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Case study of barriers to intercultural communication
Barriers to intercultural communication
Influence of culture on communication
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Every summer growing up, I would spend 2-3 months living with my grandparents in rural Poland. As much as I loved visiting my grandparents and cousins, the transition was always difficult when I first arrived. I had no problem getting along with my classmates back in America. However, it wasn’t the same with the people living in the Oscieczany neighborhood. Even though I didn’t look very different from anyone, I was labeled as an outsider. I had an American accent and structured my sentences based on English grammar instead of Polish. The kids and teenagers would judge me because of where I came from. They would stereotype me based on the portrayals they saw from television shows and how they depicted people from Southern California. It was
frustrating to me that they labeled me as an outsider without getting to know me and my connection to my Polish family. While the rejection from my peers in Poland was difficult, it was during this time that I learned to appreciate diversity and look at individuals as unique entities. I look forward to learning about a person’s background because it can reveal so much about someone as well as teach me a new perspective. I kept such a mindset as a coach at Bethany Christian Middle School and tutor at the Ronald McDonald House. I made it an effort to emphasize an environment that promoted inclusivity. I will do the same with my patients and emphasize an environment that promotes open-mindedness and respect for diversity. Having such a mindset will allow me to be a culturally competent doctor and enable me to get closer to my patients. The reason for this is because getting to know a patient’s cultural background can provide them with a sense of comfort and trust that ultimately leads to delivering a higher quality of care.
Moving from the unpleasant life in the old country to America is a glorious moment for an immigrant family that is highlighted and told by many personal accounts over the course of history. Many people write about the long boat ride, seeing The Statue of Liberty and the “golden” lined streets of New York City and how it brought them hope and comfort that they too could be successful in American and make it their home. Few authors tend to highlight the social and political developments that they encountered in the new world and how it affected people’s identity and the community that they lived in. Authors from the literature that we read in class highlight these developments in the world around them, more particularly the struggles of assimilating
Everyone had to prove they were independent, capable, and willing to integrate into the cultural melting pot with its own identity of hard work, grit, and determination which established and fostered success in American society. But, not everyone who chooses to take the adventure and risk associated with becoming American wishes to share in this identity. Many feel it necessary to shun the American identity and observe it with a level of disdain. Disregarding the reasons themselves or previous generations may have immigrated to America for. In the short story “Mericans”, Sandra Cisneros illustrates this concept through a character in the story. “The awful grandmother knits the names of the dead and the living into one long prayer fringed with the grandchildren born in that barbaric country with its barbaric ways. (Cisneros)”. In the story it is later identified the children in reference were indeed born in the United States. “Awful grandmother” has an incredibly low opinion of the society in which her grandchildren were born. Barbaric, let’s take a look at that word shall we—“without civilizing influences; uncivilized; primitive (barbaric)”. The detriment of that perception seems to be counterproductive to the melting pot concept of the United
As a European immigrant in the USA, I have encountered many new cultural phenomena in the last 4 _ years that have challenged me to perceive who I am differently. This experience has been even more polarized by the fact that I have lived most of that time in Los Angeles, a melting pot to be reckoned with. Coming to America, I expected these adaptations to my Irish self but the intensity of becoming cognizant of my label of 'whiteness' has mocked the limitations of my anticipations.
In the early years of my life, adapting to the foreign customs of America was my top priority. Although born in America, I constantly moved back and forth from Korea to the US, experiencing nerve-racking, yet thrilling emotions caused by the unfamiliarity of new traditions. Along with these strange traditions, came struggles with accepting my ethnicity. Because of the obvious physical differences due to my race, the first question asked by the students in elementary school was, “Are you from China?” These inquiries were constantly asked by several of American students until middle school which transformed to “You must be good at math” referencing the stereotypical intellect that Asian are perceived to have. Through continuous insult on my Asian heritage, I began to believe and later hate the person I was due to criticism made by teenagers which I started to see true despite all the lies that was actively told. This racial discrimination was a reoccurring pattern that
When people from the South Bronx neighbourhood go to stores, hospitals, or churches outside of their own area, there is a sense of rejection. “They’re right. I don’t belong in a nice hospital. My skin is black. I’m Puerto Rican. I’m on welfare. I belong in my own neighbourhood. This is where I’m supposed to be.” (Kozol, 176) This is the common reality that plagues the adults. Consequently, a society that discriminates against people due to their skin colour and status contributes to the negative way these children think. If the adults are having a difficult time dealing with the issues already, what possibly could be on the minds of their children? Majority of the children believe they do not fit the social norms of the American society and therefore are treated like outcasts. The poverty-stricken children discuss with Kozol the reasons why they feel this way. “If you go downtown to a nice store, they look at you sometimes as if your body is disgusting. You can be dressed in...
