Job Discussion Forums

[ButterflyAngie]

So this is me: My ancestry goes back to Mexico on both my father and mother's side. I look very "ethnic." But I'm fourth generation in America. And most of my adolescence was in Virginia (dad was in the Navy). I never spoke Spanish growing up, only know what I do from studying in school. As an adult, I've lived in areas that are more highly diverse especially with Latinos (Texas and Florida) and been able to practice more Spanish.

I'm wondering is there anyone else out there like me who is an American Latino/a who went to live in Latin America, specifically to teach English? What was your experience like? I know I'm completely generalizing here, and everyone's experience is different, but I'm really curious to hear any stories. It's been hard enough here in the U.S. on a regular basis people always asking "where are you from?" (Me: Uh, I moved here from Florida . . . Them: Yeah, but where were you born? Me: I was born in Houston . . . Them: OK, you parents? Me: Houston! Grandparents too!)

SO as an American in America, always being treated like a foreigner, what will it be like when I actually go to a foreign country? I am sure I'll be seen as an American as that has been my experience with traveling. But will my ethnicity pose any hindrances or maybe even advantages?

[latif]

An interesting question - I'm not Latino, but I apparently "look" like one ... I actually decided to learn Spanish and travel to Latin America some years back 'cause while living in a Latino neighborhood, everyone insisted on speaking Spanish to me... I felt bad about people always apologizing when they figured I was not Latino. Now I can more or less pass. And I view that as a major major advantage while traveling in Latin America.

I would approach the question about teaching English as a Latino in a couple of ways ---- one is teaching ESL when one does not fit the stereotype of what an American/British/New Zealander/Australian/Canadian "looks like" that many have... And the other is the expectation that people may have from you as a Latino/a.

in my view, having people from diverse backgrounds teach at a school would enrich the school's ability to provide a more accurate representation of the cultures of where English is spoken. It should be viewed as an asset.

However, based on what I've seen and read, that is not how many schools operate, especially in parts of Latin America - they actually want the stereotypical American "look" - 'cause that is what they think is "authentic." This has been changing somewhat in recent years, but is still dominant, unfortunately. However, this is also an advantage of sorts, it helps to weed out such schools... during the job search process.

Re: the expectations people might have from you as a Latino/a -although I have some idea, will leave that part to a Latino/a to answer -

[AdrianG4]

I am a first generation Mexican American and look the part. As a 23 year-old, I've even grown out a thick 'stache. Why ? I dunno. It makes me look intensely .. Mexican haha and it makes me smile.

My Spanish is quite great -- I don't sound Tex-Mex or Chicano -- and I owe that to my parents speaking great, pure Sonoran Spanish. My father is a Spanish-English linguist .. so my Spanish hasn't been messed up too much like most of you Mexican Americans

Anyway, yes my first ESL job was in Guanajuato, Mexico ..

the more a Mexican spoke to me, the eventual question would come up .. eres de los estados unidos o de otro paiz o que .. ? -- likely because of a lack of distinguished region accent, an occasional delay when expressing complex thoughts or answers and my somewhat low use of modern Mexican slang. The point is, the latin america people WILL know

At a market, where there's much less communication, it is to your advantage -- because you won't get the inflated foreigner prices when you buy your goods.

I think that being hispanic and teaching English in a hispanic country, is so much fun Because you don't get gawked at everywhere you go (I'm now living in China and less than a month in, I'm already getting tired of being stared at and causing attention) and you simply blend in But when people get to know you and realize that you're not "one of them" you also get to experience the mostly good treatment of being a guest in a foreign country (food, easier to make friends, free tours, girls/boys interested in you, good parties etc.)

[BocaNY]

I'm a first gen Colombian American and I went to S.A. to work. People just thought I was from the country until I opened my mouth and spoke Spanish. They could tell by how I spoke Spanish that I wasn't from there. Then they would ask where I was from. When I said America they would be like but you look Latin. Then I would explain that my family is from Colombia.

It helps because they treat you like your from there and you can blend in but once they find out your American you can also get away with more stuff especially if your a girl.

But there are some downsides to it. A lot of my students would ask me where I learned English and how old I was when I moved to the States. The adults students were the hardest they just didn't believe that someone who looked like them could be from America that i had to be from somewhere in S.A. They would think that I couldn't speak very good English and that I wasn't a native speaker. That usually changed once I started speaking Spanish and they heard how I sounded. I even had one boss ask me to use a different last name.

With the younger students it was easier. They didn't care. I did get called gringa by the people I meet there and my friends from there. Some people where like your not Latina which sucks since here in America we are considered Latinos.

Overall in the beginning they will ask you questions about where you learned English and where you from, after that it's all good. I found that my students especailly the younger gen could relate to me more then to
the "typical American".

It's funny how some of them have family in the States who had children there and they still believe that all Americans are white, blond hair and blue eyes.

[naturegirl321]

Not Latina by ethnicity, but have citizenship due to marriage. I found it to be a hindrance. People assuming my parents were Peruvians and I was born in the US, so I'm a rich American.

I also got treated as a peruvian, which in my opinion, was far worse than heing treated as a foreigner, especially for women.

As for the langauge, people would assume that I had a speech impediment.