Over the past decade there has been an increase in the Latino population in the Chadds Ford area and beyond.  Latino people are no longer immigrant workers, but have now established themselves as members of our community and are entering the work place at varying levels of employment.  One of the most difficult tasks as an employer and co-worker can be working with individuals whose language and cultural background is different from their own.  Below I have outlined some of the larger barriers many Americans encounter when working with and understanding Latino workers.

Language Barriers

According to national statistics the large majority of Latinos in the United States speak solely Spanish.  For employers looking to communicate with Latino employees and for co workers interested in establishing a better relationship with their Latino counterparts I would recommend the following to overcome this barrier:

·      Label items in both English and Spanish    

o   This not only helps the Latino workers learn English words, but also assists native English speakers understand Spanish words.

·      Pick a word of phrase of the week written in both English and Spanish          

o   Something as simple as ‘Good morning!’/’Buenas Dias!’ can help break the ice between English and Spanish speaking co workers.  Starting with easy phrases can help build confidence for both speakers and can eventually lead to comprehension of more sophisticated words and phrases.

·      Use online translation programs to translate simple instructions, phrases, etc.

o   Websites such as www.freetranslation.com offer a great way to convert English phrases into Spanish.  Please note, however, that these programs do not always provide perfect translations, but should get your point across.

Cultural Barriers

Arguably there are a number of cultural scripts that exist in Hispanic culture, but experts tend to agree on four that are dominantly found throughout.  These include personalismo, respeto,simpatia and familismo/machismo.  Below is a quick explanation of these scripts and how they differ from common American mentalities:

·      Personalismo

o   Personalism is the idea of forging meaningful, trusting personal relationships in their personal lives and the work place.  Often times American will forge relationships for job advancement purposes or for financial gain.

·      Respeto

o   Respeto is the idea of giving respect to elders and authority figures is a very large staple in Hispanic society.  This differs from the American perspective of constantly challenging authority and resident experts.

·      Simpatia

o   Roughly translated, simpatia, means kindness.  Generally Latinos prefer smooth social interactions and avoid confrontation where possible.  For many Latinos, personal space is close and they tend to have warm, affectionate relationships.  As American we can be very blunt and do not like people in our personal space.

·      Familismo/Machismo

o   In traditional Latino culture, men are considered the head of the family while women are nurturers and servers.   Latino families also tend to be very close knit with cousins, aunts and grandparents often living all under one roof.  In American culture it is not uncommon for the woman of the house to hold a well paying, respectable job or even be the bread winner.  Americans also typically live with just the nuclear members of their family as opposed to living with cousins, aunts, etc.

Working with Cultural Diversity

There are many simple ways to embrace the cultural differences of Hispanic employees and co workers such as:

·      Celebrate Hispanic  Month with a Latino Luncheon

o   Invite the Hispanic members of the work force to bring in favorite dish, especially the women.  Hispanic women tend to be the nurturers and home makers and love to show off their cooking skills.

·      Make  a point to learn names

o   Hispanic names are strange to many Americans, but an effort to recognize an individual by their name, especially in Hispanic culture, shows your willingness to create a friendly, personal environment for employees to work in.

·      Try to approach problems in a positive manner          

o    When problems arise, try to refrain from being negative in regards to the situation and give them ideas on how to improve it.  Often times Latino workers are eager to please so giving them direction in a positive manner can lead to excellent results.

·      Use local resources for ideas on how to better interact with Latino workers          

o   One local resource in our community is La Communidad Hispana) located in Kennett Square.  This organization helps assist Latino members of the community with everything from job placement to questions regarding healthcare.  Their contact information is:

La Communidad Hispana
731 W Cypress St.
Kennett Square, PA 19348
610 444 4545

www.lacomunidadhispana.org

 • Lori Malchione is the general manager of the Hampton Inn & Suites on Route 1 in Concord Township.