1 Idiosyncrasies

IDIOSYNCRASIES A mode of behavior or a way of thought From both sides



 The Americas

IDIOSYNCRASIES

IDIOSYNCRASIES A mode of behavior or a way of thought

The Americas

contents from both sides

Introduction: . About Idiosyncrasies

2

. AH!

3

. Adjustments

7

Parallelism: . Geographical Differences

11

. Geographically Unaware

13

. Religion

15

. GDP-Per Capita

17

. Language

19

. Communication

21

. Punctuality

23

. Levels of Respect

25

. Physical Contact

27

. Classroom behavior

29

. Family Dynamics

31

. Food

33

. Holidays

35

. Physical Appearance

37

. Dates

39

. Calendar

41

. Measuring Scales

43

. Loyalty and Trust

45

. Work vs. Play

47

. Hiring Practices

49

. Money

51

Conclusion: . HA!

53

References: . Bibliography

55

About idiosyncrasies from both sides

This book was designed and written by Angela Guzmán in the Fall of 2008 for professor Lindsay French, head of the HPPS department at the Rhode Island School of Design. Idiosyncrasies resulted from my personal need to investigate the interactions between two cultures — recently emigrating Hispanics † and Americans ‡ living in the United States. Being exposed to both cultures, I have seen the misunderstandings and misconceptions that could have been avoided at the crossroads*. Although Hispanics come from 20 countries and America is also extremely diverse in culture, there are nevertheless statistically-based conclusions that could be drawn. This work goes beyond personal experience using re†

Hispanic: A first or second generation immigrant from Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America. First generation applies to either a person who relocates to the US, or the first to become a citizen of the US, in their family lineage.

American: A non-Hispanic citizen of the United States, not limited to Anglo-Saxons, who possesses a sense of American national pride.

‡

The places where American and Hispanic cultures collide head-tohead and where stereotypes meet. *

search to understand the interactions between these two sectors. The book is presented as follows: the twenty-two chapter headings identify key crossroad issues, such as physical contact, work versus play, and family dynamics. The parallelism of the spreads is exploited to present dual experience of both cultures. On the left side you will find what is commonly believed by Americans, and on the opposite page you will find what most Hispanics agree are their cultural practices. The goal is to present tensions which will allow the reader to rethink prejudices.

2|

AH!... SO MUCH CONFUSION.

Americans

hispanics

1

|5

Becker, 2004, p.116

1

6|

When Americans travel abroad, it is said they “instantly notice strange sights, smells, and sounds of their new reality. So varied and intense are the changes in these unfamiliar surroundings that their senses are overwhelmed.” 2

sights

smells

sounds

new reality

2

americans | 7

Becker, 2004, p.115

adjustments from both sides

Similar to a university setting, people who are adjusting to a new country experience a “U-shaped curve” 3 as they move through the cultural process. This is the case for Hispanics who relocate to the United States.

high expectations

your unique fit

dissatisfaction frustration

increasing understanding

depression

3

Krieg, 2008

8 | hispanics

What I draw from both sides is a sense of ill-formed notions when it comes to adjusting to a new person or place. Yet, I feel people from either side fail to realize they share a mutual reaction. Here is the only instance where I draw a commonality in order to build the context surrounding the following chapters.

americans | 9

My voice

from both sides

10 | hispanics

Americans think of themselves not only coming from a particular ethnic heritage, but also of being of a geographic region. They come from the East, South, Midwest, and West. This country is large, so it is important to note the differences found within it. 4

east

New England, early economic and cultural center for almost two centuries. Known for their self-reliance, and distinctive accent, particularly in Boston.

south

Famous for “southern hospitality” and a distinctive accent, known as the “southern drawl.” Early Protestants originally settled this region.

midwest

west

Called “America’s cultural crossroads” and “breadbasket.” Settlers mainly from Germany, Sweden, and Norway. Settlers moved here for opportunities and escape religious persecution. It is the “frontier spirit” and had a significant impact in the development of American culture.

