Running head: HISTORICAL EXAMINATION

1
Historical Exaination o!
Cultural "rou#s
Tiara $ol#e
Otta%a &ni'ersit(
Ma( )*+ ),1-
HISTORICAL EXAMINATION
Historical Exaination o!
Cultural "rou#s
Interactions .et%een those o! di!!erent cultural grou#s can .e co#lex/ Each culture
.rings a uni0ue #ers#ecti'e to the con'ersation/ E!!ecti'el( na'igating these interactions not
onl( re0uires 1no%ledge o! current custos and 'alues+ .ut also the cultural histor(/
2ust as 'ar(ing cultures ingle and o'erla# %ith others on this earth+ 'ar(ing histories
o'erla# as %ell/ There are an( di!!erent histories to consider+ such as !ail( and national3 as
%ell as histories s#eci!ic to certain su.cultures+ such as the ga( and les.ian counit(/
Historical accounts a( regard the sae e'ents+ .ut the #ers#ecti'es o! such e'ents are 'aria.le/
The Importance of Historical Examination
Histor( !ul!ills a large role during intercultural interactions .ecause it is central in the
de'elo#ent o! a culture4s identit(/ 5ull understanding o! a cultural grou# sur#asses the
su#er!icialities o! dail( li'ing and del'es dee#er into the indset o! a societ(/ A culture does not
a##ear o'er night+ .ut gro%s slo%l( o'er tie/ A series o! e'ents ha'e trans#ired o'er tie+
resulting in the current indset o! 'arious cultures/ 6isregarding histor( can result in inaccurate
conclusions that #er#etuate isguided stereot(#es 7Martin 8 Na1a(aa+ ),1-9/
A #ractical a##lication o! this theor( occurred %hen an Aerican !ail( !ro the
continental &/S/ 'isited Ha%aii/ &#on initial interactions+ the nati'e Ha%aiians %ere 'ie%ed as
un!riendl( or not hos#ita.le/ Cultural understanding occurred %hen a teenage .o( at a
Mc6onald4s restaurant in!ored the !ail( that an( Ha%aiians are still disgruntled a.out
Aerica4s in'asion o! their hoeland/ His recount o! the o'erthro% o! their :ueen %as di!!erent
!ro the stor( de#icted in an( &/S/ histor( .oo1s/ A!ter learning a.out this as#ect o! histor(+
the !ail( %as a.le to e#athi;e %ith the o##osing 'ie% #oint/
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HISTORICAL EXAMINATION
Hidden Histories
The a!oreentioned stor( is an exa#le o! a hidden histor(+ %hich a( #ose a #ro.le
during intercultural interactions/ Hidden histories are histories o! a #articular cultural grou# that
are not %idel( 1no%n .( e.ers outside o! this grou#/ Each religious and ethnic grou# has
their o%n histor(/ Histories can .e s#eci!ic to gender and sexual orientation/ 6ias#ora and
colonialis ha'e also contri.uted to distinguishing histories 7Martin 8 Na1a(aa+ ),1-9/
&nderstanding histories s#eci!ic to certain cultural grou#s a( re'eal con!licts that %ere
other%ise una##arent/ According to a #ersonal !riend+ the histor( o! S#anish colonialis has
resulted in con!lict in Cu.a/ Man( Cu.ans resent the ter+ Hispanic, and do not identi!(
thesel'es in this %a(/ The( do not li1e to .e associated %ith the S#anish %ho con0uered ost
o! South Aerica and the Cari..ean Islands/ Me.ers o! this cultural grou# %ill #roudl(
#roclai that the( are Cu.an/
Family History vs. National History
A thorough understanding o! a cultural grou#4s histor( is not co#lete %ithout
consideration o! the distinction .et%een !ail( histories and national histories/ <oth t(#es o!
histor( i#act cultural grou#s and cross=cultural interactions/ 5ail( histories detail #ast e'ents
as the( relate to that #articular !ail(/ 5ail( histories+ in co#arison to national histories+ a(
o!!er a .etter ex#lanation o! an indi'idual4s identit(/ 5ail( histories are o!ten #assed do%n
orall( throughout generations and in'ol'e ethnic and religious details 7Martin 8 Na1a(aa+
),1-9/
Alternati'el(+ national histories detail #i'otal e'ents and #roinent !igures o! a nation/
6ue to the dela(ed ac0uisition o! e0ual rights !or %oen and inorities+ ost nota.le !igures o!
