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Antes de llegar

¡Hola y bienvenidos a todos! My name is Kaili Cuenca. I am entering my junior year at ND and will be in Salamanca, Spain from July 15th to August 25th. After taking language classes in Salamanca, I will be studying in Toledo, Spain for the fall semester. 

I started learning Spanish at the beginning of my sophomore year and was able to obtain the equivalent of 4 college semesters in 2 since I took accelerated beginning and intermediate courses. While I technically ended the school year at the “intermediate” level, I felt nowhere near being intermediate or conversational with my Spanish. With this said, I really felt I needed to find opportunities during the summer that would allow me to prepare for my fall semester in Toledo, where all my classes will be in Spanish. Therefore, I applied for and received a fellowship through the Center for Social Concerns (CSC) as well as an SLA grant. 

As of July 8th, I finished my experience through the CSC fellowship. During this program, I spent 5 and a half weeks at a migrant shelter in Monterrey, MX, and 3 weeks volunteering at a Migrant Resource Center (el Centro de bienvenida) in my own community, San Antonio, TX. Most importantly, these experiences gave me the opportunity to learn about migration and the humanitarian crisis associated with it in an unfiltered and personal manner. With this said, I also got the chance to speak with and hear stories from people who came from a range of different places and cultures (Mexico, Venezuela, Honduras, Cuba, and Guatemala just to name a few). Suffice to say, my Spanish got a bit better, and I feel like I also gained a better understanding of intercultural development and understanding. Intercultural development is not necessarily a linear path with a set destination or mindset. For example, I found it really easy as well as helpful to have a mindset focused on minimization when working with people at the shelter. This makes sense because (from what I experienced) humanitarian organizations strategically focus on commonalities as a means of providing basic needs and protecting integral rights. With this said, minimization didn’t necessarily mean cultural differences were masked. While I did see cultural differences assert themselves through conflict, other times it was simply how different words were used for the same item even though everyone spoke Spanish. Besides falling into the minimization mindset, I also found it at times hard to avoid the polarized mindset, which means you can recognize differences but instead of trying to understand and adapt to them you judge them. Specifically, this was very hard to avoid in Mexico during times when I missed home or was really frustrated with how my day was going. The point of these reflections is that it is okay to fluctuate between mindsets on the IDC (Intercultural Development Continuum). My advice is just to keep track of how your experience is going. 

Me and Kat (another ND student) sitting at the front desk at Casa Monarca (shelter in MX).
Having fun at the park located next to the shelter

I kept track of my experience in Mexico by journaling and writing reflections for my CSC requirement. I plan to do the same in Salamanca. Ultimately, my goal during these next six weeks is to improve my ability to work through situations using a different cultural mindset. (And of course work on SPANISH!) I’m hoping to do some videos where I will be able to explain more about my specific program, the experience of living with a host family, and fun things like packing. See y’all soon! 

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Blog #4

One recurring incident for me throuhgout my time in Siena is how italians automaticcaly speak to me in English, even if I first speak to them in Italian. Whether I am in a shop, restaurant, or even engaging with locals on the street, Italians seemed to automatically switch to English upon hearing my accent or detecting that I was a foreigner. At first, I felt disheartened, as if my efforts to learn the language were being dismissed or invalidated.

As I reflected on this recurring phenomenon, I began to think about the possible interpretations behind it. One aspect that stood out was the prevalence of English as a global language. English proficiency is widespread in many parts of the world, including Italy, due to the influence of media. It became evident that for some Italians, switching to English may have been an attempt to provide convenience or accommodation to me as a visitor, or a chance for them to practice their English skills as I am practicing my italian.

.To verify my interpretation, I engaged in conversations with local friends and language exchange partners. Their insights further confirmed my observations that speaking English to foreigners is often seen as a gesture of hospitality and a way to facilitate communication. Many Italians believe they are being helpful by using a language they assumed visitors would be more comfortable with.