4

americans | 11

Miller, 2000

GEOGRAPHICAL DIFFERENCES from both sides

There is an “implied but mistaken assumption that the only one of the 35 countries of the Western Hemisphere qualified to be called America is the United States. Many residents of the United States appropriate for their own exclusive use the nationhood label American.” 1 This description is offensive to the half-billion people residing in the other thirty-four nations of the Americas.

20

“There is no one size fits all description of latin Americans. Each country has its own striking idiosyncrasies.”5

Latin American Countries

5

Becker, 2004, pp.4, 17

12 | hispanics

Even though the United States is such a big place, some of its residents have little knowledge of the rest of the world. They think that “Koreans speak Chinese” and “Colombia is a city in Mexico.” The best thing to do is to share a little “good-nature information about your own country and your international point of view.”6

bogota is the capital of † Columbia.

6 Burgoyne, 2008 A common but annoying spelling mistake I find everywhere. The correct spelling is Colombia, with an “o”.

†

americans | 13

Geographically unaware from both sides

People from the United States can be perceived as “culturally myopic, geographically unsophisticated, historically uninformed when dealing with Latin America” 7 for the reasons mentioned on the previous page.

7

Becker, 2004, p.5

14 | hispanics

51% are Protestant

8

8

americans | 15

Wikipedia, 2008

Religion from both sides

90% are Roman Catholic

8

16 | hispanics

United States $44,000

9

9

americans | 17

CIA,2008

GDP-per from capita both sides

Argentina: $11,500 Bolivia: $2,600 Brazil: $6,600 Chile: $10,000 Colombia: $6,300 Costa Rica: $9,300 Cuba: $2,300 Dominican Rep: $5,800 Ecuador: $3,100 El Salvador: $4,400 Guatemala: $3,700 Honduras:$2,650 Mexico: $9,100 Nicaragua: $2,400 Panama: $5,500 Paraguay: $4,500 Peru: $4,600 Puerto Rico: $12,000 Uruguay: $10,000 Venezuela: $6,200

10

10

Becker,2004, pp.19-27

18 | hispanics

The United States has no official language. Yet, each state has the right to determine which language meets the needs of it’s population or its local government. It is interesting to note that Hispanics “consider Americans as sometimes cold and abrupt” when they speak. 11

11

americans | 19

Radlovic, 1956, p.104

Language from both sides

Preserving the Spanish language within the family is a common practice in most Hispanic homes. The conversations between them are usually “loud, fast, and adorned with animated gestures and body language to better convey points.” 12 Americans, on the other hand, “sometimes interpret the Hispanic’s warmth as insincere and excessive” 13

12

Clutter, 2008

13

Radlovic, 1956, p.104

20 | hispanics

Americans feel it is “pointless” and “premature” to invest much time talking. They prefer to reach a logical point quickly. 14

logic 14

americans | 21

Becker, 2004, p.129

Communication from both sides

Hispanics are the opposite. Taking up a greater number of words to express an idea, they relay heavily on emotional or symbolic content.

emotion 22 | hispanics

American professionals take promptness seriously, and the quickest way to lose their respect is to show up late. If you remember only one thing, it is this: if you have an appointment, be there on time, or even early. 15

on time

15

americans | 23

Burgoyne, 2008

Punctuality from both sides

Hispanics are more relaxed about time and punctuality than Americans. “People who are invited for an 8 AM event may not begin to arrive until 8:30 or later. Not being on time, in Hispanic communities, is socially acceptable behavior.” 16

Ra re ly

on time

16

Clutter, 2008

24 | hispanics

Rules are meant to be broken if the “deviation can be explained as being best” for the goal. 17 Thus, children are encouraged to develop their own freewill by treating their parents as equals.

17

americans | 25

Becker, 2004, p.120

Levels of respect from both sides

Hispanics like rules, so they don’t break them as often as Americans. Therefore, children are taught to be obedient to their parents, have good manners, and respect for authority and elders.

