Cultural Identity and Intercultural Communication in Buenos Aires LB

Side note: It is hard to write a decent blog when your life has become a nonstop marathon. Between my classes beginning and actually living life so I have something to post, there is little time or space for creativity. So excuse the poor grammar and word choice, I promise I will try to improve it with every post. With that being said; onto the blogging.

Amurica; land of the free, home of the.. Big Mac. America has always just kind of been out there on its own. We do our own thing, make sure it is known that we are doing our own thing, and then proceed to a newer, bigger, better said thing. I have always been interested in outsiders' perceptions of the grand ol U S of A. In Argentina, Americans are known as "Yankees." The typical Yankee is featured below.

The theme of this blog post is ¨Intercultural Relationships¨ and we were given a list of questions to ask four people from our host country.

1.) How do you precieve America and Americans?

2.) How did you come to these conclusions (movies, news, music, ect.)?

3.) Describe me personally and share a story about an interaction.

4.)Do I fit your mental stereotype of an American? Why or why not?

(Also quick side note, I had to translate from Spanish, so if it seems a little random... that's because I was trying to keep up with their rants.)

 Marta is my host grandmother. She is typical "abuelita" material. Always trying to feed me, kisses and gushes over the smallest things, and is overboard in making sure I have everything I need. I asked Marta about her view on Americans, and she seemed very thoughtful, "I have seen a lot of things. Democracy, the language is very practical. America is advanced in technology. They have also gotten over many racist things. The geography of the place is beautiful and different. Good looking people, like you of course. (She really said this, I swear!) Politically... less politically involved."

"[I come to these conclusions by] I read the Argentine newspaper, and listen to the international news. And also learn from the students that visit my house. They always bring new things for me to learn." When I asked her to describe me, she seemed actually excited as we all joked at the dinner table how they were about to embarrass me. "Lynsey is very happy and informal. Not protocol. She is not shy to speak her mind. The first time that I met her she called me "abuelita"in her loud voice and hugged me. Her personality is very infectious." When I asked her if I fit her stereotypical American image, she could not make up her mind. "Lynsey is close to the mental image that I have, because she has the stereotype of being practical, but not entirely that she is the stereotype because she can't fit into just one stereotype."

Marta & Fefe

Mavi is my host mother. This woman is one of the nicest, chattiest and most animated people I have ever met. Her opinions were much different from her mother's. This was hilarious because she tried interrupting during everyone else's turn, but when it was her turn to speak she was pensive. I asked her about America; "Americans are practical and structural. I think of diversity. But there is this... false thought of democracy because the common people do not have a good analysis or good information. However, the educated have a good thought and understand better. I like how professional you all are and how your majors are so specific and not broad like in Argentina. I love the vision of the future that Americans have.  It helps broaden your horizon. I gain this opinion from movies, newspapers, and also the people that visit and stay in my house."Mavi was more excited to talk about her exchange daughter, however. "Oh Lynsey... she is nice, and holds no prejudices. She is observant and has a quick mind. The first time we brought her home, she was ecstatic with her loud, high voice, "There is a photo of me on your fridge?! I am famous!" When asking about if I fit the stereotype, she was adamant about disagreeing with Marta. "Lynsey is not like the American stereotype because she is a "hot mess" like Latin Americans. The norms do not apply to her as she lives for the day. Americans are more structural. She does not care what she says, and on the other hand, Americans really care about how they appear. She is more down to earth, not fake." 

Mavi, her husband Diego, & Fefe

Fefe is Mavi's ten year old daughter. She is a girl of few words. We tried to get something... anything... from this girl. She gave me a little response about America and me in general. "I like the English language, it sounds nice. I love the television programs, like the Simpsons. The music is also pretty good. I like the scripts. The movies are more interesting and easier to follow. The Argentine ones are not as good. Lynsey does not seem like a Yankee, because just because." Pure poetry.

Fefe & Bonbon 

Last, but not least is my long time friend Nico. It is interesting and a tad unfair because we have known each other for a longer period of time than the other three subjects, but his responses were just as Argentinian. When talking about America and its people, "I think they do everything big. They think that they are the best in the world. Americans are very capitalist. They have a big problem with racism. This is a general thought, not about a specific person. I want to eventually live there because there is an economic stability and there are many benefits to have a good standard of living, politically and socially. They have nice cities geographically speaking. I don't like Donald Trump, I hate Donald Trump."

 "[I gained this insight by]  read[ing] Argentine newspapers, but there are excerpts from American newspapers. Movies and series also contribute a lot to my beliefs. To view the cities and the people living in them influence what I think a lot, even though I know it shouldn't."

He tried to answer the questions about me in English, which ended in a fiasco. "She is cute, nice and sociable. Outgoing, but also sensitive. Sometimes mean, but overall a good companion. She has a lot of character. She does not fit this American stereotype because she has better family and friend values. Unlike the money hungry, capitalist mindset of the typical "Yankee." Trust me, it's better. All of my stereotypes of America are bad, even though I do not know any other Americans. But I know you, and you're American and you're nothing like them. The young kids want to be famous and the cool kids of the world, but you are not like that. And this is why I enjoy you." The story he shared was a good one. ¨We were on our way home after getting sushi and it was late so we decided to take a taxi. The taxi driver was this older guy and he was very profesional. Lynsey, being Lynsey, began chatting to the driver about the jazz music coming out of the radio. The conversation then changed to about America in general. ´American women are all fat, no?´the driver asked. He could not have had a worse choice of words. Lynsey quickly defended herself not being the typical American, which was... intimidating. At the end of the drive, the taxi man told us that he appreciated American women a little more now because of the drive, and that she kind of intimidated him a little bit. This story shows how Lynsey´s personality is.¨

Nico & I in San Telmo

To step outside the American bubble for one second and see not America for what Americans see it as, but to see it from another perspective, blows your mind. I honestly thought the Argentines I were going to interview were just going to give me the stereotypical definition of the stereotypical American. But that is the beauty of life, it isn't always as you suspect. I interviewed four Argentines, three of whom I live with. All of different ages and each their own, proper American experience. I feel that Argentine culture is similar to American culture in the aspect that those who have actually had interactions with Americans realize that there is more to us than beer, bugers, and bullets. You can see a parallel in America in which the group of uneducated people see a selected group as inferior or unintelligent because they do not come from the same background as Americans, or are a different skin color or English is not their first language. This is why traveling is so crucial to personal development. Once you take a second to see the world from someone else´s perspective that´s when the world will open up to you.

Told ya I made it on the fridge ;)