LUPE's Corner

Cultural exchange happens everyday. Lupe's corner is devoted to the cultural experience of a native Mexican.

What would life be without a challenge? One of my most important decisions was to move to the United States. It has been difficult at times but overall a very extremely rewarding experience. I still remember when I arrived to Phoenix with the idea of completing a Bachelors Degree in Finance. Looking back in retrospect, I realize I was very naïve. I was younger and I thought everything was a “piece of cake." I never imagined learning English was going to be so much work and more importantly, I never even considered the difference in the cultural aspects.

English was a challenge from the beginning since all I knew how to say was “how are you”. During my first year in college, I took some intensive English classes before taking any other class. As I began to understand English, I became more frustrated. First, I understood what people were saying but I did not know how to answer. Second, sometimes I thought I understood the message but later found out I had not. Third, I always questioned the fact that there were so many grammatical rules but surprisingly enough there were hundreds of exceptions to those rules. However, I was committed to learning English so I immersed myself in the experience. Later, I noticed I was forgetting how to speak Spanish. My family and friends in Mexico used to love making fun of my Spanish while Americans still had no clue that I was actually trying to speak their language. As I became more fluent, I continued to make mistakes mainly with the pronunciation because, again, there are so many ways to pronounce words with the same spelling. I still remember the many embarrassing moments I went through due to mispronunciations. My favorite experience was at a business reunion when I was trying to tell my boss and colleagues that I was having problems “breeding” instead of “breathing”. Needless to say, most people at the reunion thought that I was extremely open about my personal problems.

My problems with the language became more complex as I experienced the cultural aspects. English is a business language and as such it is easy to get to the point. Spanish on the other hand tends to be redundant. Trying to translate Spanish into English can be a disaster, especially when you are still learning English a second language. Often, I found myself saying the same thing over and over without really conveying the message. Quite frankly some people thought I was trying to make up a story and they looked at me with hesitation. While I was trying to get used to the differences in the languages, I was also trying to overcome the solitude. In Mexico, I often visited my friends and neighbors and every time they had something to eat for me. I used to talk for hours because we always had something to say and our relationships were extremely important. Life sure was very laid back, back home. Another cultural aspect, I used to miss is the kiss on the cheek or the big hug when greeting someone. It is funny to think about it but personal interactions are very important for some cultures because it creates a feeling of belonging.

All in all, my experiences were great! English and the cultural aspects were challenging but I learned to go with the flow while enjoying the many benefits of living in another country. Even though it was frustrating and embarrassing to make mistakes, I learn to accept them to become fluent in English. I can’t remember when but one day I stopped judging the way I spoke English and I focused more on understanding my mistakes. As I became more fluent, a new world was open to me. I finally was able to understand the cultural aspects of the American society.