Intercultural Communication Tips
"...It is important to be friendly and very humble..."
Do you have something important to say to someone who is not from Guatemala? For example: This is the best thing or if this is the most important thing to know about Guatemala? From your culture or what you think is the most important aspect?
1: The most important thing for a Guatemalan… Guatemala has many different departments and each has differing ways, but at least where I lived the most important thing for a person from the US or Asia, is to know is to speak Spanish. Even if it is not perfectly spoken, but they would be able to understand the people. It is important to be friendly and very humble.
2: For me it is the same. Here many say that I am not from Guatemala because some of the people have a certain tone to their Spanish that is common over there but when using a better vocabulary I sound different.
"...Sometimes when I rode the bus, I saw that people yelled at me but since I did not know what they said, I would not say anything..."
Can you describe an instance when your culture became a challenge to you? For example when it was an obstacle?
1: My obstacle was the language here. Because in Guatemala only Spanish is the most common language. So for me it was hard to be here because I did not know what was being said. Sometimes when I rode the bus, I saw that people yelled at me but since I did not know what they said, I would not say anything. Another is that there are people from other places such as Asians and from other countries and one cannot make friends because of the language and others because of how they are dressed.
2: My obstacle is not being able to speak English. But I go to a Mormon Church and missionaries would come to the house (in Guatemala) and I would ask them how to say things and I would tell them that maybe someday I would need to know that. So they would tell me. When I came here I already had some words in my mind. Being here I saw that they were pronounced differently and I thought I am not going to say them because I know I am going to say them wrong and people might laugh at me. That was the fear I had. So I found other Latinos and asked them how to pronounce and they always helped me. My major obstacle was the language. I felt discriminated.
And the obstacles, if you could go back to the past, would you do things differently? Like when you arrived and did not know any English?
1: I would love to go back!
2: Well I would go back because I wish I could learn things over there. I would like to learn more about being over there. I did learn a lot of English, but since the children over there are in a different world, we are in a different world and do not pay attention to that. For that reason, when one comes here and you think well now what do I do, they taught me but I did not pay attention that.
In general, what challenges in communication are there more than just the differences in language? Since you are from a different culture of those born here, is there another obstacle or challenge other than language?
2: Yes, its like people here, there is lots of racism, people think that because you speak a certain way, everyone speaks the same way and that all Latinos speak that way. And that’s when discrimination starts and they are humiliated. There is even more abuse because I have seen some people that are Latinos and they are undocumented are even more abused. They make them work more and pay them less. So I think there is lots of discrimination.
1: Another is that one as an immigrant does not have the same rights as those born here. Other people try to speak English, but because they fear being discriminated they prefer to say nothing and keep silent.
Are there outsiders that might have more challenges than others? Like for example a woman might have more challenges than a man because in this country it’s more masculine and it really should be equal.
2: At least the persons who come from another country. Let’s suppose I am an adult male and I am married. I come here and think that I have the same rights as I would have over there. Let’s say over there I used to hit her, and I come here and think I have the same right to keep hitting her but when I get here, I am confronted with the idea that you cannot touch the woman because this or that can happen, you can be deported. But things change because women have rights as men do. They have the same. Nothing is different, everything's the same. The same rights are given to one as to the other. Nothing changes.
Is there some common words that you would like to teach someone who is not from Guatemala, but that would help with communication? Something basic?
2: That is very difficult. Well, in the capital, where my father is from. Let’s say someone wants to go Guatemala to learn about the culture, they have to be respectful and not be intimidated by people, they should try to overcome that, and say that they can. At least, now it is changing because people greet each other with bad words, so maybe learning things like: Good night, have a nice day, have a nice afternoon, thank you. I am not sure what those are called.
How should an outsider manage their nonverbal communication? Such as body language, eye contact, clothing choice and vocal tone. So without talking, what is the form of communication?
1: Like what kind of contact can we have without being able to talk?
2: The eyes, so if a look somewhere and the person will know what I am saying by the signals I give. Or to do this or by pointing. But what we mostly use are our eyes.
What kind of clothing should you not wear?
1: We should not wear red and blue.
2: Yes, I should not wear blue and red.
1: In my country, people from the country dress in regular clothes. City people wear ties, jackets, dress pants, dress shoes. But all casual. You can come across a hitman and you would not know if he is bad or good. All you might know is that someone was killed in the street, but no one saw anything. But in other places, long bell-bottomed pants are worn and shirts.
1: Here it is the Norteno/Sureno.
2: Over there it is the Mara 18th and the Mara Salvatrucha 13th.
Imagine that all the tips that you described, like the nonverbal and type of dress wear are used in all intercultural interactions. How would using these tips improve intercultural relations? Do you think using these tips are doable and feasible for outsiders?
2: The eyes, not getting nervous, acting normal. It is very important that in some departments they know who its residents are, if they see people that are not from there, they kill them. Or they ask them what they are looking for.
1: Here it is with black people.
2. I am afraid of them, so I always smile at them so they do not do anything to me.
1: On the other hand I have a connection with them, because when I go by them, there is a street near my house were many black people live. They say bye girl and I say bye. Or they say have a good night and I say thank you. And near my house there are some neighbors that ask me how I am doing in school, how is my boyfriend and they talk with me. I have good communication with them. But in Guatemala, there are people that come or maybe they do not know, and they bring things…maybe they are drunk.
2: Another thing is when people go there from here, they have good clothes and are showing off. Well over there they don’t like that. Because well, they left the country poor and now they want to show off, so that is not good. They should be humble
You said you had a boyfriend, I imagine he is from Guatemala?
1: Yes, my boyfriend is from El Salvador. In Guatemala there is not as much violence as in El Salvador. Because in El Salvador you cannot go there with Adidas tennis shoes, you cannot wear long shirts because you will be killed instantly. One cannot wear bracelets, chains. I don’t remember what else. But what is true is that there is more violence in El Salvador than Guatemala. In Guatemala the violence has gone down a little bit.
2. In Guatemala there are people, cities and villages. There is more violence in the city zones, like the capital of Guatemala. They have the area where the rich live called Zone 10. In that area there are lots of gangs and they rob the people and all that stuff.
1: There are many different zones, 5, 1, 7, 18. About every six months I would go visit my grandmother. Many people knew my father and they would ask me where I was going and I would say to my grandmother’s house. They would tell me to be careful. But there is lots of violence in the zones. There are residential areas in the capital city and when you go in, about 20 armed men will ask you what you are doing there. You cannot drive in with polarized windows, you have to go in with your windows open and they will inspect your car and the people inside.
2: In Guatemala when you go to the city, there are always police and they were always inspecting the cars.