However, Latin Americans acknowledge the creativity value of the U.S. freewill embedded during childhood; “they also view the drugs, promiscuity, and materialism that plague U.S. adult society as its unhealthy behavioral extensions.” 18 18

Becker, 2004, p.118

26 | hispanics

Handshakes are appropriate between males and females of any age. There is more contact between friends, and women tend to touch more than men. Sometimes female friends hug or kiss on the cheek. But with men, physical contact drops significantly. You also do not see many couples walking with arms around each other’s shoulders. Strangers do not touch each other, and if it happens by accident people typically say “excuse me” or “sorry” no matter whose fault it is. In general, Americans “keep a distance of about three feet from strangers and colleagues, even during conversations or standing in line.” 19 If you enter their space, they usually become uncomfortable and tend to back away from you. The key is to know when it’s time to stop moving closer.

19

americans | 27

Burgoyne, 2008

Physical contact from both sides

For Hispanics, it is like performing a small ritual when they interact with others. They handshake as they greet or leave. A “hug and light kiss on the cheek between women and men” is very common. They are formal when they speak as their language has different uses for the pronoun you (usted vs. tu); usted is a polite use and the tu command is used between familiar people. They also use “titles of respect before people’s first names.” 20 These titles are Don or Doña. The actual physical distance between Hispanics is much closer when they hold a conversation, if you are to compare it to other cultures. Some go as far as to say that “communication is a contact sport in Latin America.” 21

20 21

Clutter, 2008

Becker, 2004, p.128

28 | hispanics

In an American classroom, students are supposed to ask questions and give feedback as a way to show their participation. This behavior indicates that the student is engaged, paying attention, and interested in the material discussed in class. 22

22

americans | 29

Krieg, 2008

Classroom behavior from both sides

But on the flip side, many Hispanics are taught to listen attentively to the teacher and make little to no response. Because this is the complete opposite of the standards in the US, many students appear to be disengaged and not interested in learning. Some people point out that “the things that have defined your academic success in your home culture may or may not ensure your success in the US. So, watch your American classmates, and mirror their general behavior.” 23

23

Krieg, 2008

30 | hispanics

Probably one-hundred years ago, family dynamics were similar to those in Latin America. However, in contemporary terms family is defined in a broader sense than that of the nuclear family of long ago. Family is “almost any grouping of two or more people domiciled together. These family groupings include single-parent households, blended families made up of stepparents and stepchildren or adoptive parents and their children, and couples cohabiting outside wedlock, including gay couples.” 24 Single parent families are growing, making up over a quarter of America. Over the “course of a generation, the number of children per family has declined by half.” 24

“Today the U.S. is a society Without a clear unitary set Of family ideals and values.” 24

24

americans | 31

Mintz, 1988

Family dynamics from both sides

Typically, the father is the head of the family in Latin America and he is “deferred to for many of the important decisions.” 25 The mother is usually responsible for the home, although this may be changing. One of the striking differences between Americans and Hispanics is their ways of interacting with the other members of their family, included the extended relatives. Individual Hispanics “aid other members of the family experiencing financial problems, unemployment, poor health conditions, and other life issues.” 26 One other note to point out, and one that I have witnessed cause some eyebrow raising when these groups interact with one another is that for Hispanics, “staying with a relative or friend of a relative is common when traveling to another town or city (vacation, business, medical reasons),” 26 while for Americans this may be too hectic and too close of an interaction.

