If you are not Caucasian, what are you? Hispanic or Latino? Black or African American? Japanese or Asian? Are you a person of color? Does it matter?
As a company that deals with communication across countries and cultures, this question comes up often and using “correct” terminology can be quite a struggle.
Recently we translated a brochure for a company into several languages, one of which was Japanese. The photo on the front contained a handsome Asian man. Upon final review our Japanese translator rejected the brochure based on the cover photo and suggested we instead picture a Caucasian American male. She said people from Japan do not consider themselves to be Asian.
I find this interesting.
How do Americans view themselves? If you are American but born of Costa Rican descent, how do you identify yourself? Do you distinguish yourself as Costa Rican or American? Do you consider yourself to be Latino? Which self-identity is stronger: that of your heritage or of the country you live in?
Clearly this is a personal preference which will keep communications professionals on their toes for a very long time. In one breath, a person can be Black, African-American, a person of color and American. That is the beauty of living in a Global Age. You can be whatever you want to be.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Adonde vas tu? Or Adonde tu vas?
Language is an organic, ever-changing phenomenon reflected by its speakers. Documenting the linguistic diversity found in 400 million Spanish speakers is no easy feat, but yesterday, the Spanish Royal Academy presented its 4,000 page best shot.
Titled, Nueva Gramática de la Lengua Española, it attempts to account for variances in Spanish throughout the world and is billed as a "map" of the Spanish language. The surprising revelation in the Academy's work is acknowledging the influence Latin America has had on the language. It looks at how vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar change between countries and within social classes. While the Academy makes recommendations for “proper” Spanish, it recognizes localization and the influence of new words, positioning its purpose as one to “observe and document.”
Thus continues the struggle communicators and marketers have in creating a single set of Spanish documents. Spanish is highly localized. The less technical a communication is, the more localized it becomes. In fact, the Academy acknowledges there are more than 20 acceptable ways to say "Ball Point Pen."
In market research, patient education and patient recruitment, the possibility of alienating the reader is not resolved by the issuance of the Academy's work. While the work is interesting and important, the daily work of the Spanish translator goes on. Who is my audience? Where do they live and what is their social class? How can I reach them best?
Titled, Nueva Gramática de la Lengua Española, it attempts to account for variances in Spanish throughout the world and is billed as a "map" of the Spanish language. The surprising revelation in the Academy's work is acknowledging the influence Latin America has had on the language. It looks at how vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar change between countries and within social classes. While the Academy makes recommendations for “proper” Spanish, it recognizes localization and the influence of new words, positioning its purpose as one to “observe and document.”
Thus continues the struggle communicators and marketers have in creating a single set of Spanish documents. Spanish is highly localized. The less technical a communication is, the more localized it becomes. In fact, the Academy acknowledges there are more than 20 acceptable ways to say "Ball Point Pen."
In market research, patient education and patient recruitment, the possibility of alienating the reader is not resolved by the issuance of the Academy's work. While the work is interesting and important, the daily work of the Spanish translator goes on. Who is my audience? Where do they live and what is their social class? How can I reach them best?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)