"I experience cultural biases often. I
have an accent, and can mispronounce words, or phrases, and I believe
this often leads to other people thinking that I am less competent, or
intelligent. I know that I am not alone, as I hear other first generation
immigrants expressing the same frustration. It can be hurtful. That often
leads to reinforcements of double cultural biases, as in order to protect their
identity, the ones being judged, lean to their own cultural biases, and isolate
themselves in groups of people from the same culture. I hope this course will
bring more understanding, and also respect to other cultures, and also
highlights the benefits of different thinking styles and backgrounds."
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This is a tough issue. I certainly wouldn't presume to understand exactly what you're going through; however, as an English-only speaker I've struggled to communicate in Spanish and French.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I've tried taking basic advice from various articles or blogs with modest results. I too look forward to having more dialogue on this topic. Bi-lateral patience seems to be very important, which can be difficult in some situations where time or urgency can cause break-downs.
Below is an example resource, which has some decent points but certainly doesn't cover every situation. I look forward to learning more about effective approaches others have used with success.
http://www.intercultural.nl/Publications-Detail.aspx?GroupID7c9ece9c-8800-47c4-91e4-341b2a57895a=e772c8d0-319f-41a2-a932-adf3baa86dd1&ItemID7c9ece9c-8800-47c4-91e4-341b2a57895a=b63fdecd-7147-41a1-891c-5cc05a7a0e8d
I can certainly see the original poster's concern on this topic. I, however, been living in other areas for a considerable amount of time, and not speaking their first language, it was frustrating.
DeleteI truly understand the frustration people have with this issue across cultures.I am US born citizen operating in the US and unfortunately I have seen many challenges/conflicts over my career in regards to cultural biases, especially in the manufacturing sector. As I study/work to reeducate my mind and work towards a global inclusive mind-set I often reflect on what a professor once told me and now I use it as a mantra - "Listen to and evaluate the message rather than the messenger" this simple phrase helps me get centered when working across cultures if needed. The last thing I want to do is hurt someone because I lack understanding. My explicit or implicit biases take emotional/cultural intelligence to improve on, which I hope to continually work on.
ReplyDeleteAs introduced to me in a social psychology course, humans tend to generate biases through self-fulfilling prophecies. As you mentioned, a group of foreigners who migrate to the U.S. are not made to feel welcomed and therefore create their enclosed circles may lead others to believe that foreigners do not attempt to adapt to American culture. I believe this is a rather heart-felt topic among Americans (especially) today. Considering our bi-partisan views, it seems many have very different tolerance of foreign cultures. The fact that I hear grumbling occasionally that “This is America, speak English” contrasted with “This country was founded by immigrants” proves the dissention amongst U.S. citizens themselves.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe the more exposure someone has to cultures and behaviors different than their own, the more objectively they are able to see the world. I personally strive to have an awareness of others around me and embrace every opportunity to learn more about different cultures.
Professionally, I believe the more open-minded and accepting a leader is, the more supportive s/he will be of welcoming new and innovative ideas. Especially as companies become more global, it will be a necessary trait for an organization’s success. A key takeaway from this week’s reading were the evolving views of leadership. If prominent leader’s traits follow the expected trends in Global Leadership: Research, Practice, and Development, then our leaders of tomorrow must become adept at “reciprocal relations, mutual meaning making and interactions of the group.” Silo-ed productivity will become a thing of the past, and those who do not embrace collaborative opportunities to work with others will be left in the dust.
As additional consolation, I have plenty of American born and bred friends and family who mispronounce and misuse words. Don’t be so hard on yourself!
I never considered how frustrating it is being in that position. Coming from a service background and having to communicate effectively with clients speaking Spanish, Arabic and other languages as their primary languages, I have felt the frustration on the receiving end when I was uncertain how to understand. Being able to observe and identify the issue of having barriers is the first step in trying to minimize the biases or perceived incompetence. I look forward to reading some other responses but know being patient and offering other solutions has helped in the past. Being able to write verses speak has helped me in the past.
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I agree that some individuals who are not culturally aware can make hurtful comments without realizing the extent of their sting. I am a first generation American who didn’t speak a word of English when I started school. It resulted in my retreat from class conversations/contributions from an early age, which remained with me throughout most of my high school years.
