Activity 3-Ethnicity and Communication

After talking to some of my relatives, I learned that my ancestors came from Germany and Ireland many generations ago. Over a few generations after arriving in America, my ancestors made there way to the Midwest. The majority of the last few generations have been located in west central Wisconsin. Also, most of my ancestors have lived in rural areas with an increasing shift to urban areas in the past couple generations.

My ethnic background has had some impact on who I am. I find myself drawn toward things of Irish or German origin. For instance, I enjoy listening to Celtic music and in middle school when I had to choose a country to do a presentation on, I chose Ireland so I could learn more about my ancestors’ country. However, my family does not make traditional German or Irish meals, nor do I have a strong connection to Irish or German customs. Learning about the countries of my ancestors is more of a hobby to me as compared to a sense of identity.

Even though my ethnic background has had some impact on who I am, there are other variables that have had a bigger influence on my behavior. One of the biggest factors that has shaped who I am is my environment. Growing up in a town of less than 1000 people, I have found myself to value a sense of community. Because of this, I try to find ways to get involved with smaller groups of people. Going to college was a big change for me because of its size. In order to make it seem smaller, I became activity involved in the Pre-Vet Club. Wanting to stay in a more rural community even shaped my decision on where to go to college. Also the people around me, family and friends, have influenced me more than ethnicity. The experiences I have had with them have helped to shape my values and expectations. For example, my parents have always encouraged me to be hard working and to do well in school. Because of this, I do work hard and value my education immensely.

Most people are not aware of my specific ethnic background. They would probably be able to deduce that I am of European decent, but not specifically German and Irish. This is true for the reverse though, also. For most people that I interact with, I do not know the specific countries that their ancestors immigrated from, but I can infer a general area of the world. Knowing that I am of European decent is enough to influence communication, however. When people communicate with me, they do so in a very Western way by making eye contact and by keeping a certain amount of personal space. Also as the book discuss, Western societies are short-term orientated so that also comes into play when people communicate with me and how I communicate with others in that I prefer quick results.

This activity has made me feel a little disappointed that I do not have more of a connection to my ethnic heritage. Especially after looking at immigration and the struggles my ancestors went through to get here, I feel like I have done them a disservice by not keeping at least some of their traditions alive. Maybe once I look into my ethnicity more, I will hopefully be able to realize more connections than I am able to now.

If you were of a different ethnicity, how do you think it would change the way people communicate with you?

Activity #2-Observation

On Sunday, I attended a Catholic mass with my mom. I have attended mass with my mom a few times but not very often. I decided to do my observation here because whenever I have attended mass in the past, I was always worried I would do something that was against the “rules” and offend someone or make fool of myself. I was hoping by trying to get a better understanding of unwritten rules, I would be more comfortable going to church.

Before coming into a pew, a person would genuflect. Sometimes there would be a person at the end of a pew where someone wanted to sit. The person on the end would slide down and make room for the people entering the pew. Usually the person would move far enough into the pew so that there was at least a foot of space between them and the person entering the pew. This made it very easy to see where families stopped and started because family members would only be inches apart while people that didn’t know each other were a foot or more apart. If a person did not move over for someone coming into the pew, it would be seen as rude. Also, if someone sat too close to someone that they didn’t know it may be seen as an invasion of personal space and may make people feel uncomfortable. Most people had very proper posture and did not slouch during the service. This showed a certain amount of formality.

Also, I observed when people came into the church they sat down and faced forward. Most did not talk and if they did it was brief and in whispered tones. There were nonverbal gestures like head nods and smiles. If someone entered the church being boisterous and turning around to talk to people, it would be seen as disrespectful and that person would probably get dirty looks from the people around them.

During the sign of peace, everyone turned to people around them and shook hands. Through nonverbal gestures like making eye contact and extending a hand; people knew when it was there turn to shake hands. It seemed to be an unwritten rule that when somebody made eye content and extended a hand, you were obligated to shake their hand. If someone did not understand theses signs and didn’t shake hands after a handshake was initiated, it would be seen as discourteous. In fact the person that initiated the handshake might think it was a personal attack and be very confused.

Because of these unwritten rules, it would be very easy for someone who didn’t know the rules to be viewed as unfriendly or disrespectful. There are many contextual clues that someone unfamiliar with a Catholic mass could use to figure out the appropriate behavior. For instance, noticing when entering the church that everyone was quietly facing the front of the church would be a sign that this is appropriate behavior. These unwritten rules are part of the reason why I think many people are a little uncomfortable to attend church or other religious ceremonies, especially when it is outside their own denomination.

Are there any places that you are a little uncomfortable to go to because of not being clear on the unwritten rules?

Far and Away

Many immigrants faced challenges when coming to America around the 1890’s. Even when a person was lucky enough to afford a ticket to America and survive the trip over, the struggles continued once they arrived. Some of these struggles included money issues, being taken advantage of, and cultural stigmas. These struggles are portrayed in Shannon Christie and Joseph Donelly’s trip to America from Ireland in the movie, “Far and Away”.

From the very moment they set foot off the boat in America, Shannon and Joseph were in financial peril. Joseph came to America with very little money and expecting to earn a living through hard work. Shannon was hoping to get money by selling silver spoons. Shortly after getting off the ship, the spoons were stolen from Shannon and she, like Joseph, was left with nothing. They both found work in a chicken factory where they worked plucking and processing chickens with other immigrants at very low wages. Their housing situation was not much better, as they ended up having to share a room because that was all they could afford.

Because of these financial hardships, the immigrants had to turn to whomever they could when they needed money, shelter, or food. Some of the people the immigrants turned to for help took advantage of them. Shannon and Joseph both experienced this. Shannon had her silver spoons stolen from her by Mr. McGuire, a man that she thought had befriended her on the ship ride to America. Joseph was befriended by a social club owner, Mr. Kelly, once he discovered that Joseph was a natural boxer. Joseph was able to make the equivalent of one month’s wages at the chicken factory during one night of boxing, so he quit the chicken factory. However, Mr. Kelly was only using Joseph to make money for himself. Not only did Mr. Kelly set Joseph up with boxing matches, but he also found housing for Joseph and Shannon. Once Joseph lost a big match, Mr. Kelly turned on Joseph. He took all the money Joseph had won from boxing and kicked Joseph and Shannon out on the streets.

After losing their room, Shannon and Joseph had a hard time finding work due to their nationality. Potential employers told them that they would not hire Irish immigrants. Because they could not find work to pay for shelter or food, they were forced to break into an abandoned house in order to survive. Shannon and Joseph had been warned when they stepped off the ship that unless they talked to the right people, such as Mr. Kelly, life in America would be hard for an Irish immigrant. They found out first hand that without Mr. Kelly’s support, this was very true.

The struggles faced by Shannon and Joseph were probably typical of many immigrants coming to America around the 1890’s. These struggles included limited financial resources, being refused work and housing because of their nationality, and being easy prey for people looking to take advantage of them. Even though there were struggles, many immigrants like Shannon and Joseph were able to fulfill their dreams of eventually owning land in America.

Far and Away. Dir. Ron Howard. Perfs. Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman. Universal Pictures, 1992.

While these struggles were typical of immigrants in the 1890’s, do they still apply to immigrants coming to America today or are the prominent struggles of today’s immigrants different?

If so, have the changing struggles affected the demographics of immigrants today?

Two Truths and a Lie

1. I have traveled to Europe.

2. I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

3. I will be attending UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine in the fall.