The Benefits of Cultural Awareness
Every year, the United States of America accepts thousands of immigrants and tourists from across the globe, making it one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. As an immigrant, I have learned to be culturally aware – to be receptive and respectful of my similarities and differences with other people. My cultural background helped shape my identity as an individual. It helped me relate to others and form relationships. However, communicating with other people can be challenging due to our cultural differences, which might result in miscommunication and misunderstandings. To communicate clearly, we must develop our cultural awareness.
Growing up in the Philippines and then living in the United States was a huge change for me. One time at work, my boss told me to be less formal and to start addressing her with just her first name. This was surprising to me, because addressing your superiors without “Sir” or “Ma’am” is considered disrespectful where I grew up. However, I noticed that calling her by her first name helped her to feel more comfortable with me. I still need to show her respect, but I do it in different ways than in the Philippines.
Furthermore, my experiences made me realize that though we may say the same words, what we mean can differ. There was an incident where I suddenly said to my co-worker, “Oh my God! I am having a nosebleed.” In the Philippines, the word “nosebleed” is a slang term that someone uses when they are having difficulty expressing their thoughts fluently in a different language, like English. It was supposed to be a joke, but my coworker took it seriously and almost called our Human Resources manager for help. After that, I accepted that my jokes might not make sense to others and I became more mindful of my word choice to avoid misunderstandings.
Aside from communication, I have noticed a difference in social norms. When I first ate in a restaurant here in the US, I observed that people would leave money on the table after paying for their bill. I learned that tipping is customary and is one way of showing respect and gratitude in the service industry. In fact, giving a small tip might be perceived as rude and inconsiderate. In contrast, tipping is not a tradition in the Philippines and other Asian countries; it is acceptable to not give a gratuity to your server or to give less than the usual gratuity. This is the reason why Asians have been stereotyped as “cheap tippers.” I think some Asians do not do it purposely and are just unaware of American traditions. Eventually, I became accustomed to tipping and started to leave generous amount of gratuity.
Living in the United States for almost four years has taught me that being culturally aware helps me build rapport and earn respect from people with different cultural backgrounds. It also promotes successful personal and professional relationships. How do we learn to become culturally aware? All humans stereotype: It’s part of how our brains work. However, we can make a conscious effort to hold our judgment and get to know the person first. Also, we should avoid hasty generalizations because each person is an individual. We should treat everyone fairly, regardless of their ethnic background. If we want a deeper cultural understanding, we can read books and travel to various places. As a matter of fact, learning diverse cultures can be interesting and fulfilling. Above all, the best way to practice cultural awareness is to ask questions, listen, and be observant.
Practicing cultural awareness is well worth the effort. Culture represents a group’s rich history and tradition. While learning about each other’s cultures, we need to be sensitive, understanding, and respectful. Cultural awareness leads us to better relationships with others and greater harmony in our community.
Bea Samiano is a biology major with a concentration in pre-professional studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She was born in the Philippines and came to the United States in 2013. Bea was an active member of the Interactive Measurement Group from Spring 2016 to Fall 2016. She hopes to graduate in Spring 2018 and get into a professional school with a DMD and MBA dual degree program.