Meagan Eads
Diversity Paper
For my diversity project I interviewed two people. I interviewed my friend Ramon, whom is
from the Dominican Republic and a family friend Claudia, whom is from Guatemala. Both of these
people are from a Hispanic background however, their lives differ greatly. Ramon was born in the
Dominican Republic, but his father was in the United States Navy making it quite easy for him to
Americanize. He moved to the United States at a young age and easily adapted to the American culture.
He speaks fluent English, but his Spanish is not as developed. He can speak to me, his family, and a
few friends, but when it comes to speaking with a native speaker from another country, he can't.
Claudia lived in Guatemala most of her life. She is a fluent speaker of the Spanish language,
and she can speak comprehensible English. She is currently taking English classes to better her
communication skills. She is an excellent cook, and she taught me how to cook authentic arroz con
pollo in the Guatemalan fashion. To help me experience the Guatemalan culture, she invited me to her
daughters quincinera. In American culture, the big birthday for a girl is her 16th, but in Hispanic culture
the 15th is seen as a turning point in a girls life. After that age she becomes a woman and assumes more
responsibility in her life.
A traditional birthday party has cake, presents, and friends. The same is true of a quincinera. A
quincinera also has lively music and almost all of the family. Traditional Guatemalan music was played
and also some American music. I had a chance to talk to many of their relatives and discovered that
they are just like you and I. Language may be a barrier, but it can be broken down. I have studied
Spanish for 5 years now and I have noticed that when you attempt to speak Spanish, even if you
butcher the language, the effort is appreciated. I am very passionate about the language and I encourage
everyone to step outside the box.
Go somewhere you normally would not go. Do something you normally would not do. Dare to
be different. Talk to someone you would ordinarily just pass on by. You will find that though we may
all look a little different and act a little different, on the inside, we are very similar. People have
different customs all around the world. If you research them you may find that you enjoy other culture
as much as I do.