Cultural Interview Reflection

Interviewing somebody from a different racial, ethnic, or national origin group different than mine was not difficult, it was the reflection after the interview that was challenging. Although two persons grow up in the same city, their values, beliefs, customs, traditions, language, and worldview can be similar, but at times extremely different from one another. I will explain the similarities and differences I found amongst my interviewee and myself.
Curtis, a white male from a Christian background, had similar values to mine. We both believe strongly in education and we both believe in putting family first. Both growing up in the San Fernando Valley, a lower socioeconomic area, we find that working hard and having a solid support system, as well as continuing to grow and educate oneself is the way out of the lower socioeconomic status. We have similar beliefs when it comes to gender roles in the family. My family is traditional where I have, my father, mother, and siblings. Curtis’ described his family the same way and called it a traditional household. Growing up, the male figure was the bread winner and the female was the stay at home

mother. He stated that although that is how he was raised, his beliefs have changed and both he and his wife work to ensure their children have what they need. These values and beliefs were similar between the two of us, but there were far more differences.
Curtis and I both learned a different language as our primary language. His family has never learned anything other than English as he is a white American with several generations here in the United States. On the contrary, my father is an immigrant from Mexico whose primary language is Spanish. My mother is second generation American in the United States, but my grandparents are of Mexican descent. I first learned the Spanish language and later in life English. Curtis seems to think that in the US people should only need to use the English language and Spanish should not be needed. I disagree and feel that being bilingual makes me a stronger and more educated individual.
Another topic Curtis and I found to have different opinions on, were our views of religion. Curtis continues to believe and practice his Christian faith, while I have transitioned into being spiritual. I was taught to be catholic, but later in life I made my own decisions as I questioned my religion. The stories just did not make sense, so I paved my own course when it came to being religious; my choice is to believe, but not in a God. Our differences in religion may also reinforce our different views on people with different sexual orientations than ours. I feel his religious views play a part in him disclosing that he is against and does not understand why people of the same orientation can be with each other, “That’s not the way of God.” He does not believe in same sex marriage and would never accept his children being “that way.” I make sure not think that way, I believe in choice and that one is attracted to whomever they feel attracted to and if my son were to ever feel an attraction to somebody of the same sexual orientation, I would support him.
I began the interview feeling comfortably, as I have conducted a cultural interview as an assignment before.

My previous interviewee and I had various similarities in values, beliefs, customs, traditions, language and worldviews. This interview made me feel comfortable at first when Curtis and I had similarities in values and beliefs, but it became uncomfortable when Curtis began stating his thoughts were different than mine when it came to religion and language. Later, I felt upset, borderline angry, when he began to talk about people of a sexual orientation different than his and people whom prefer same sex orientations. Him speaking negatively and not being open to his own children being different made me feel down. I could not fathom how anyone could think like that. Conducting this cultural interview challenged my

emotions.