The Polish heritage has been an important part of my life. It has taught me to be respectful and caring towards my family, friends, and others. My father’s side of our family is Polish. My great-grandfather came from Poland to escape the perils of World War II. He was a farmer, who traveled to the United States for the promise of a new life. He taught himself how to become a wood-worker and a handy man, but he worked as a miner in the United States. My great-grandfather was extremely determined to provide for his family, and wife in the United States. After a many years, I was born. From my birth, I was introduced to our Polish heritage. My great-grandfather would read to me in Slavic. He was extremely family oriented. After he left his fourteen siblings in Poland, he still made an immense effort to remain in contact with them. Even at my young age, when he was alive, I remember seeing his relatives visiting, even though I could not communicate with them. After he passed, our Polish culture still remained dominate.
In the year 2000, right before the start of my 5th grade year, I moved to the Dominican Republic from the United States. My parents wanted to raise my sisters and me there. I had to start a new life, a new school, and make new friends. Making the transition from the United States to the Dominican Republic really wasn’t difficult because I spoke Spanish at home with my family. In fact, I was a good student, often earning honor roll and getting diplomas for having good grades. I moved back again to the United States in my junior year of high school, because my parents wanted me to go to college in the US. It wasn’t easy; I didn’t know anybody, I had to make new friends again, and I wasn’t familiar with the life over here. I only spoke a little bit of English, because I had spent many years taking classes in Spanish while in the Dominican Republic. To help me pick up the language again, I decided to take regular classes instead of english as a second language because I thought this strategy would help me learn more English and get accustom to the language.
Being an outsider can have many negative effects on a person, such as hindering a person’s level of participation and their ability to function in a community. The harmful labels and prejudices against a person, group, or race can keep a person from having the same opportunities as those around them, effectively preventing their participation. Unfortunately, there are many examples of this in the book The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore and the Spiegel online article, “Europe’s Unwanted People.”
At first, the idea of my family and me moving to the United States was fun and exciting. I couldn’t wait for the time for my family and me to leave, get to ride an airplane, eat stateside food such as spam, corned beef, apples, and oranges, and experience the different seasons, especially winter. Because of the excitement of coming to America, I didn’t have the time to think and realize the effects of moving away from home such as missing everything, adopting a different culture, and being independent.
Since I still wanted to make friends, I desperately continued to try to break down the barrier between my peers and I and I slowly began to succeed. As I began making more and more friends, my experience in the U.S. started to become a happier one. Although there were still many things about American culture that I did not understand, I chose to face my fears head on which lead to a more content life. I realized that no matter where you are from, what obstacles you had to face, or what social class you belong to, coming to America gives you an opportunity to build a new and better life for you and your family. The journey to learn this lesson was not an easy one, but I’m glad I learned it.
But do you really know the struggle? Do you know what it is literally to not understand anything? Do you know what it is to live in scared? Or even simpler, do you know what it is living in a small trailer sleeping with all your siblings and parents together in an old bed trying to escape the harsh cold winter? Do you really know? Because of this, I needed to adapt to my new environment at a fast pace. Eventually, I did. But, this let to a conflict that was like a war within me. I was fighting with who I needed to become and who I wanted to be. To clarify this, I can put it into a social and psychological scene. I needed to be someone who was not seen as an immigrant because that would open doors for me in my community. On the other hand, I wanted to be an example for others in the same situation as me. How can I be both in order to move forward? At the end, I realized that despite what I did and what I understood I was not going to be accepted because I have an accent, because I look hispanic and because I come from a low-economic background. Consequently, I was denied academic opportunities in my high school because having an accent made me look inferior. All I had and still have is very limited. Having limitations is not under my control. The only thing I can do is enrich my knowledge with the little I do
I grew up in a world where I was torn between who I was and what others wanted me to be. I was a biracial child in a monoracial society. My Guatemalan father and my Casuauain mother were often ridiculed for having “impurities”
In today’s society, many individuals have trouble accepting people whose views differ from theirs. Unfortunately, many outsiders and foreigners find it rather difficult to interact with individuals who do not share similar cultural or religious beliefs. As a Bengali-American born and raised in the predominantly Hispanic community of Laredo, Texas, I have experienced different views and customs entirely different from those of my culture. Because of these cultural differences, I have been a victim of bullying. However, differences in my name, skin color, religious beliefs, and ethnic customs did not hinder by interactions with so-called Laredoans. As I grew older, I became accustomed to the different lifestyles, both mine and to those of Laredo
Living in the City vs. Living in the Country The age-old question has plagued many, “Should I live in a city or should I live in the country?”. There are many advantages and disadvantages to choosing a lifestyle in either setting, and careful examination of all aspects is needed to make the perfect decision for you. One major issue affecting many people trying to make the decision on where to live is their quality of life in either extreme. Health, education, and transportation are three major concerns that many consider.
Imagine having to choose to reside in one place for the rest of your life. Which would you opt for? Some people would argue that the hyperactive lifestyle that a big city has to offer has more benefits than living in the country. However, others would contend that the calm and peaceful environment of the countryside is much more rewarding. Several people move from the city to a farm to get away from the hustle and bustle. Likewise, some farmers have traded in their tractors and animals to live a fast paced city life. Of course, not all large cities are the same nor are all of the places in the country identical. Realizing this, ten years ago, I decided to hang up the city life in Indiana to pursue a more laid back approach to life in rural Tennessee. Certainly, city life and life in the country have their benefits, but they also have distinguishable differences.