Soy Latina...

My title is rather wishful thinking. It says, "I'm a Latina." I have been to two Carribean, Latino countries, and they are amazing! There are some things about United States culture that, in comparison, is very lame. Here in the U.S., the typical citizen is "too busy" to talk to their neighbors, and feel obliged to "stay out of other people's business." I know I am guilty of this, too! Latino culture could not be more different. Sitting in the Miami airport last December, I became acquainted with some lovely Cuban-American ladies. The conversation went remarkably well, considering my rudimentary Spanish skills, but we went on quite the tangent about how frustrating U.S. culture can be. "You will be on an elevator with someone, and they pretend you are not there... Neighbors don't seem to like each other here and they never talk to me!" They complained. "People just don't care about each other here..." At that time, having never been to Cuba yet, I had my experiences in the Dominican Republic to back up their claims as quite accurate. In the DR, barrios (neighborhoods) are tight-knit communities. This is especially true of the ones that are not as well off. If a man loses his job, his barrio family will do what they can to help provide for him and his family until a new job is found. The help may be as simple as sending bread, or they may let the family live with them. Cuba is certainly in the same vein. Both cultures have their issues, but I love them! Greeting with a kiss on the right cheek, customary in Cuba, is such an affectionate, welcoming way to say hello to someone. I kissed many people on the cheek whom I had never met before. For most "gringos" this would have been extremely off-putting, but I found it to be a marvelous custom. How better than to engage and connect with someone than to begin with kissing them? It's an intimate greeting, but it's not inappropriate at all to Cubans.

Perhaps it is the warmer climate, but Latino culture is altogether warmer than many others. Investing in and enjoying each other are huge parts of Hispanic culture, as well. Now that I am in Spain, I am finding it very different than Latin America. Not different in a bad way, but different. It is, first of all, very European. Before I came here, I had little concept of what that meant also. The pace here in Madrid is slower and much more "tranquilo" than big cities in the U.S., but it is nonetheless still a big city. Loads of people use the Metro daily, people walk everywhere they can, live in apartments (or "pisos"), and walk their dogs (mostly tiny, yappy ones) so they get some fresh air and exercise. I suppose what I am trying to say is that comparing Spain to Cuba or DR is comparing apples and oranges, but there are most certainly parallels. For goodness' sake, Spain is the "motherland" of almost the entire continent of South America. The amount that I love Spanish and its corresponding culture is vast! I am so thankful that God gave me the opportunities I have had to study, learn, experience, and move around in Spanish culture. I would like to give a shout out to my first Spanish teacher, Mary-Beth, who helped me take my first steps towards learning and loving a new language. God is so good. Who knew that almost 7 years after my first Spanish course, I would be studying to teach it to students who don't know what they're missing out on yet!