CHAPTER FOUR

NEORICANS, MEXICAN AMERICANS, AND CATALAN SPANISH

The Many Ways in Which Individuals Experience and Manage Their Multiculturalism

Not every multicultural understands his or her cultural identity in the same way. In a recent study, a group of researchers asked multicultural individuals what it was like to be multicultural. Many of them responded that it was like being a salad with all the different colors and textures of their cultures combined in one bowl. However, there were many different responses, such as the following:

I’m like a spice rack. So, different spices and I’m really unique. I do believe, I think I’m different. I do think differently. And like a spice rack, I pick which part of each culture that I would like. And it can change from day to day. (ARAB AMERICAN)

I think I am probably kind of like the fusion food . . . kind of mix. (CHINESE CANADIAN)

It’s like a game of volleyball, I feel like. Sometimes volleyball can be like calm or you can have like a nice, like a nice, calm game. And sometimes it can get really intense and competitive, and sometimes I feel like the two cultures, they’re balanced. And sometimes I feel like they’re not where it’s like competitive between the two cultures . . . sometimes I feel it’s hard to incorporate the two cultures, just trying to find a way to make a mix sometimes is difficult. And sometimes I feel like, oh, it’s doable or it’s good, it’s OK. You can mix the two cultures. (ARAB AMERICAN)

Kaleidoscope, . . . if you rotate a kaleidoscope you can see different patterns. You rotate again, you see different patterns, but they are the same fields, same things which make these patterns, that take different shapes and show different things. So what I said is that I—being different cultures, and not only Indo-American, but within Indian culture also we have different cultures. (INDIAN AMERICAN)

I am like an oil drop in this water. Even though I am there, with all this around me, I am still keeping my identity, very separate from what is around me. But at the same time, I am with all that, so you know, I think that’s what I am, I still have my own very intact with what I am, but I am still around with everything and go with that. (INDIAN AMERICAN)¹

Multicultural individuals must make sense of who they are in the face of two or more (sometimes very different) meaning systems. The ways in which these individuals organize or manage their multiple identities varies greatly as the preceding metaphors suggest. For multiculturals, the organization of their multicultural mind has implications not only for themselves and their social relationships but also for how their talents can best be used in the organization.

A simple way to think about this mental organization is in terms of the number of cultural identities a person is concerned with (plurality) and the extent to which these identities are integrated² as opposed to kept separate.³ Taken together, these two dimensions of plurality and integration produce a map of multicultural patterns as shown in figure 4.1.

Figure 4.1
Multicultural patterns
(Source: Fitzsimmons, 2013)

As shown in the figure, one person might prioritize one of their cultures over the other, while another person sees their multiple cultures as separate, but equal. While many possible patterns of mental organization exist, combining the two dimensions creates four typical patterns. These are prioritizing, compartmentalizing, hybridizing, and aggregating. The particular pattern that a person uses to make sense of their identity depends in part on their personality. However, both the way in which their multiple identities were formed, their personal history, and the characteristics of the cultures themselves have an influence. For example, a third culture kid trying to reconcile different Japanese and American cultural meaning systems will likely have a different pattern from an American who moved to Canada as an adult.

Prioritizing Pattern

Since I’ve spent two thirds of my life in my home country I feel more Slovak than Canadian. The values I was brought up with are rooted deeply within me and I try to keep them and not change. (SLOVAKIAN CANADIAN)

I still see myself as Sri Lankan. Even if I live here, I belong to Sri Lanka. It is really important to my identity. (SRI LANKAN CANADIAN)⁴

The prioritizing pattern of making sense of multiple cultural identities is typical of first-generation migrants and those who have been exposed to one or a few cultures during the formation of their identity. They are less likely to integrate aspects of the new culture into their identity unless they have a very strong requirement to identify with a high-status new culture or to disassociate with their country of origin. Immigrants to North America from Iran are often heard to refer to themselves as Persian, which may be motivated by a belief that this will be viewed as more positive than Iranian. In countries with strong multiculturalism policies, the pressure to integrate one’s identity is somewhat diminished. In people with a prioritizing pattern, the two cultural meaning systems are often very different, making them difficult to integrate. Also, individuals with a prioritizing pattern are likely to have grown up in so-called tight cultures where there are very clear norms for behavior and sanctions for those who deviate from those norms.⁵ Prioritizing one cultural meaning system reduces uncertainty about how to think and behave. Often people with this pattern of sense-making will describe themselves in terms of a dominant culture, as in “I’m a Japanese living in America.”

