Interviews

Our group was interested in understanding how Latinos understood their cultural identity.  To that end, we created a short survey and reached out to Ohio University's international community.  Unfortunately, our survey only had a 50% response rate, but the answers we received still provided valuable insights.  Respondents indicated that being from Latin American countries was key to their identities.  One respondent noted that her country (Colombia) featured many different cultural identities based on what area a person was from--a notion not so alien for those of us from the United States.

Respondents stated that differences between cultures continue to cause problems for them.  One mentioned that in Latin American countries, it was normal to kiss someone on the cheek when greeting them, but here when she leans it, almost reflexively, the American will put his or her hand out for shaking.  It reminds her that she is somewhere else.  Similarly, another mentioned being less aware of American's "bubble" or personal zone.  She indicated that on more than one occasion she had violated it and had to remind herself where she was.

Respondents stated that their time abroad made them more Latin American.  That is, the more they were away, the more they identified with others from their home region.  The first respondent indicated she had many more Latin American friends than she thought she would just because it was easier to connect with them because even if their culture was unique, there were enough shared qualities to make connections easier.  Another respondent reported she always felt a little alien at home, but the more time away she spends the more "Costena" (person from the coast) she feels.

All this suggests that our core identity is pretty fixed.  While we may feel one way while at home in our "safe" place, when we travel abroad, we take our place with us in the form of our attitudes and mores.  We use these cultural aspects to present ourselves to others and to make connections with people who share similar cultural traits.  This American Life once featured a pair of women, one rich and the other poor.  Both married Americans and had immigrated to the USA from Russia.  While neither would have been friends with the other in their native land, their shared culture brought them together.  Initially they didn't exactly hit it off, but in the end, shared culture won out and they became friends.