Evaluating this critical incident, I recognize the importance of embracing these encounters as learning opportunities rather than feeling discouraged. While my initial intention was to practice Italian, I understood that language barriers are not simply obstacles but gateways to cultural exchange. Instead of viewing the switch to English as a dismissal of my language skills, I could choose to engage in meaningful conversations about language, cultural diversity, and shared experiences.

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Post #3: Reconciling New Perspectives

Stereotypes and generalizations are part of human nature. We make assumptions about groups based on past experiences to prepare ourselves for future experiences. Living outside the United States for the first time, I encountered the stereotypes non-Americans (Costa Ricans specifically) hold about Americans. Talking to a Costa Rican man who lived in the United States for several years and returned to live in Costa Rica permanently, I understood how our experiences form stereotypes. This man enjoyed working in the United States but felt that Costa Rica was safer and a better place to raise his family. He also experienced discrimination at the hands of police in the United States. He felt that the United States’ racial tensions did not exist in Costa Rica.

In the United States, there is a common stereotype that our country is more desirable and a better place to live than Latin America, hence the tens of millions of Latino immigrants to the United States following the Hart-Celler Act in 1965. This stereotype does not apply to every Latino and place in Latin America, but talking to a man who completely contradicted the stereotype was fascinating and has made me reconsider how I view the United States about Latin America and how I view the perspective of Latinos on the relationship.

Interested in better understanding Costa Ricans’ stereotypes about Americans, I asked my Spanish teacher, Jairo. He shared that he had not interacted with many Americans except as students, so his perspective was mainly limited to his experience in the classroom and the cultural influence the United States has on Latin America and the world. Jairo said he has found American students to be hard-working and capable of understanding linguistic concepts. I have found this to be relatively accurate about American students, especially Notre Dame students, who are notoriously focused and driven to achieve their goals in the classroom. Jairo also said that Americans sometimes seem unafraid to share their opinions and can be loud. This stereotype is true in my experience, although I am not sure how specific this is to Americans since people from many different cultures act the same way. The stereotype likely holds for a greater proportion of Americans than Costa Ricans, as the culture in Costa Rica seems more laid-back and communal and less active and work-oriented than the United States.

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Reconciling New Perspectives – Blog #3

After experiencing Germany for about a month, and having gotten to know my classmates and roommate better, I have a better understanding of American stereotypes than ever before. For the purpose of this blog post, I will primarily be speaking about my roommate’s thoughts of America along with one of my classmates with whom I’ve talked about America.

My roommate and classmate share common ideas about America, such that they affirm American stereotypes even we are familiar with. For example, they both said that they think Americans are overweight, addicted to fast food, and have a superiority complex in regards to the rest of the world. But they also hold positive stereotypes about America, such that we can be very dedicated and hardworking, very intelligent, and hold many leadership qualities. Generally, the stereotypes my friends believe in are negative at their core. But they have more to do with society and interactions than work, our relationship with other countries, etc. I believe their stereotypes come from the news, social media (like Instagram and TikTok), and movies/films. I don’t think they know many Americans personally that they learned these stereotypes from, but rather from media. I think the media’s negative portrayal of America (focusing on our political and societal problems) negatively influences their image of Americans as a whole. Thus, when they see an article about Trump being…well Trump (regardless of your opinion of him), they form an opinion on America based on who they believe is a good representative.

Obviously, most stereotypes are founded in some truth or habits, and I think America’s stereotypes are no different. I know plenty of people who fit the patriotic superiority complex, and others who are fat and addicted to fast food. I completely understand where my roommate and classmate get their information from, as Americans themselves understand the stereotypes about them.

I think many autostereotypes Americans hold align with the positive stereotypes foreigners think of. For example, we would consider ourselves as hardworking and dedicated, much like my friends consider us to be. There are many correlations between our view of America and theirs, and naturally, many differences. But the analyzation of these differences could help bridge the gap between two different groups, because knowing is half the battle. After reflecting on these differences personally, I find them to be interesting and a good starting point for our international relations. Since we begin at a deficit relationship-wise (such that we are fat and lazy and annoying), we should make a strong effort to prove that stereotype wrong and thus change the world’s opinion of us slowly but surely. So I’ll leave it at that.

Till next time,

John