Moving to the USA by Gabriella Beckwith
I am 56 years old, so it is obvious that moving to the USA was not the first challenge in my life. Moreover, this was the first time I had to deal with all situations, in another language. In my mother tongue, in my country, I am confident, fluent, I can explain myself clearly, precisely, sophisticatedly if necessary. Here, in America, I am a bird with a broken wing. I still struggle. I use the English language how I can, but I know, I make a lot of mistakes. Neither my spelling nor my pronunciation is perfect, not to mention my vocabulary.
I must tell you a short story that opened my eyes. Somebody once asked me one “yes or no” question, and I answered with a simple “yes”. The next question of this person was, “where are you from?”
Then I accepted that my immigrant status is obvious. My accent, even a simple “Yes”, betrays me. But despite all my mistakes, during these four years, nobody wanted to humiliate me. Not once. Never. How was I met? I was met with curiosity. Because of my obvious accent, most people would like to know where I come from. If we have time, I invite them to a short game. They can guess three times, then I tell them, and in the end, we have a good laugh, because they barely heard about Hungary.
We could say I am lucky, because most of the time I meet kind people. But I am sure it is not luck, it is a wonderful, amazing society. Here you are accepted, helped, and free to smile. Here your kindness is not a weakness; your hard work is appreciated. I have rarely seen anything like this before. This society, their kindness helps me to work harder on my English, because I do not want to disappoint them. I know that there are all kinds of people everywhere. Kinde, rude, soft-hearted, mean…. What matters is in what proportion.
Cultural Differences in Respect between Mexico and United States by Neyvi Aceves
Respect for older people is very important in many cultures, but every country shows it in different ways. In my experience, one cultural difference between Mexico, my home country, and the United States, where I now live, is how individuals show respect to older people. Living in both cultures has helped me to understand that respect can look different depending on the values and traditions that people grow up with. Behavior, communication style, and family relationships are some of the main ways both cultures show respect to older adults.
To begin with, one aspect that I have noticed between Mexico and the USA is behavior around older people. In Mexico, I grew up seeing younger people help older adults and greet them first. For example, we offer our seats to oldest or help grandparents with things without being asked. In the USA, I have noticed that respect for older people is shown in a more independent way because older people often do things by themselves, while younger people interact with them more casually. I think this is because independence is more common in America.
Another aspect is communication style with old people. In Mexico, I learned that when I speak with older people, I have to be polite and use formal words like “usted” Señora and Señor that means Mr., Mrs or Miss. I always listened carefully and never interrupted my grandparents or adults. On the other hand, I observed in the United States that communication with older people is more casual and relaxed. Younger people speak to adults in a less formal way or call them by their first names. Based on my personal experience, when I first came to the USA I felt unsure about how to interact with old people. In Mexico, I usually do not speak to old people informally or call them by “you” or by their first names because it can seem disrespectful. In my case one thing I still do is that I prefer to call my teacher Miss. Julie instead of using only her first name because using titles feels more respectful to me.
Additionally, another point regarding Mexico and the United States is family relationships. I grew up in a culture where grandparents and older adults are highly respected within the family. We usually have close and respectful communication with older adults because their opinions are very valuable to us. Relationships with grandparents are often very close, and many grandparents live with their families. Younger family members also help take care of them as a way to show love and respect. In contrast, in the United States, I have seen that many families show respect by giving older adults more independence and personal space, respecting their own decisions and privacy but still taking care of them.
In conclusion, growing up with Mexican traditions while living in the United States has given me a different perspective of the ways of how people show respect to older adults. From living in both cultures, behavior, communication style, and family relationships can be very different aspects in both cultures, but respect for older people is still important in each one.
