St. Valentine's Day
St. Valentine's Day is Cultural!
I work in a multi-cultural office. Every year I send an electronic Valentine's Day card to my friends and coworkers. This year I decided not to send the card to my coworkers.
Why? This is my first year in this office. The day before Valentine's Day, one of coworkers (Chinese) asked if Americans send valentines to everyone. She went to the store during lunchtime and saw that her coworkers were buying Valentine's for their children, in addition to their significant others. She understood that valentines were only for your significant other.
Last year when I was teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), my Cape Verdean and Haitian students thought the opposite. I wouldn't be around to write this blog If I didn't send them a Valentine's Day card or bought them a rose.
Often, it is the small things that you don't think about that present cultural misunderstandings. Americans tend to be very casual. While I think this is great, sometimes this casual attitude can lead to misunderstandings. For example, in some cultures, addressing a superior in a formal manner is expected. It is a sign of disrespect addressing that person by their first name.
Dress is also cultural. My Russian friends tell me that when a Russian invites you to his/her home (even in the United States), wear dress clothes. In their culture, it is a sign of disrespect to dress casually for this type of invitation. They believe it sends the message that you don't really care.
A few years ago I was teaching an ESL class that was very multi-cultural. My students were from France, Italy, China, Israel, and the Ulkraine. They told me that teachers in their countries dressed business casual. Since it was summer, I wore jeans, a jersey, and sneakers. Occasionally I got away wearing sandals and no socks. The students asked me to dress up.
I asked them how students in their countries dressed for class. They told me business casual. I asked them why they were coming to my class dressed in jeans, t-shirts, and sandals. They said because this is the U.S. and they could. I told them that is why I dress as I do. Occasionally, I did dress up.
As the United States becomes more diverse, so does its cultural. I stress its, because American culture is the culture of others. It is the definition of American.
Even the meaning of the word American is cultural. My students from Guatemala, Mexico, Equador, and Brazil asked me why people from the United States only consider themselves American, but not people from their countries. They said Guatemala is part of Central America, Mexico is part of North America, and Equador and Brazil are part of South America. They are also American. They are correct!
I work in a multi-cultural office. Every year I send an electronic Valentine's Day card to my friends and coworkers. This year I decided not to send the card to my coworkers.
Why? This is my first year in this office. The day before Valentine's Day, one of coworkers (Chinese) asked if Americans send valentines to everyone. She went to the store during lunchtime and saw that her coworkers were buying Valentine's for their children, in addition to their significant others. She understood that valentines were only for your significant other.
Last year when I was teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), my Cape Verdean and Haitian students thought the opposite. I wouldn't be around to write this blog If I didn't send them a Valentine's Day card or bought them a rose.
Often, it is the small things that you don't think about that present cultural misunderstandings. Americans tend to be very casual. While I think this is great, sometimes this casual attitude can lead to misunderstandings. For example, in some cultures, addressing a superior in a formal manner is expected. It is a sign of disrespect addressing that person by their first name.
Dress is also cultural. My Russian friends tell me that when a Russian invites you to his/her home (even in the United States), wear dress clothes. In their culture, it is a sign of disrespect to dress casually for this type of invitation. They believe it sends the message that you don't really care.
A few years ago I was teaching an ESL class that was very multi-cultural. My students were from France, Italy, China, Israel, and the Ulkraine. They told me that teachers in their countries dressed business casual. Since it was summer, I wore jeans, a jersey, and sneakers. Occasionally I got away wearing sandals and no socks. The students asked me to dress up.
I asked them how students in their countries dressed for class. They told me business casual. I asked them why they were coming to my class dressed in jeans, t-shirts, and sandals. They said because this is the U.S. and they could. I told them that is why I dress as I do. Occasionally, I did dress up.
As the United States becomes more diverse, so does its cultural. I stress its, because American culture is the culture of others. It is the definition of American.
Even the meaning of the word American is cultural. My students from Guatemala, Mexico, Equador, and Brazil asked me why people from the United States only consider themselves American, but not people from their countries. They said Guatemala is part of Central America, Mexico is part of North America, and Equador and Brazil are part of South America. They are also American. They are correct!
posted by Alan | 8:52 AM
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