Our own cultures are the core of who we are but our neighbor's affects the person we are becoming.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
A trip to Puerto Plata
Born in America I have absorbed the melting pot of cultures that inhabit this country, although they have been slightly modified to integrate with our American norms. Having a variety of peers with different backgrounds, I am accustom to interacting with different cultures on a more personal level. On a recent birthday trip to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, I was able to interact with Dominicans of the area. Within the resort and the streets of Puerto Plata one thing was evident, a culture clash. Other than the language barrier, Dominicans are more affectionate, aggressive and embracing than Americans. In observing Dominican natives and their reactions with each other, every spoken word accompanied a soft stroke on the shoulder or endearing nickname. Another distinct difference for me were the persistent and aggressive salespeople.They were slightly more forceful than American salespeople, almost forcing the sale. All in all I found that the Dominicans I befriended or spoke to treated me like family, a very abnormal response to the more business-oriented and self-seeking American.
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I love that quote at the end of this post. Do you mind if I use it in future semesters when I talk about culture?
ReplyDelete--prof K
I completely agree with you when you say that people in Dominican Republic show much more affection in their language and gestures. It may also be something that many different hispanics do in their native countries. When I visisted Puerto Rico and Peru I noticed how humble and helpful people were. Not to say that they are not here in the U.S but the American life is so fast that people are always in a rush and do not seem so easy to approach.
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