Cultural Differences

Culture is a word that is defined as the set of knowledge and characteristics that distinguish a society or a social group. The culture is distinguished by using customs and knowledge that our ancestors have transmitted to the new generations such as language, habits, and values. There are different cultures all over the world, what makes us different is having been born in different parts of the world, but however now it is called cultural diversity since it is sharing our culture with other people so that they can know and respect our traditions this to live in harmony in society. In this essay, first, I´ll talk about the cultural diversity in Guatemala; then, I want to talk about cultural barriers in Guatemala about the Maya culture; finally, I want to share some experiences about the Maya culture.

In Guatemala there are four cultures that are: Maya, Ladino, Xinca and Garifuna. I think the most famous culture is the Maya because many tourists really like to learn about this culture. They like the clothes and they are impressed by the different languages that exist and the customs they have. I would like to learn a Mayan language because I am proud of my country and I would like to be able to share about our culture. Recently I heard on the news that they have found a Maya City in Petén. Something that I can highlight about Ladino culture is Holy Week because of the devotion that the Catholic religion has, they make carpets and make typical dishes such as Torrejas and Molletes, fish and Tales Blancos. I think there are more dishes, but these are the ones I have in mind.

I think one of the cultural barriers is racism because many indigenous families stop learning their traditions, their mother tongue and even their clothing because they belong to a society that has created insecurities for them. I also believe that families have migrated to the capital of Guatemala and have adopted new customs. I certainly believe that the barriers are those that appear when there are social, cultural and economic differences between people of different regions or ethnic groups. Empathy is essential to overcome cultural barriers, leaving differences behind and working together. I am concerned that in a few years the population that is part of cultural diversity will decrease. Discrimination against them is also a worrying situation. It is of my interest to be able to share this topic that is why I believe that there should be cultural diversity in the educational system.

One occasion I visited San Pedro Sacatepéquez because my family and I were invited to a wedding which they celebrate with great joy and had a three-day party. The first day a group of women gathered and began to prepare the food. On the second day the ceremony took place, the bride was wearing a typical colorful dress and on the third day a thanksgiving lunch was held for all the people who helped to make the wedding take place. It was a very nice experience because you feel in another environment. On another occasion I visited Totonicapán and there I tried the typical dish that is Tobic, usually they accompany it with a white tamalitos, it was very delicious.

In summary, cultural differences are the characteristics that make us different from each other. It is important to know what our identity, our history and our customs are. It is also important to respect our cultural differences and share with other countries how beautiful Guatemala is. We need to know and accept our languages and create empathy for our society.