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Self-Awareness in the Spanish Culture

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Submitted By aliotti5
Words 1307
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Self-Awareness Assignment
I thought I knew everything about culture because I have studied this phenomenon in four intercultural communication courses in the past. I have learned many concepts and terms, but actually being in the context where the cultural differences are taken place is another story. I have learned a lot about the Spanish culture and myself while living in Sevilla; whether it is truly understanding the culture I belong to, values I cherish, and/or expanding my perspectives while staying true to my culture. I still have a lot to learn about the Spanish culture, because I have some unanswered questions to why Spaniards do certain things. I know cultures are continuously evolving so I have to understand that I will not fully understand a culture’s values unless I am from it.
Values are influenced by one’s upbringing and how they were raised by their parents. Parents usually embed values into their kids by implementing what they know from their culture. My parents learned these important values from my grandparents. My grandparents were immigrants of Sicilia and Pais Vasco, so they know the importance of starting a new life and working hard to build a foundation for a family. Generations later, I embed these values in my life every day, so I can express the importance of hard work to my children in the future.
I am a Sicilian-American who is from the small fishing town Monterey, California. I am unconsciously influenced by the language (slang) and lifestyle that exists in California, because I have lived the same demographic régime my entire life. Since I have a close connection with my Sicilian heritage, I never identify myself as a “white” or “Caucasian” because I was taught by my family that I should be proud of my roots and where my family comes from. A representation of my family’s heritage that my three brothers and I have are matching tattoos

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