The American Cultural Salad Bowl

We are ?

The beauty of the United States of America is in our salad🥗! That is our 'Salad Bowl'. The U.S. comprises of many different cultures yet each culture maintains its own wonderful individuality.  We have the Asian, Black, Latino, Native, and White communities; each making our country what it is today. 

I am ?

When you think of yourself, how would you describe yourself?  Which community do you belong to?  Was your first thought, Black, Native, Asian or Latino? Or was it American?  Here in the D.R. they would identify themselves first as Dominican then by 'racial group'.  Yet in the United States we think of ourselves first by 'racial group' then by nationality.  This idea of nationality first, 'race' second has affected me in two ways:

1. Friendships AND
2. My Children

I am ?

I have found that I connect best with people that are from the United States or have lived in the United States most of their lives, no matter what their 'race.'  I don't know what it is maybe because it is a small town or that everyone knows each other but there seems to be a disconnect.  For example: the jokes 🤣 are different.  I will laugh my head off at something that happened or something I said and those around me will look at me like, huh.🤔 I know this can

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happen anywhere but here it happens to me more then I would like to admit.😨 American humor is different!  Another example is our communication style. We tend to be more direct.  Being direct is seen as offensive. Dominicans tend to avoid people that are too direct because it is seen as impolite. Common phrases meaning 'no' are: I will look into it, I will get to it later, but they actually have no intention of doing it. 

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As you can imagine this makes it a bit difficult to make friends. I have to read between the lines or guess what people are trying to tell me.  One of my closest friends here is another foreign teacher.  We understand each other's humor.  We talk about what we miss from the United States: American milk🥛, dish washers, and drivers 

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following traffic signals, just to name a few. (On a side note: The DR has been named one of the worst countries to drive in⛟🚚)  It doesn't matter that we are racially different. We are  American and as Americans there are certain things that only we understand.✊

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My children also have had some difficulty adapting here as well.  Of course learning any language can be difficult. I was expecting that, but the cultural norms inside and outside the classroom are shockingly so. Students are expected to sit and copy from the board. The pace and expectations of learning are a lot slower than in the States. The students don't start reading until  second grade.  The math curriculum is more abstract and geometry based.  The students are also a bit spoiled so there are very few limitations at home.  As a result they expect to be given everything

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with little effort.  My daughters new BFF is new to the school from the States. She moved here last year.  My son's best friend also travels back and forth to the United States during every year. Both my children and I have all found it easier to connect with other Americans.

Even though,  we may be racially different, we all share more in common than differences. American first!

Side Note: If you have read my blog titled "Are you Dominican? Being Black in the Dominican Republic."  These are some of the students that answered the survey. Now you know why I was so bewildered😕