Negotiating with the Culture

I have been fortunate enough to grow up with Latin, cultural values and blessed with the opportunity to travel to multiple Latin American countries in the past several years.  This combo has served me well in adjusting to the culture here in Costa Rica.  I get that my personal-space bubble popped upon hitting the tarmac in San José, I know that I am going to be touched several times throughout any conversation with a Tico, and I have been acquainted with the cheeks touching, kiss the air greeting.  Before coming here, I was even comfortable with surrendering my anxieties every time I enter any mode of transportation.

The one thing about this culture that I have not come to terms with–and probably won't–is the attention that my amigas receive when walking from A to B.  What is considered cultural here would be considered harassment back home and to simply pass it by is contrary to a couple of my strongest core values–treat women with the utmost respect, protect the well-being of others even if it means negating my own.  However, I know that if I were to react, I would be placing us all in a worse situation; so I don't.  Though that doesn't keep me from processing the action-steps I would need to take if things were to indeed escalate.  I just hope it doesn't tip over that point, even though it came quite close a couple days ago.

On the flip-side, it was interesting to learn that in the U.S. there are groups of Latinas who suffer from depression and a lack of self-confidence because men aren't whistling at them on the street, or honking at them as they drive by.  That fact made it apparent to me that this is a matter of cultural understanding.  The difference is that Ticos tend to take it a step or two further with the foreign women they encounter versus the native women they see on a daily basis, making it difficult to accept it solely as a cultural norm.