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?
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I think that if I was a different ethnicity people would change specific ways that they communicate toward me. If someone is from an ethnic background where their morals and norms are very strict, one would refrain from talking to that person about things that would be inappropriate or that would offend the specific ethnicity. Most people today are not aware of their ethnicity and how the ethnic background is perceived or what to avoid when communicating with specific backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be a little hard at first to learn the new customs of a different ethnicity, therefore I think communication would be a bare minimum at first. I think people would eventually learn to communicate better with you and maybe even help you adapt, depending on the ethnicity you would be. I don't think being a different ethnicity would be that challenging unless you're dealing with specific ethnicity that have certain rules or laws that may be hard to live by.
ReplyDeleteI think that being a different ethnicity would absolutely influence communication with others. For instance, I feel very comfortable with who I am right now that I would feel very uncomfortable being of any other ethnicity. Because of that, I agree with Katie--a person would need to "learn the customs of a different ethnicity."
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think the part of the world a person lives in makes a huge difference. For instance, if one was an African here in America rather than in the Congo makes a great difference, I think, in terms of accepted behavior.
Well I think that it for sure depends on the different ethnicity that I am first off. I do believe that people treat other ethnicities differently when they are unsure of the culture. Honestly, I think that if someone was a different ethnicity it makes me excited and wanting to learn more about that person.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you guys that being from a different ethnicity would affect how people would communicate with you. Anthony, I like and agree with the point you brought about the part of the world you live in affecting accepted behavior. Ashley, I think you brought up a good point about people communicating differently when they are unsure of a person’s ethnicity. Personally I tend to stick with very safe, small talk conversation when I am in that situation.
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