02-05-2019 Week 5. Response to Cultural Paradigms

A couple of years ago, I was visiting my mom, who moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. She was making tamales for saling, usually when dad went back home from his job, he went to sell them with his customers. But day dad was not going to be able to sell them because he had some things to do immediately. I told my mom that I could help her, she said no, but I insisted. So we got the tamales and we drove in the neighborhood, I jump out of the car whenever I see people outside in their yards, specially when I saw hispanics, for my surprise, no one want to buy my tamales. I also felt embarassed when a woman told me they didn´t like mexican food and she asked me to go away or she was going to call the cops. I felt so embarassed. Why, what did I do wrong?

After thinking about it, and my dad´s advice, I realized  that contrary to what we as mexicans do in the United States the informal business is not to popular, it is also illegal, people are not use to receive sales man or woman door by door. I also realized that not all latins or hispanics like mexican food, yes I kinow, it is common, but I didn´t know how many hispanic cultures are in the United States. For me as mexican offering food door by door tamales, or sweet bread, water is very popular, we are used to hear people selling outside our home and we are happy to hear that the tamale man is near by. But for other cultures this is not normal, it actually is illegal, or represent the low class trying to make their living.

Why so much differences it is what is called Cultural Paradigms. Cultures set different rules or interpetations and even if they don´t sound natural or even wise those are their paradigms and we must respect them each other differences.

It would be such a wonderful world if we all have the same Paradigms, but because there are so many differences we must learn about other cultures paradigms to better understand their decisions and actions.

In a classroom a teacher that understands each student can better help them to understand the teachings and in TESOL the new culture and language.

Please don´t be afraid if a tamale man or woman  knocks your door maybe like me she or he doesn´t know about your culture. Don´t afraid of differences, if someone is thin, or fat, or yells, or talk quietly, if  he or she has good manners maybe what is good for you is bad for him,  at the end we all are human trying to succeed in this life.