Examples Of Cultural Insensitivity

When looking at other cultures and trying to decipher what they are all about, it is important we take into consideration the fact that just because a culture may be different from our own, does not necessarily mean it is inferior or dysfunctional. Throughout each of the pasos in this investigation we looked at how cultural insensitivity could offend people, create stereotypes resulting in blatantly false images of other people and cultures, the affect expansion has had on other people in different cultures in the past, and what it means to either assimilate, melt together, or become a mosaic of diversity. Every culture has its own set of rules and guidelines, it’s the matter of whether or not people respect and try to understand cultural

In Paso 1 we took a look at the 10 most common ways to offend people in other cultures. From being friendly and smiling at a stranger right down to shaking or eating with your left hand being considered disrespectful. These two instances shocked me the most. Normally smiling at a stranger can be seen as merely being polite or friendly, not an insult of stupidity, and complimenting furniture certainly did not mean having to give it to the person admiring said object in a home. By learning more about another culture through its language, we can comfortably and politely interact with people from other cultures. Knowing language is key, regardless of how many gestures or actions a person may know to be offensive. Paso 2 tells us that culture is similar to an iceberg; while we only see the tip of the culture, a whole world lurks underneath. I was shocked by the stereotype created around U.S. citizens being uninformed, fat and incompetent. Some Americans are scientists, doctors, teachers, and lawyers; meaning such a statement is simply impossible. True I myself have formed opinions of groups I have later revisited, becoming informed about different cultures was the key of my newfound understanding. Lack of understanding about different cultures and lack of communication through consistent language can lead to disrespect and stereotypes, which then lead into potential conflict and damage of another

The individual I decided to look more closely at was Apolinaria Lorenzana. She was a child sent by the Spanish colonial government of Mexico along with 21 other children in order to populate their American empires. According to Apolinaria’s account, she and the other children were given away like puppies to the local residents. At the time, expansion in the U.S. was largely dictated by the governments that owned parts of it and in this case, Mexico wanted to populate by tearing children away from their mother homes and countries in order to serve the purpose of strengthening their expansion. After arriving, Apolinaria lived a fairly normal life, but the natives she supervised were often beaten and poorly treated, or even pushed out of their lands altogether. As far as the Spanish saying about the border crossing them rather than them crossing the border, it’s simple. At the time the U.S. was into the idea of manifest destiny, meaning it was both their right and obligation to expand their territory, not caring for the ways or lives of the Spaniards they inevitably invaded. Anglo Americans came and took the land that was already owned by native Spaniards. Because of a lack of understating in the culture and language of others like in the case of the Spaniards and Americans, it led to the creation of stereotypes and conflict amongst the two