Like many Americans, my ethnic background is very diverse. Overall, I am European American. On my mother's side, I am mainly of French, Irish, and English descent. My French ancestors (who immigrated about five or six generations ago) worked as fur traders in Canada along the St. Lawrence River, eventually moving to northern Minnesota. Other ancestors, some of my great, great grandparents, immigrated from Ireland to escape a famine. On my father's side, I am mostly Irish, German, and Swedish. The Irish and German immigrant ancestors on this side are many generations removed. One of my great, great grandmothers immigrated from Sweden by herself when she was fourteen to find a better life.
My ancestors immigrated from Europe many generations ago, so many of their ethnic behaviors and traditions have been lost. I also come from a very diverse background, so I am not influenced by any particular culture. However, some of my family traditions, behaviors, and beliefs have ethnic roots. My ancestors, especially from France and Ireland, were primarily Catholic. These religious beliefs are still held by my family today, and my Christian beliefs play a large role in my decisions, actions, and worldview. Some of my behaviors also have an ethnic origin. I have a strong tendency to talk with my hands and use elaborate gesture to make a point. This comes from my mom's side of the family. I can still remember my great grandmother pounding the table and yelling in French at family reunions! I suppose the way I speak could also be considered ethnic; I am a good Scandinavian from Minnesota who says "yah" and "sure, you bet" in conversations. Many of my family traditions also have ethnic origins. We always bake and eat lefse, a traditional Swedish flatbread, at Christmas and Easter (although we've given up on lutefisk since no one will eat it). At Christmas, we hide a pickle in the Christmas tree, and the first one to find it gets a prize. I'm told this is a German tradition. So overall, my ethnic background does influence my beliefs, behaviors, and traditions to some extent.
Most of my ancestors immigrated to America many generations ago, so my family is definitely "Americanized" and many aspects of our ethnic cultures have been lost. Although I am influenced my ethnic backgrounds to some extent, I am more influenced by growing up in America, and my worldview is very American. I tend to be individualistic, future-oriented, and more focused on "doing" or accomplishing things. Many of my beliefs are also very American. For example, I place a high value on freedom and equality. Overall, I think many of my behaviors have more to do with being American than with my ethnic background.
Most of my ethnic background cannot be determined by simply looking at me. Obviously, someone could tell that I am European American because I am very white. People may also guess that I am Scandinavian because I have blond hair. However, the specifics of my background (such as where in Europe my ancestors were from) cannot be determined from my appearance or behaviors. In America, whites are the majority and are typically seen as having more power, and this fact probably influences how people of minority races communicate with me. However, I do not think that my specific European heritage affects how people communicate with me. I have spent some time living and traveling in Europe, however, and being an American definitely influenced how people communicated with me. Some people did not like Americans; many of these people viewed Americans as stereotypically loud, arrogant, and obnoxious. These people often acted hostile towards me because of my American background. Other people loved Americans and treated me more respectfully because of my background. Therefore, my ancestral heritage does not really affect my communication with others, but when traveling internationally, my American heritage does affect how people communicate with me.
How do you think ethnicity affects communication between someone of a majority race and someone of a minority race?
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I would just like to say that my grandma hides a pickle in the Christmas tree every year also! What a fun tradition.
ReplyDeleteI think communication is affected enormously between someone of a majority race and someone of a minority race. The main thing here is the power difference between the two. It is historic that white men have more power over almost everyone else. This difference causes others to feel sometimes intimidated or belittled by the majority race and then affects how they communicate with them. In America we also have many immigrants from all over the world who will speak their native language, even at work, which makes communicating with other ethnicities very difficult, and cause for misunderstandings.
Hmm, I think it depends on what you mean by “majority” race. It would depend on how long you have been in the country, what your experience has been while you have lived in that country, what country it is, what race you are or rather what culture you come from (are you a natural citizen or an immigrant?
ReplyDeleteIf you immigrate your communication style would mostly be influenced by the culture from which you came from. If you have lived in a place all your life and your parents did as well, then family and community experiences will influence your communication style.
If you were discriminated against by the very race you are speaking to, well, I don’t think I need to say how that may impact communication style. If you lived in relative “harmony” in a diverse community, then you may all communicate in the same way for the most part. I don’t think just ethnicity affects communication unless you are a first or even second generation immigrant. I think more importantly, the environment you’re raised in influences your communication style.
No one said we had to agree with everyone's opinion, we just have to respond.
ReplyDeleteI know the story that one scholar expermented. That scholar called a bank and ask loan twice. First time When he called, he spoke with accent which white people likely to use. Second time, he spoke with accent which black people tend to use. He used the same words but the bank's reaction was very different. I am sorry for that I cannot tell the source because I do not remember when I read this. But in fact, similar things happening, I believe.
ReplyDeleteI think that if someone immigrated to a new coutry they would feel pressure from the majority of the people in the area to speak their language and pick up their traditions. the different slang that each ethnicity has, makes it difficult for different ethnicities to communicate.
ReplyDeleteI believe that communication is affected between myself and my daughter's friends. Their parents are more strict than I am as a parent in some cases and I've noticed a sense of uncertainty. I often wonder if some of their concern comes from the fact that I do not share in their cultural background. I also believe that part of that reason has to do with the privacy and traditional ways in which their families operate. I feel sort of without a country at the moment and like I'm missing out.
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