Intercultural Communication Ethics

As I was reading this chapter I found that the learning about those beyond "our kind," as Appiah mentions (158), is very important. Though usually when I find myself having conversations concerning race and culture; I have tough time not saying "I am a part of the human race" and stating that that is what makes up my identity. I would say that being Chicano or having a lighter colored skin than a lot of Chicanos out there, shouldn't make a difference as to how I am treated or interacted with -but somehow it does. Sometimes I would say culture didn't really matter, when ever the topic came up between my girlfriend and me. Which I will admit I still think that kind of holds true, although to a smaller extent.

Anyways, as I was saying, I feel as though a lot of the time people don't make too much of an effort to learn about their fellow cultures, myself included. From what the book says on page 159, about the not assuming you know a culture or the culture of another but learn from it and observe. Which seems to be just like getting to know people and talking to people and learning from them. To be a life long learner in that sense. I feel as though everyone should experience culture shock here and there to just get a feel of uncomfortableness because that is when you start paying attention to events and how you feel. To put ourselves in those situations is to put ourselves in a learning environment.
I love what Tocqueville coined about individualism and how we hold ourselves about what we are deeply rooted in.

Overall, I see a lot of intercultural communication and I see what some people may see in me as well. I will admit that I am usually inarticulate with what I say and how I say things. I make random pauses just to file things in my head in order for me to say it out loud. This is the case when I speak Spanish and need to turn my culture knob from English to Spanish and vice versa. I can tell you a lot in either language, I can memorize and describe almost anything but just not with the proper vocabulary. Similar to the the 'Watching the Hands' I can do certain things in general and just not be able to explain them. So reading this part of the chapter really helped me see a little more of my mixed cultural mannerisms.