Expectations
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I expect the same thing from myself living in another country that Americans assume of other people when they are living or visiting this country. I am not going to selfishly expect people to "bend" towards me and speak English to me. I am going to honor the people that I encounter on this trip by speaking their language, dancing their dances, and eating their food.
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I expect that when I return, I won't have to say the following phrases as often: "Repita por favor?" "Que?" "Que dijiste?" "No entiendo."
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I expect to learn as much about the people and culture of Merida and its surrounding areas within 11 weeks as possible.
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I expect to get sick, and not because of too-much tequila. When I am sick, I will take solice in the fact that at least I am not in Ohio during the winter. I also know that I love Mexican food and that I like to try different things.
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I expect to respect the culture of Mexico, to be myself, and to develop lasting relationships with the people of Merida. Hey, I want to come back you know!
Stereotypes of Mexicans
Unfortunately, in the United States we live in a judgmental society. I do not agree with any of the following stereotypes but for the sake of this assignment and the class, I will try to be as open-minded and honest as possible. Through my experience in 33 years of living, the majority of those occurring in Ohio, the following stereotypes about Mexicans may still exist in “discreet” conversations in the watering-holes (bars) and other locations across the United States:
Some Americans think that many Mexicans that live in the U.S. or Mexico:
· Wear a sombrero 24 hours per day, which covers their face, as they take a siesta sitting up against a cactus wearing white pants, sandals, and a colorful overthrow blanket (reference the tourist symbol of Mexico that appears on T-shirts, stickers, postcards, Halloween costumes, etc.)
· Can’t, don’t, or won’t speak English.
· Have illegally crossed the U.S./Mexican border or the Rio Grande River. (Hence the offensive and highly-inappropriate slang word “wetback”.)
· Who live in the United States work at McDonalds or Wal-Mart, work as maids in hotels, or work as landscapers or on construction sites.
· Take a 2-3 hour siesta (nap) everyday and therefore are lazy.
· Get drunk all day on tequila, margaritas, and corona!
· Drive around with 6-8 people in a small car or truck and live in a house with 25 other Mexicans.
· Work 2 or 3 jobs in the United States, collect cash monies (under the table) and therefore do not “pay taxes”, and then send that money back to Mexico to help their families, hence creating a negative effect on the American economy.
I am sure there are many more ignorant stereotypes. These are just a few and again, I would like to stress that I DO NOT AGREE with any of them. I think that they are horrible, inaccurate, offensive, and ignorant. Yet some of them continue to exist. I understand why some people might claim that some of these are true; yes there are landscapers and food-industry workers in this country that are Mexican (legal and illegal). But to assume that all of these are 100% applicable to all Mexicans is completely ignorant. Some of my best friends are from Mexico and they have enriched my life for the better. I only hope that I can help open as many minds towards this wonderful group of people as possible and share my joy of Mexican culture with others.