Compartmentalized Pattern

I choose one set of norms and behaviors for one situation and perhaps a different one for a different situation. If I find myself in a situation where people from two different cultures interact, I take on the role of translator, even if the language is a common one. (MEXICAN CANADIAN)

The way to live is entirely different in Indonesia and Canada, and I think there is no “right” way, and it all depends on who you are and where you live. (INDONESIAN CANADIAN)⁶

The compartmentalized pattern is similar to the prioritizing pattern in that the influence of multiple cultures is not integrated. However, one culture is not prioritized, and the influence of these different meaning systems is relatively equal. This is often described as one cultural frame influencing the person in some situations, and the other cultural frame in other situations. This pattern is typical not only of immigrants but also of those who have been raised in one cultural context at home while having extensive contact with another culture at school or work. Large differences in the characteristics of the different cultures are also typically present in these cases. Multiculturalism policies that encourage cultural segregation and a history of friction between the cultures also encourage this pattern. People with this pattern of sense-making typically described themselves in the hyphenated form, as in—“African-American.”

Hybridizing Pattern

I see myself as being a proud Canadian but equally as proud in my Filipino heritage. I don’t feel conflicted, confused, or dominated by one group. I only see myself as both—leveraging from experiences and knowledge from one side to bring out the best in another. (FILIPINO CANADIAN)⁷

I say that I have a relatively stable “blended” or fused Catalan-Spanish identity. I often jokingly label myself as “xarnega,” a formerly derogatory term used to describe immigrants to Catalunya coming from other parts of Spain and their children. (CATALAN SPANISH)⁸

The hybrid pattern of organizing cultural identities is characterized by a high degree of integration of cultural meaning systems often resulting in a blended or fusion identity. For example, Neoricans, individuals of Puerto Rican heritage living in New York, identify not with American or Puerto Rican culture but with their fusion culture. This pattern is more common when the cultural influences have some similarity and when there is not a high degree of friction between the cultures. People with this pattern are likely to be second-generation immigrants or those raised in a multicultural family. Policies that reduce cultural segregation support this identity pattern, as do culturally loose societies in which a wide variety of behavior is considered normal. These individuals often say that they identify with their hybrid culture but not with either of the underlying cultures. As is the case with Neoricans, they sometimes have a special name for this hybrid identity.

Aggregating Pattern

I see myself as a wayfarer kind of thing. That’s necessarily part of who we are. We may not describe ourselves that way, but that is I guess a modern global citizen. (Indian American)

A member of many cultures and a broader global culture. (AMERICAN NEW ZEALANDER CANADIAN)⁹

Those individuals with significant exposure to a wide range of cultural meaning systems may develop an aggregating form of multiculturalism. This pattern is characterized by limited integration of several cultural systems. Typically these people will have been raised with a foundation in one cultural system (often a loose culture) but also with a variety of cultural influences. Many third culture kids, described previously, have this pattern. In this case, no one culture has a dominant effect on thinking or behavior. Both a large number of cultural influences and a high degree of difference among them contribute to this pattern of sense-making. While people with this pattern see many cultures as valuable parts of their identity, they often have difficulty talking about a specific cultural identity and often use terms such as “citizen of the world” to describe themselves.

