January 29, 2007

Cultural differences


Thanks to my brilliant readers and commenters, I have received lots of ideas for new articles about cultural differences between English speakers (primarily North American) and Spanish speakers (primarily Honduran).

Several of La Gringa readers come from multicultural households, like I do, and many of the readers are expatriates living in Central American countries. What a wealth of information we have here.

Some cultural differences are amusing, some annoying, and some are considered just downright rude to the other culture. However you feel about them, if you are living in another culture, you have to get used to them and do your best to adapt.

However, I believe that just because something is "the way things are done" doesn't necessarily mean that it is right or the best way. Corruption is an example. Corruption is a very real part of the culture in Central America. It is generally accepted and even laughed about (I guess you have to laugh at things you can't change), but it is a very bad thing for the countries and people involved. Similarly, the brusque manner of North American communication gets the job done but there is something to be said for "catching more bees with a little honey," too.

In other words, I think we can all learn a little bit from each other.

I have a few articles drafted and would welcome any suggestions readers (both Hispanic and not) have for discussions of other cultural differences. So, don't be shy. Tell La Gringa what you know, or what you want to know.



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