Journal Entry # 2 – Marcela

Some Americans consider Brazilians disrespectful of people’s space, because Latin people tend to lean and grab on one another when interacting. Americans defend that they have their own bubble and nobody should cross the distance of two arms. I think this is an exageration because you can’t even touch someone that you know, if you are not so close to the person.

Rick: Marcela, of course you can touch people you are close with. Americans hug and slap each other’s butts and touch their shoulders etc if they are close to each other. However, among classmates, for instance it would be weird for them to do so because in that culture it would be considered an invasion of their privacy. That is all.

Marcela: It is diferent cultures so everybody should respect.