Dividing patterns of cultural identity into these four simple types does not mean that multiculturals are equally divided among the four patterns or that other combinations of integration and plurality do not exist. Wide variation in the way multiculturals make sense of their identity is possible, with cultural identities uniquely represented within each person.¹⁰ However, because we all have a desire for consistency in the way we think about ourselves, integrated identity patterns may be more desirable for many people, as the following example illustrates:

At home, my parents applauded my ability to speak English as well as any American and yet not be an American. In public, I carried myself as the representative of a family most of whose members didn’t speak English well but harbored no greater dream than to be Americans. I both hoped and feared that sooner or later I would be found out. The public would discover that my parents had no desire to become Americans, while my parents would realize that I didn’t know how or what it meant to be Vietnamese in America. I could translate sentences from one language to another and back again: tell my mother what my teachers said, ask the sales clerk for what my father wanted. Within our family, I could live life in our small apartment as though it were a distant outpost of Vietnam. Yet every time I turned on the television or stepped out of the house, my parents and Vietnam seemed far away, otherworldly. I had been rowing back and forth, in a relentless manner, between two banks of a wide river. Increasingly, what I wanted was to be a burning boat in the middle of the water, visible to both shores yet indecipherable in my fury. (Lê Thi Diem Thúy)¹¹

Implications of Identity Patterns

The ways in which multiculturals make sense of their cultural identities have implications for themselves as individuals, for their social relationships, and, importantly, for how their talents can best be used in organizations. Juggling multiple identities is not easy, and the more of them there are and the more different they are, the harder it is. The process of resolving the potentially conflicting systems of meaning associated with different identities can result in personal distress and anxiety, because it creates uncertainty about self-identity (Who am I?). In addition, some individuals feel guilty as a result of prioritizing one set of beliefs over another. By choosing one set of meaning systems over another, they may feel that they have violated their own internal standards. The psychological toll resulting from the bundle of negative emotions associated with managing multiple identities can be high, particularly in cases where the multiple cultures are very different.¹² Those individuals who employ identity management strategies that reduce uncertainty, such as prioritizing and integrating patterns, are likely to experience lower levels of these negative emotions. On the other hand, when individuals have been able to deal effectively with differences in their multiple meaning systems and/or draw on the enhanced mental ability this creates, they can experience positive emotions and even learn to enjoy their multiple identities.¹³

Individuals who successfully manage the psychological toll associated with managing their multiple identities have the opportunity to use their membership in multiple cultural groups to advantage. They are often better connected across multiple groups because they are more likely to include people from different cultures in their social network. As a result, they are better able to act as boundary spanners and develop positive relationships across culturally different groups. The relationships they develop often result in higher levels of trust, respect, and a sense of mutual obligations. This so-called social capital facilitates interactions by encouraging cooperation.¹⁴

As indicated previously, the process of finding a pattern with which to make sense of multiple cultural influences is stressful, but it can also have a positive influence on social relationships. In addition, the way in which an individual organizes their multicultural mind influences the skill set they bring to organizations. One obvious outcome of having significant exposure to multiple cultures is an expanded worldview.

The ability to bring a variety of perspectives to problems is an often observed characteristic of multiculturals, as the management of L’Oréal has discovered. L’Oréal Group is the world’s largest cosmetics company concentrating on hair color products, skin care, sun protection, makeup, perfumes, and hair care. The company is also active in dermatology, toxicology, tissue engineering, and biopharmaceutical research and nanotechnology. Since the 1990s L’Oréal has recruited internationally for its product development teams and has found that the multiculturals in these teams bring a perspective that often leads to unexpected opportunities for product innovation. According to one manager, “Their background is kind of like a master class in holding more than one idea at the same time. They think as if they were French, American, or Chinese all at the same time.”¹⁵ For example, a French-Irish-Cambodian team member working in the development of skin care products noticed that many tinted face creams in Asia had a wrinkle reducing, lifting effect. In Europe, these creams tended to be either tinted for use as makeup or lifting for use in skin care. Seeing the opportunity and the increasing popularity of Asian beauty trends in Europe, he and his team developed a tinted cream with lifting effects for the French market that was a huge success.

It stands to reason that the more cultures with which we identify (plurality) the broader the worldview. However, as mentioned in the previous chapter, multiculturals also develop skills that result from reconciling the difference in their multiple cultures. These skills include perceptual acuity, empathy, sensitivity, and, importantly, a more complex way of thinking (cognitive complexity). The extent to which these skills are developed depends, in part, on the way in which individuals manage their cultural identity.

