Taking Culture for Granted 
The Biggest Mistake in Hispanic/Latino Ministry

By Sister Susan Klein, OP

After working and studying for over 30 years in Hispanic/Latino ministry as a religious sister in the Catholic Church in this country, Mexico, Central America and South America, I have come to feel very much at home with people of other culturesÛand culture itself. But that doesnÌt mean that I ever take culture for granted.

In fact, I think the biggest mistake people can make when they begin to work with people of another culture is to take culture too lightly. They presume that since culture is nothing more than a few differences in food, dress, language and music, we are all pretty much the same as human beings.  

Sometimes people of a dominant culture donÌt even realize that they have a culture. They think that their way of life is the "norm": and that "culture" is a term we give to "deviations from the norm" by various minority groups. With a little help, many assume, these minority people can learn to be llike us. 

I think the greatest need in our country today is to study the concept of culture and to become more aware of the profound differences that exist between our own culture and the cultures of other people all around the world. Without this awareness we will never be able to co-exist on this earth with people from other cultures, and we will suffer from a myopic vision of reality. 

Culture is so much more than the food we eat, the music we listen to, or the way we interact with people. Culture includes all of our beliefs, customs, laws, language, symbols and other artistic expressions that are profoundly important to us, our moral orientations, value systems, social structures, educational systemsÛto mention just a few of the elements which make up a culture.

Culture is not inherited biologically. It is transmitted socially. And since it gives a group of people their own sense of identity, it is very highly protected. It can change, and does change, but usually that happens slowing through the centuries. A culture helps people fell comfortable in the world, and any culture that does not help people find happiness usually disappears. Every culture has many strengths, but also has some weaknesses. No culture is perfect, and so no culture can be the "norm." Our culture is the window through which we view the world. But there are many other windows!

Just as there are profound differences in the personalities of particular people, so there are profound differences in the "corporate personality" of each group of people, and this is what we call "culture."  Just as people of very different personalities find it very hard at times to live together, so it is that people of different cultures will often find it extremely difficult at times to live and co-exist together. But, the more we study and experience different cultures, the more we will enjoy the profound differences among us! 

Culture is not something that we should take lightly. Just as it takes a great amount of struggling to know ourselves and a great amount of searching to fulfill our personal dreams, so each group of people continually must struggle to know who they are and search to fulfill their dreams and purpose on this earth.  

Our own culture—and the culture of all other peoples—needs to be taken very seriously!   

Sister Susan Klein was Glenmary's Hispanic/Latino ministry consultant when she she wrote this article in 2001.