March 21, 2013
Perspectives on Diversity and Culture
The person I interviewed for this assignment is a coworker who comes from Saudi Arabia. Her name is Mrs.Ansari. Her definition of culture is everything that encompasses her since the minute she was born up to the day I was standing in fron of her asking this question. The aspect of culture discontinuity was included in our conversation because although she did not mention this term, she stated that many of her customs had to be left behind when she came to the United States 20 years ago. One very important thing for females in her culture is to always have her hair hidden. She mentioned is extremely disrespectful for them to show their hair in public to someone else besides her husband, Other males should not see her hair, it wold be the equivalent of an American woman showing her breast in public as stated by her. My thinking after talking to her is that everyone has their very valid reasons to do what they do. To some people that don't understand this, the custom might seem pointless; but it is in these situations that we must understand and respect everyone. I thought it was very sad that she mentioned her daughter being bullied at school because she was "different". Mrs.Ansari then explained that Saudi Arabia women are professionals just like American woman and they should not be perceived as submissive woman or sometimes even called "abused wives". To Mrs.Ansari, she describes herself as an independent very intelligent professional and not as a victim of abuse.
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Dina, very interesting thank you for asking the question that is so important to do. If we don't ask we don't know. I too have sat with parents and asked the same question and they have shared their culture with me, and one mother that shared this said that she would give her daughter the option to choose to wear one or not here in America. I asked if she had been ridiculed in America, she said in the the Mainland states she had but in Hawaii where many cultures are embraced she said she had not been, her family had been embraced in Hawaii without being bullied at school or with comments in communities that most times arise out of people not understanding cultures.
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