Holly Lancaster

Danell Hathaway
Dance 1010
9 March 2016
Life History Interview
Chile
The culture that I have chosen was the Chilean culture because my mother remarried a
Chilean man after my father passed away; Chilean culture is now a daily part of our lives. From
the beginning of my interview to the end, I was fascinated to hear about my step-fathers culture
and beliefs. Towards the end, I began to have a better understanding of his behaviors and beliefs
and felt even closer to my fairly recently added family member. The Chileans, Arturo stated, are
a happy and friendly people who have learned to be hard working due to frequent earthquakes
that destroy their cities.
Arturo continually emphasized on the importance of the family and the roles that they
played. He stated that usually within the Chilean culture, the man should work hard to support
the family, and should be able to repair and protect the home. The woman is to manage the
house; this includes the usual cooking and cleaning but also the management of the money. The
children are to respect their parents, keep their parents involved in their lives and to always ask
for help. I found myself to be a bit old fashioned and agreed with this lifestyle.
Family was the key value that he continually went back to when referring to his culture.
It seems that the Chilean lifestyle revolves around the family. Naturally of course, when you
gather the family, there must be food. Not only did Arturos diet change when came to the United
States, but ours did as well when he joined our family. Potatoes are a staple in Chile as they were

Holly Lancaster
Danell Hathaway
Dance 1010
9 March 2016
in our household. Funeral potatoes are his new favorite food. Many of the foods that have been
introduced into our home include soups, pastries/breads and salads. Vegetables are a key
ingredient in any meal.
When the family comes together, not only is food involved but music and dancing is as
well. Arturo admitted that many Chileans listen to some of the same music that we do, mainly
the popular songs but they often dont understand English; they simply enjoy the beat. However,
they also listen to many European bands, and a wide variety of Latin musics. Chileans love to
dance La Cueca, which is fashioned after a rooster. Families teach their children to dance to this
as soon as they are able to stand. Often now, our home is filled with Latin beats and Arturo is
quick to grab my mother or me and begin to dance.
Elaborating on La Cueca, it is Chiles national dance. Here in America, we do not truly
have a national dance, although some would argue it is the square dance. To compare the two, in
La Cueca there are two dancers, a male and a female; this is the same for the American square
dance. In Chile the mens costume consists of cowboy boots with overly exaggerated spurs,
black pants, a red or white sash around the waist, a poncho and a large rimmed hat. In the
American square dance, men often wear cowboy boots as well, occasionally wide rimmed hats
and often either black slacks or denim jeans. The women in La Cueca wear bright, colorful
dresses with many petti coats and usually high heels. The dresses in the square dance are nearly
identical only the patterns may differ on the fabric.

Holly Lancaster
Danell Hathaway
Dance 1010
9 March 2016
Prior to joining our family, Arturo lived in New York for a while. Intentionally, Arturo
only wanted to visit New York for a season and return to Chile. He ended up staying longer and
longer until he had been here for several years. He made his way to Utah because he has an Aunt
and cousin that live in the valley. Just as he was planning and saving to go back to Chile, he met
my mother at a dance and decided to stay.
Arturo said that learning the language was the hardest part about his transition from Chile
where they speak Castellano, a version of Spanish, to the United States where they speak
English. Language, I understand, is hard. Whenever we gather as friends and family, I am at a
loss because I do not speak the language. It is a little scary when someone walks up to you and
begins to rapidly speak in a foreign language and then they pause waiting for an answer; you
helplessly shake your head or shrug your shoulders. I am now more patient with those who dont
understand the language I am speaking and admire them for trying to learn.
Another large change for him was the weather. He said that in Chile, the seasons are the
opposite so when it is winter here, it is summer in Chile and vice versa. Aside from the language
and climate, he had to adjust to a new culture. I discovered this difference of cultures at his
birthday party back in November. I greeted another woman with my arm extended ready to shake
and she leaned in to hug me with open arms. Embarrassed we awkwardly switched and bumped,
finally she said, Lets shake. I made sure to hug everyone after that and returned the kiss on the
cheek as well.

Holly Lancaster
Danell Hathaway
Dance 1010
9 March 2016
When I asked Arturo what racisms or discriminations he may have faced here, he laughed
and asked if I needed more paper and had more time. Just recently he was interviewing for a job
and the interviewer asked him if he had his papers. He replied with, Of course. She then had
the nerve to ask him if they were real. He was surprised and offended that she would question
him if they were real. Being a white, American born woman I know that I am privileged because
of this and would never be asked if my documents were legitimate. Others, not just interviewers
but most Americans, are short with him and tell him they cant understand his English because
his accent is too thick. I have never struggled to understand him; he always speaks clear English
correctly.
Another other instance that I will mention was with Arturo and my mother in a parking
lot. The two were dating and had left another dance. They were on their way to Arturos car
when they saw a man harassing another woman. My step-dad quickly ran over to her and said,
Do you need some help? She stopped, looked at him and said, I dont take help from your
kind! This infuriated not only my mother, but me as well. Often he is discriminated simply by
his cultural background. He is pulled over frequently, questioned, watched and treated poorly by
those who are ethnocentric. I never have faced these issues because I am considered privileged.
This I believe to be wrong.
After concluding this interview formally, I continued to talk with my step-dad and grew
to admire him more and more for having the courage to come to a new country, learn a new
language and learn to tolerate such discrimination. I think that the biggest lesson I learned was

Holly Lancaster
Danell Hathaway
Dance 1010
9 March 2016
that not everyone is treated equally. I knew about racism and discrimination, but it was never
personal. Hearing stories about someone I love and care about being treated unjustly angered me
and made me feel protective.
Through this interview, I learned that the world is still struggling with equality for all. I
believed that equal rights began here in the 60s and assumed that all races, aside from black and
white, had equal opportunities but I am now beginning to realize that we are still, as a society,
overcoming this. Whites are still holding much of the power over other races and generally seem
to think our culture is the right or better way. I disagree heavily with this. I was surprised to
hear negative stories about my fellow citizens and am embarrassed for my cultures lack of
acceptance for others who differ from themselves.