“Estas castigada por el resto del fin de semana!” said my mother as I angrily stormed up to my room. Tears were in my eyes as I called my best friend to inform her that I would not be able to meet her at the movies that evening. My American friend has never understood my family’s hotheaded nature. Disappointed as usual, my friend says she understands—but she doesn’t. The fact that I have lived in the United States my whole life does not change my Latino blood.

Throughout the years, I have noticed vast differences between South Americans and North Americans. Although we all come from the “Americas”, our borders separate our cultures. A few examples of our cultural differences are: interactive maneuvers, manner of expression, and orientation towards families.

To abridge, Latinos are known to be “warmer.” In South American countries, one is warmly greeted with a kiss on the cheek. This is regardless of the amount of time the people have known each other. North Americans, on the other hand, greet each other simply verbally, with a handshake or on occasion with a quick hug. In general the public eye has come to the conclusion that North Americans are colder and live off a drier culture. For instance, in relationships Hispanic men can be as emotional as Hispanic women as well as more compassionate towards their partner. In the North American society, the sign of emotion is a sign of weakness, whereas in the Latino culture, men and women express their emotions fully.

When we spoke to a few students who come from Latino backgrounds, they informed us that, for them, it is much easier to approach a Latino person than it is to approach an American. They expressed that they feel more comfortable trying to connect to people who share the same background as they do. One of our peers told us about her first day in a North American school. She noted extreme differences between starting a new school in Latin America and starting a new school in North America. “I felt lonely,” she said. “No one would approach me to introduce themselves. I felt like a wild animal at the zoo. When I returned home, I was greeted by an eager mother, curious to hear about my first day at an “American” school. She was disappointed to hear that my day was simply “fine,” and I had yet to make a friendly acquaintance. In Latin America when a new kid joins the class or even the school, he or she is greeted by practically everyone. All of a sudden a kid you have just met becomes a friend that will last you a lifetime.

Neither culture is “better” or “worse.” They are simply distinct. Just as the circle of life goes, each individual can learn from another. We Latinos are proud of our culture and try to embrace it as much as possible. However, we are also curious people, eager to learn from all other cultures out there.

Luis Miguel Sifuentes, Galit Cohen, Maria Eugenia Arias