the &nited States are ale descendents o! Euro#e/ This characteristic e!!ecti'el( excludes an(
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HISTORICAL EXAMINATION
grou#s !ro Aerica4s national histor(+ the #ur#ose o! %hich is to esta.lish #ride and strengthen
the nation/ Ironicall(+ that %hich is su##osed to #ro'ide a sense o! .elonging actuall( alienates
an( Aericans 7Martin 8 Na1a(aa+ ),1-9/
Sexual Orientation Histories
One grou# that is ignored .( Aerican histor( is the ga( and les.ian counit(+ %hich
has its o%n culture outside o! the doinant culture/ This is another exa#le o! a hidden histor(/
Hiding their histor( atte#ts to silence their 'oice/ Asterda allo%ed their 'oice to .e heard
%hen a onuent %as erected to signi!( the 'ictii;ation o! ga(s and les.ians .( Adol! Hitler/
Man( Aericans are outraged .( the accusations o! A.raha Lincoln4s hoosexualit(/
>h( is this rele'ant? The idea o! hoosexual !ounding !athers a( not coincide %ith certain
#erce#tions o! %hat it eans to .e an Aerican/ The ere suggestion is in!uriating/
Alternati'el(+ ga(s and les.ians %ho are !ighting to .e heard %ant to #ro'e that hoosexualit( is
not a ne% and #er'erse notion in Aerica/ Hoosexuals are not onl( ca#a.le o! success+ .ut
hel#ed to sha#e this 'er( nation/ It is challenging to the Aerican ideal 7Rhue+ ),1)9/
Negotiating Histories
6ue to all o! the 'arious cultural histories+ a .alancing act ust ensue .et%een the #ast
and #resent e'ents o! all cultures #artici#ating in the interaction/ >hen ac1no%ledging historical
atrocities+ !eelings o! uneasiness a( a##ear+ %hich can .e di!!icult !or certain grou#s to
con!ront/ Soe a( %orr( that con!lict %ill continue i! #ast e'ents are constantl( re'isited .ut
#retending it did not ha##en can .e 'ie%ed as an atte#t to silence their 'oice/ >hile d%elling
on the #ast does not allo% one to o'e !or%ard+ learning lessons !ro the #ast is i#ortant to
re!rain !ro a1ing !uture ista1es 7Martin 8 Na1a(aa+ ),1-9/
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HISTORICAL EXAMINATION
Aside !ro con!lict resolution and a'ersion+ histories i#act cultural interactions in the
ost .asic %a(/ The co#lexities o! intercultural interactions are co#ounded .( language
.arriers/ The languages s#o1en .( di!!erent cultural grou#s are indicati'e o! their historical
@ourne(/ The reason English is the o!!icial language o! Aerica is due to <ritish colonialis/
S#anish #re'ails in Cu.a due to S#anish colonialis/ The language an indi'idual s#ea1s is not
chosen .( that indi'idual+ .ut is a #roduct o! the societ( one is .orn into/
Conclusion
E'en %ithout language .arriers+ na'igating intercultural interactions a( .e di!!icult at
!irst/ Caution+ tolerance+ and understanding are re0uired/ It is i#ortant to 1no% and res#ect each
other4s di!!erences+ .oth #ast and #resent+ so that relationshi#s can !oster o'ing !or%ard 7Carter
et al+ ),,A9/ Once #ersonal+ or at least aica.le+ relationshi#s are esta.lished+ continuing
intercultural interactions %ill .ecoe second nature/
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HISTORICAL EXAMINATION
eferences
Carter+ S/+ Hone(!ord+ M/+ McBas1le+ 6/+ "uthrie+ 5/+ Mahone(+ S/+ 8 Carter+ "/6/ 7),,A9/
C>hat do (ou ean .( >hiteness?D: A #ro!essor+ !our doctoral students+ and a student
a!!airs adinistrator ex#lore >hiteness/ College Student Affairs Journal, 26(2), 1E)=1EF/
Martin+ 2/N/+ 8 Na1a(aa+ T/B/ 7),1-9/ Experiencing intercultural communication: An
introduction 7E
th
ed/9/ Ne% Gor1+ NG: Mc"ra%=Hill/
Rhue+ S/ 7),1)9/ A !ail( histor( #ro'ides ore e'idence that A.raha Lincoln %as ga(/
Retrie'ed !ro %%%/hu!!ington#ost/co on Ma( )1+ ),1-/
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