Week 3: My Values in Mexico as a Foreigner

By Christina Olson

CGE-Mexico Intern

ˉ

Do you "dress to impress?" I know that I do NOT! I used to just throw on jeans and a T-shirt. Now, I think a little bit more about "looking good," whatever that means. Is it because I am getting older? Probably not. Is it because people look at me strangely. No, I don´t think that is it either. So, WHY do I care more about how I dress?

ˉ

In Mexico, class is a big issue. Betty Ramos[1], an interculturalist who presented to us her knowledge and experience with inter-cultural issues said that "there are a lot of ways to show respect." One of them is "dress to impress." How I dress (look) defines the class that I come from (even if it is just an assumption). Dress is important--shoes, shirts, jewelry.

ˉ

Betty Ramos and some of the students after her presentation

ˉ

Now, there are two sides for me, a white, foreign, heterosexual, middle-class girl from EEUU (Estados Unidos=USA). One is that I can dress however I want and that won´t affect how people define the class that I come from. Why is that? PRIVILEGE. I have power, and I have privilege just by being white and coming from EEUU. I don´t have to worry about how I dress.

ˉ

BUT...that is now why I think a little bit more about "looking good." It is not because I have to. It is because I now know that if I dress up a little bit (actually iron my shirts...) I can show respect to others when they: invite me over; when at church; just walking downtown in a city that is not mine. In this way I can show respect without abusing my privilege. That is the other side.

ˉ

One student role-playing a presentation in two different pretend cultural settings

ˉ

I have heard Betty Ramos speak a few times now, and the information that she presents never ceases to show me that the negative or uncomfortable interactions that I have had with friends in Mexico have a lot to do with cultural values and the ways that we each have been raised in a different community and country. Neither is bad.

ˉ

It is very important to learn about cultural differences and values. Especially as a Social Worker in EEUU. Example: Instead of thinking that a client is too dependent on his/her family, I should stop myself and think "maybe being independent is a cultural value that I hold, but that isn´t true for everyone."

ˉ

Have you had any inter-cultural experiences that were uncomfortable? Do you think they might have been due to cultural differences? For social work students: what should you do when there is a cultural clash with a client?

ˉ

As Betty Ramos says, "Listen to your intuitions; Listen to your heart."
ˉ

[1] Betty Ramos, interculturalist, experienced cultural intermediary, and author of THE GEO-CONTEXT; presentation on February 12, 2010 in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.