25

Gannon, 2004, p.100

26

Clutter, 2008

32 | hispanics

Americans love soft drinks, and they are quickly becoming their “favorite breakfast beverage.” Heavier meals, like “specialty sandwiches and burritos are fast growing items” too. This shows the rapidly growing need to eat out for all three meals. Americans are spending “forty-nine cents of every food dollar on food eaten outside the home.” 27 Although Americans enjoy coffee during work hours, it is no after-dinner ritual.



sodas 27

americans | 33

Lambert, 2004

Food

from both sides

Coffee compliments most meals in Latin America — even children drink it. They take their time preparing meals, and for the most part, their day is broken up in the following ways: breakfast, lunch, a small rest period called a “Siesta”, followed by a small informal meal known as the “merienda”, and ending with dinner and sometimes a “sobremesa”. They do much talking after the main meals. When you offer more food to Hispanics, they “tend to accept only after it is offered a second or third time.” 28 So do not assume



they did not enjoy your food because they reject it at first.

coffee 28

Becker, 2004, p.147

34 | hispanics

American holidays are as follows: 1. Martin Luther King Day 2. Presidents’ Day 3. Valentine’s Day 4. Easter 5. Memorial Day 6. Independence Day 7. Labor Day 8. Columbus Day 9. Halloween 10. Veterans Day 11. Thanksgiving Day 12. Christmas Day 29

29

americans | 35

Wikipedia, 2008

Holidays from both sides

Many countries in Central and South America enjoy more holidays than their neighbors up north. For instance, in Colombia there are 17 national holidays, and between “the Monday preceding a Tuesday holiday or the Friday following a Thursday holiday you will find “puentes” (bridges) for a long weekend break.” 30 Colombian holidays are as follows: 1. New Year’s Day 2. Epiphany 3. Saint Joseph’s Day 4. Good Friday 5. Labor Day 6. Ascension of Jesus 7. Corpus Christi 8. Sacred Heart 9. Saint Pedro and Saint Pablo’s Day 10. Independence Day 11. Battle of Boyacá 12. Assumption of Mary 13. Columbus Day 14. All Saints’ Day 15. Independence of Cartagena 16. La Inmaculada Concepción 17. Christmas Day 31

30 31

Becker, 2004, p.19

Wikipedia, 2008

36 | hispanics

You may say that Americans value looks and appearances a lot. But generally, they tend to dress casually when attending social gatherings that are more or less commonly practiced. One example where the level of celebration is the same, but looks vary is the American “Sweet Sixteen” and the highly anticipated Hispanic “Quinces”. The Sweet Sixteen is a festive celebration for girls as they enter womanhood. They tend not to be as formally organized. 32

32

americans | 37

Ellis-Christensen, 2003–08

Physical appearance from both sides

For Hispanics, it seems like they value looks and appearance at a larger scale because of the importance in “sense of honor, dignity, and pride.” 33 Formal attire is commonly worn by Hispanics to churches, parties, social gatherings, and work. Quinceañera is also a celebration for girls becoming women. However, it is composed primarily of family and close friends to elaborately arranged balls. A reception is held in the home or a banquet hall and the festivities include food and music, and in most cases, a choreographed waltz or dance performed by the Quinceañera and her court. 34

33

Clutter, 2008

34

Ellis-Christensen, 2003–08

38 | hispanics

Month / day / year

12/8/09 December 8, 2009

americans | 39

Dates

from both sides

Day / month / year

12/8/09 August 12, 2009

40 | hispanics

Americans start their calendars with Sunday.

S

americans | 41

M

T

W

T

F

S

Calendar from both sides

Hispanics start their calendar with Monday.

M

T

W

T

F

S

S

42 | hispanics

customary SYSTEM

yr/mi oz/lb ˚F/a americans | 43

Measuring from scales both sides

international system

m/km ml/kg ˚C/hg 44 | hispanics

Americans “lack loyalty to employers, groups, communities, coworkers, relatives, and spouses.” 35 But on the flip side, rules come before loyalty.

rules loyalty 35

americans | 45

Becker, 2004, p.122

Loyalty andfromtrust both sides

Hispanics would say “I need to trust you, before we can do business.” For them, loyalty precedes rules. 36

rules loyalty 36

Becker, 2004, p.78

46 | hispanics

US managers are seen as problem solvers. They roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty to resolve an immediate problem on the factory floor. It would be admired by their peers, but at the same time the managers are able to keep their superior status. 37

