Mexican Americans, according to my research especially according to Sotomayor-Peterson et all in their 2012 article “Couples' cultural values, shared parenting, and family emotional climate within Mexican American families” Mexican Americans strongly believe in the ideal of Simpatia. This means to be selflessly kind and extra sensitive to being other oriented to the point of avoiding conflict at nearly any cost. There are many reasons for this that I discuss in my paper. The traditional belief that they are victims, and weaker, and of lower status than the person they are talking to. Then there is the face saving, self preservation part as well as the sustaining of the relationship between people in the conversation/interaction.
It is interesting to note that even with Machismo, masculinity, strength and independence (at least for the men) as a traditional cultural value that Simpatia still thrives and even precludes Machismo, according to my research.
I think that cultural sensitivity training and especially a workshop on understanding cultural perception would be most helpful. Especially in terms of how to respect a cultural norm that you have trouble accepting. I am far too United States of American for my own good. I can’t understand unnecessary shyness or submissive timidity, much less conflict avoidance. I am far too competitive and perhaps brashly confident. I really need to incorporate the harmonizing quality of active listening (like the video says) and not insisting on my own worldview, my own opinions.
references:
Sotomayor-Peterson, M. , Figueredo, A. , Christensen, D. , & Taylor, A. (2012). Couples' cultural values, shared parenting, and family emotional climate within mexican american families. Family Process,51(2), 218-233.
doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.2012.01396.x
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