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Blog Post #5: Cheerleaders and Guns!

As I reflect upon my time in Costa Rica, I am grateful for everything I’ve learned and all the incredible people I’ve met. I feel especially fortunate to have taught English in a local technical high school. Even though I was the one teaching, I know that my students have taught me as much as I taught them. 

To expose the students to US American culture, the teacher I worked with had each student ask me questions about my educational and cultural experiences. Evidently, I learned a lot about Costa Rican culture in return [some interesting questions received include: “Do cheerleaders act like they do on TV?” (…yes) “What’s your favorite Spanish word?” (mariposa) “You DON’T brush your teeth in public?” (definitely not…Costa Ricans treat brush their teeth as a social activity and leave class to do it, which is honestly probably a good habit)].

One student asked me, “Is prom really like it is in the movies?”

This question revealed more than just school dance activities. As I described my prom, looks of surprise appeared on the students’ faces. They told me how at their school dances, their family members all come and dress to the nines. They grumbled that prom is so expensive because they have to pay the entrance fee for about ten family members. With this simple little question, I learned how collectivism plays a huge role in Costa Rican culture. Family is much more important than the individual, an idea that often conflicts US American liberty and personal freedom. I would have been mortified to have my parents at prom (if you’re reading this Mom I love you), but that is simply the norm for Costa Rican teens. 

Another girl asked, “What holidays do you celebrate?”

The students were once again surprised when I described our military holidays like Veterans Day and Memorial Day. This is a completely foreign concept to Ticos—Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948. This fact is only one of the reasons Costa Rica has a low power distance. Workers rights are strong, and Costa Rica had almost no slavery in its history. 

Despite the many cultural values that differ from the United States, I have felt at home in Costa Rica, and I will greatly miss my time here. I am incredibly thankful for this experience—for being able to practice my Spanish, for the kindness of my host family, for the beautiful views, and of course for all my new friends. 

Goodbye, Costa Rica! <3

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Reconciling New Perspectives

From spending time with my host family at the dinner table, I have noticed that their heterostereotypes of Americans come from their time hosting Americans, American tourists, and also American cinema. Based on their stereotypes, some certainly fit the description and I personally know many who would be “Americans” in their eyes. Though the stereotypes are not all positive, it is still important to consider that they have these stereotypes for a reason and that there is possibly some amount of truth in their ideas. Their perspectives, due to the world in which we live that is ever more globalized, could be influenced by television and the drama that comes with TV programs, but also from a small pool or “sample-size” of Americans that possibly tend to travel more than others.

Some stereotypes that aligned with my perspective of Americans who decide to travel was our slight arrogance when traveling. My host family and I have experienced many instances where Americans (including myself) have maybe not shown the utmost of respect while traveling. Another more positive stereotype or characteristic that we shared was Americans’ ability to think beyond themselves in terms of building a family and creating “generational wealth”.

Reflecting on heterostereotypes makes me feel humbled as it reminds me that I am also a tourist and representing my country (despite how much I would like to consider myself Italian). From these reflections, I now know that my heterostereotypes that I held with Italy may not be fair assumptions and all probably are not as “true” as I once thought.

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Blog Numero Tre

It is really interesting and also a little sad to see how American culture has spread across the globe through globalization and the prominence of English as the lingua franca. This became very clear to me with how many signs are written in both Italian and English. Most Italian people have stereotypes or actual concrete renditions of what tourists, especially American tourists, look and sound like. Even if I am ready to speak Italian at a restaurant, if I don’t engage first by speaking Italian I will usually be spoken to in English because of my appearance. These stereotypes are omnipresent across the globe and are constantly influencing how everyone views each other.

Although it has been interesting to see these stereotypes in action around town in Siena, the most prominent place that these ideas get spoken about is at the dinner table with my host family. Except for a few dinners, the topic of how things work in America has always come up in discussion. Even the first night that I was eating with the family, after we got through the basics of where I lived and what I studied, they began asking me if we actually eat burgers, if we actually pay a lot for school, if cowboys still exist. At first, their idea was mainly influenced by these stereotypes but as we got to know each other better, they began to show that they were actually interested in learning about our culture as much as we were excited to learn about theirs. We began to find common ground in our beliefs when we discussed our education systems and our political systems among other things.

Beautifully, even though we began at stereotypes and slight prejudice, these usually silly ideas led to a place where we made genuine human connection over deep topics. Though these preconceptions, we were able to find our shared humanity.

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First Post

My name is Fr. Christian Ivandic, and I am excited to spend six weeks in Paris, France. I have already interacted with other cultures, particularly the French one. I grew up in the Palatinate, Germany, a region close to the French border and with strong cultural influences from France, and I have already spent two summers in Paris studying French. I have also spent several years in different countries: over 8 in Italy, 3 in Mexico, and 3 in the US. I am sure these experiences will greatly help me to take greater advantage of my stay this summer in Paris. 

Nevertheless, the IDI helped me to see that I tend to notice the similarities between cultures rather than their differences, which is not necessarily a sign of high intercultural intelligence. Thus, although my primary goal in Paris is to perfect my French, which will significantly help me in my future research and professional environment, I also want to consciously work on my intercultural skills.