37

americans | 47

Becker, 2004, p.117

Work vs. Play from both sides

Latin American managers are seen as an experts. By rolling up their sleeves, their superiors may question their social pedigree and worry their behavior could set a bad precedent, and in return their subordinates may loose respect for them. 38

“Latin Americans are Lazy and unproductive” 38 But in reality, Hispanics “work when it is time to work. When it is time to play, they play. Knowing how to manage by the Hispanic clock is key to raising productivity.” 35 The issue is not that they are “incapable of producing at globally competitive levels” bur rather “it is to intelligently manage their proven impressive potential for production.” 38

38

Becker, 2004, pp.61, 80, 117

48 | hispanics

Employers in the United States rank potential employees on qualifications, professional skills, achievements, and education. 39

39

americans | 49

Becker, 2004, p.124

Hiring practices from both sides

For Hispanics, it’s all about the applicant’s family background, social class, loyalty to an executive, and ability to get along with coworkers. “This blurs the lines between personal and work lives.”40

40

Becker, 2004, p.124

50 | hispanics

Americans are known for being big donors compared to the rest of the world. “The two most generous groups in America are the rich and the working poor. The middle class give the least.”41 Yet, their contributions help maintain charities, fix public poverty, and fight environmental neglect. When going to restaurants, hotels, etc it is common to give a percentage back to the person do-



ing a service for you.

yes

tips

41

americans | 51

Stossel, 2006

Money

from both sides

Hispanics, on the other hand, “have detached attitudes that lead to nepotism, tax evasion, littering, environmental neglect, reluctance to cooperate to achieve a common goal, and tradition of public charity and fixing the public poverty that surrounds them.”42 It is also important to note that for Hispanics it is not common to give tips.



tips

no

42

Becker, 2004, p.123

52 | hispanics

HISPANICS

HA! LET’S SHARE A GOOD LAUGH INSTEAD.

AMERICANS

Becker, Thomas H. Doing Business in the New Latin America. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2004. Burgoyne, Christine E. “Getting Used to American Idiosyncrasies.” Athens, GA: University of Georgia’s Language Program. 2008. RISD: 22 Nov. 2008. . CIA. “The World Factbook.” 2008. RISD: 22 Nov. 2008


tions/the-world-factbook/print/us.html>. Clutter, Ann W. and Nieto, Ruben D. “Understanding the Hispanic Culture” Ohio State University Fact sheet. RISD: 22 Nov. 2008. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Extension. . Ellis-Christensen, Tricia. “What is a Quinceañera?” 2003-2008. RISD: 6 Dec. 2008. . Gannon, Martin J. Understanding Global Cultures. London: Sage Publications, Inc. 2004. Krieg, Lisa. “Cultural Adjustments” Carnegie Mellon University’s office of International Education. RISD: 22 Nov. 2008. .

| 55

Bibliography from both sides

Lambert, Craig “The Way We Eat Now: Ancient bodies collide with modern technology to produce a flabby, disease-ridden populace.” May-June 2004. RISD: 6 Dec. 2008. . Millet, Joyce. “Cultural Savvy: Understanding American Culture.”2000. RISD: Dec 6. 2008. . Mintz, Steven and Kellogg, Susan. Domestic Revolutions: a social history of American family life. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Inc.1988. Morrison, Terri and Conaway, Wayne A. Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: How to do Business in 18 Latin American Countries. Avon, MA: Adams Media Publications, 2007. Radlovic, I. Monte. Etiquette and Protocol: A Handbook of Conduct in American and International Circles. New York, NY: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1956. Stossel,

John

and

Kendall,

Kristina.

“Who

Gives and Who Doesn’t? Putting the Stereotypes to the Test.” ABC News. 2006. RISD: 6 Nov.

2008.


Story?id=2682730&page=2)>. Wikipedia. “Latin America” 2008. RISD: Dec 6. 2008.


America>.

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