ReplyDeleteWhen my parents, who are heavily accented, met the family of my then husband-to-be, one of his uncles shouted at my parents, instead of talking to them at a moderate volume. I was extremely embarrassed, but at the same time, I wanted to defend them. After all, they’re not hard of hearing and there was no need to shout. Such behavior wouldn’t happen today. Time changed their perspective and mine.
As I read our Global Leadership textbook, I was drawn to some models in particular. It’s evident that the models of humility, curiosity and the respect of others go a long way towards acceptance – both towards us – and by us towards others. I believe we must remain flexible. Change won’t happen in one day, since the barriers that exist can’t be diminished/destroyed overnight. With persistence, we can make small changes over time in order to effect change.
It is an unfortunate stigma that people with accents often face. I read a very interesting blog article called, 'Are Accents One of the Last Acceptable Forms of Discrimination?' It was very enlightening because it made me realize that most people have a subconscious bias towards accents. It's not just foreign accents, either. There are all kinds of discrimination against regional American accents as well.
ReplyDeleteI have a colleague who emigrated from Ukraine in 1992 at age 16. To this day, she still has her accent, and she holds a Master's degree in marine biology. She is one of the smartest people that I know. I can't tell you the number of times that I've seen someone talk down to her because she has an accent. It's frustrating for her, but I've also seen her call people out on it or use it to her advantage.
When I took Economics at Truman College, my professor was a Polish immigrant who had a thick accent. She also had a vocal tic, which made understanding her sometimes very difficult. She taught from rote memorization. By the end of the second class, I didn't even notice her accent because I was trying to keep up taking notes! :) One of my main takeaways from this week's reading was the importance of flexibility and respect for others when it comes to being an effective leader in the global market. I am sorry for your experiences, but I commend you for the bravery to speak up.
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I hope that we all can gain a more inclusive mindset by the end of this class, and learn how to demonstrate some of the global characteristics within our teams. Our own biases, whether that be consciously or unconsciously, can be hurtful and place others in a box. Some could argue that biases against accents is the same as sexism, racism against the color of one's skin, etc. I once had a co-worker who felt pressured to "polish" her accent in the workplace. She stated that she wanted to sound more "professional" and thought that by sounding more American, this would achieve that. Many times, people fear negative perceptions of themselves and ultimately conform into patterns of the culture. I feel that we should embrace accents, and learn to practice active listening.
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Thank you for being brave and sharing this! This post resonates with me because I was born in the US and don't have an accent; however, both of my parents are Polish and although they've lived here for 30 years, they have thick accents and my heart breaks every time they tell me stories of feeling belittled because of how they communicate. I know how incredible intelligent my parents are and the persistence/drive they needed to not only leave the comfort of their native homes but start a new life, with new friends in a new country and do so succesfully. I truly feel that if someone belittles another person because of their accent, then they're the ones who are close-minded and ignorant to the obstacles someone was able to overcome. You are not alone in your journey and I hope you continue to persevere just as you have been!
ReplyDeleteThis has perhaps been one of the most powerful, and honest confessions that I have heard from a student in the LOB Program at NU. I think the sentiments of this student as a immigrant can also be felt amongst other minorities that live in America who may also have a different culture, and accent based on their upbringing. As an African American, I often feel this way, and feel that when we acknowledge it that we are bring told that we are being too political or focusing on things that are not relevant to business or academic theory. However, for many this is a real sentiment, and it is important even if one doesnt agree. To simply have compassion and understanding that another human being, colleague, and or classmate may be feeling this way.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't understand is why...we are still dealing with this group think in some cases, or this cultural superiority to believe that our culture is better or how we look, speak, dress, or interact is better than another's.
Instead we should be focusing on realizing that we are a global melting pot. Especially in America. That we are all immigrants to this country as Native Americans were the natives of this land we now call home. So how can any culture outside of the natives who lived here for thousands of years claim superiority over anyone else.
What makes us special is diversity. That we are the land of opportunity. The promise land. May we all recognize our value, and our humanity and live to make no other human being feel small or less than.