Week 6, Intercultural Interactions--Allison Miller

My roommate from last year (Hannah) and me

Intercultural interactions take place more frequently than many people think; the United States is often referred to as a “melting pot” due to the vast amount of cultures it contains.  Though this is true, there are many existing obstacles when it comes to interactions between different cultures.  For instance, “People may speak the same language but do not have a ‘bicultural’ understanding of another’s cultural background, which can be problematic” (Vaughn, p. 101).  People need to acknowledge the differences in culture, even between themselves and people who look like them (but are culturally different).  If there is no acknowledgment of differences, people may feel as though their culture is not being respected, and this may lead to them experiencing culture shock.     

Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic

For many people, it is very difficult to interact with someone from a different culture.  So many misunderstandings can occur within seconds—from eye contact, to personal space, to something as simple as smiling.  This reminds me of my experiences in the Dominican Republic two years ago.  I went on a mission trip with a very small group of people, and we built a house in Luperon, Dominican Republic.  Unfortunately, my four years of French studies did not do me much good in a predominantly Spanish-speaking country.  I therefore experienced a very frustrating language barrier with all of the Dominicans.  Reflecting upon my trip, I now realize how awkward the whole situation was, for not only me, but the Dominican people with whom I had come into contact.  I did not know anything about their culture, and thus probably obliviously broke a million unwritten ‘rules’. On the first day of class when we talked about having a mentee who may not speak English, I was extremely nervous that I would not be able to adequately communicate with him or her.  Luckily my mentee is fluent in both Spanish and English, so we haven't had much of a problem when it comes to communicating.  

           With that being said, I think it’s safe to say that I am not as culturally competent as I would like to be, although I think that I’ve made huge strides since coming to college.  Another eye-opening challenge that I faced was living with an Asian-American roommate throughout my freshman year.  We held different beliefs, celebrated different holidays, and essentially had vastly different ways of viewing the world.  Our family systems were different, as well as our values.  In hindsight after learning a bit about cultural competence, I think many of our miscommunication issues could have been avoided.  As I have recently learned, cultural competence includes (but is not limited to) cultural diversity, cultural sensitivity, and cultural awareness (Vaughn, p. 102).  I thought it was very interesting learning about the different approaches to cultural competence.  As I will be entering the healthcare field as a nurse after college, I feel as though I will be pretty familiar with the ResCUE method (Respect, Communicate, Understand, Engage).  My goal is to eventually work at Children’s Hospital, where I would experience several intercultural interactions every single day!