Stereotypes
I have always considered myself a person that does not fit the stereotypes of my own culture. Spanish people are said to be, among other things, a little loud, outgoing and lazy. Well, except for the last one, those are not adjectives someone would use to describe me. That could be one of the reasons why since I was a little girl I was interested in learning about other countries, maybe to discover the one that would suit my personality best. The first foreign country I set my eyes upon was England, possibly because of my fangirling years as a teenager, but most likely due to the image the world has of the British; they are seemed as introverted, well-mannered and discreet. When you start to enjoying things from other countries is very likely that you would also become interested in knowing their language. That's why, not being totally conscious of it, I started learning English. I liked their culture so much that my mother would always tell her acquaintances that I was going to live there once I finish college. That was until later, when I discovered British reality shows and realised that maybe there weren't that polite after all. At that time, I was becoming slightly aware that stereotypes more often than not do not define a culture.
Later on, and not surprisingly, my hobby would turn out to be my chosen career path. My experience learning English motivated me to know more about other countries, to learn other languages. That is why once I started university, majoring in translation and interpreting, I met a lot of new people. The city (details)I moved into is visited and inhabited by people from all over the world, as well as a popular choice for exchange students. Those poor central Europeans fleeing the freezing temperatures and thrilled at the perspective of a year spent at the beach rather than in the classroom (they would too late realise they've been fooled by Spanish stereotypes when they, in fact, pass the year at the beach but forget to pass their exams). So, it was very frequent to find myself speaking in English instead of Spanish. Those months I met all kinds of people; British than were way more extroverted than me, Asian people that talked perfect English, and even a Scottish that was not ginger (unbelievable). Jokes apart, I learned to not expect certain things from people just based on the country they are from, that I needed to leave behind these stereotypes.
Even though I had acquired this mentality, when I came to Korea a month ago I could not help but have certain aspects of the Koreans set in my mind. I had heard that many people would stare at me, especially the older population, and that most of the time they wouldn't be welcoming, or even some of them would be racist. True to that statement, I definitely can feel how the people stare at me on the subway. The day I arrived here, when I was in the train heading to the university one of my friends sat next to an old woman and she immediately changed seats. During the time I've been here I've had a few experiences like that, however, I've also experienced the kindness of the people. The many times elders have told me to sit next to them when I was standing and when they ask me where I'm from with a smile on their face.
These are just a few experiences that have changed my view on/off cultures and their stereotypes. Starting with my own self that do not live up to other people's expectations, and continuing with the encounters I've had with people in my lifetime, from which I've learned that every person is different, no matter where they are from. We all have different personalities and upbringings that makes us who we are. Stereotypes are just a poor way of labelling a whole culture.
When we meet a foreigner, we must be open-minded and try to know them as a person, not as a representation of what a country should be like in our minds. Do not let stereotypes prevent you from living new experiences.
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