Perception is the process by which we interpret the messages we receive from our senses and give meaning to our environment. Perceptual acuity is the heighted sense of perception that occurs from perceptual learning. Our cultural conditioning shapes what we pay attention to and what we ignore. For example, in a now classic experiment, Mexican and US children, when presented simultaneously (through a device called a tachioscope) with pictures of a bullfight and a baseball game, perceived the event differently.¹⁶ The Mexican children recalled only the bullfight, while the US children recalled only the baseball game. These two cultural groups had learned to attend to particular stimuli.

Multiculturals, in coming to terms with their various cultural influences, must attend to a wider range of information and through this practice develop a heightened sense of perception. They have had to process this information deeply; therefore, they also develop a heightened sensitivity to alternative information. Like Ruth Handler, the creator of the Barbie doll, they see things that those without this perceptual ability do not.

Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of another person. Our cultural background has a profound influence on what we think, how we feel, and how we behave; therefore, it is difficult for those outside our culture to be accurate in their understanding of it. When trying to understand culturally different others, we sometimes rely on our stereotype of that culture (e.g., people from the United States will behave in their own self-interest), or we project our own behavior on the situation (e.g., what would cause me to behave that way?).¹⁷ Multiculturals have had to deal with the variety of feelings, thoughts, and experiences associated with their various cultural influences. This experience gives them a heighted sense of empathy. They understand things from the perspective of others.

An important aspect of effectively managing multiple cultural identities is the development of more complex thinking patterns, called cognitive complexity. The active and conscious consideration of multiple meaning systems results in changes in the way people organize information in their minds. In fact, the size of the area of the brain devoted to this activity may increase.¹⁸ In order to accommodate the diverse array of values, attitudes, beliefs, and assumptions about appropriate behavior, individuals must find ways to integrate these thoughts and/or create mental linkages between them. They are much less likely to see things as either black or white (right or wrong) and are capable of understanding all the shades of gray in between. Individuals who identify with more than one culture have been found to have more complex thinking patterns than those who identify with a single culture.¹⁹ It is this aspect of multiculturalism that is most directly linked to creativity. That is, it is the experience of effectively managing multiple cultural identities that results in higher levels of cognitive complexity, which in turn is related to more creative solutions.²⁰

Thus, the multicultural mind includes a broader worldview, higher levels of sensitivity and perceptual acuity, greater empathy, and, importantly, more complex ways of thinking. Returning to the example of L’Oréal, a company that has discovered the benefits of nurturing a pool of multicultural managers, we see that multiculturals excel in a certain set of roles:

♦ They are good at recognizing new product opportunities.

♦ They serve a role in preventing mistranslation of critical product information.

♦ They act as cultural translators as well as language interpreters, thereby helping to reduce conflict within teams and with superiors.

♦ They play an important role in helping teams integrate newcomers who have different sets of behavioral assumptions and modes of communication.

♦ They help span the boundaries among organizational units situated in different countries.²¹

The way in which L’Oréal takes advantage of the talents of multiculturals may be somewhat specific to the organization and its industry. However, they represent the more general ways in which organizations can leverage this latent talent pool.

Summary

Not every multicultural person understands his or her identity in the same way. Each individual may have a unique way of defining his or her sense of self, but some patterns can be identified based on the number of cultural identities with which a person is concerned (plurality) and the extent to which these identities are integrated. These patterns are prioritizing, compartmentalizing, hybridizing, and aggregating. The pattern that the person uses depends in part on the way the individual’s identity was formed, his or her personal history, and the characteristics of the cultures themselves. The way in which multiculturals make sense of their cultural identities has implications for themselves, for their social relationships, and for how their talents can best be used in organizations. Those individuals who successfully navigate their multiple cultural meaning systems develop a multicultural mind consisting of a broader world view, higher levels of sensitivity and perceptual acuity, greater empathy, and greater cognitive complexity. It is these capabilities that organizations seeking innovation must learn to leverage.