ways, and very different in others (Franklin, 2009). This paper will discuss the various cultures of Mexican-Americans, Puerto Rican-Americans, Cuban-Americans, and Venezuelan-Americans in America. Mexican-Americans As a result of the Mexican-American war, about 80,000 Mexicans resided in the United States due to the accumulation of New Mexico and California. Even though many returned to Mexico, the majority stayed in the United States and gained their citizenship after two years (Englekirk and Martin, 2009). Since then, Mexican immigration to the United States has grown significantly and for various reasons. Today, Mexican-Americans make up about two thirds of the Hispanic population in the United States (Schaefer, 2006). The first indigenous Mexican people were various Indians such as Mixtec, Aztec, Mayan, Olmec, Toltec, Zapotec, and Teotihuacan who assimilated with Spaniards after Spain invaded Mexico. Mexican families were typically male dominated but close-knit due to respect...
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...With many different cultures in the US, bilingualism has become a big thing with many people speaking English and their native language as well. In the small biography about Martin Espada, he talks about him battling bilingualism and trying to integrate the spanish language into American society. Espada believes that being bilingual gives people of sense of power, a little advantage over people who only...
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