Final

This was the inspiration.  My family and everyday life with them.  Hispanic greetings and why is it more than just a wave.

This is where it started.  Research was needed to be done.

I found an article about parenting by Dominican and Puerto Rican mothers.  These are my children and I realised I have been teaching them to say hello with a hug and kiss.

Everytime without fail I noticed hugs and kisses to say hello to family and friends in the Latino community.

In another article was about Caribbean music and Latin America.  It was interesting to find the association with music and Hispanic greetings.  Each greeting was like a mini dance number.

Another thing I chose to do was observe.  I just took some time and looked at the space around me to catch how Hispanic people greeted each other.

I could not count on observation alone so I sat down and formulated questions to be able to interview subjects.

While interviewing I noticed that there are some issues with this type of field work.  A lot of the time people answered questions with "I don't know I never thought about it" or "I just do"  people are more able to answer questions about other people but poses a challenge when they are answering questions about themselves.

When I asked about hand shakes people said that a handshake is for your boss at work it is a formal gesture.

When i asked about a wave and basically said the same thing, a wave is so impersonal.

Unlike Asian cultures where it is considered to be respectful to bow, I found that Hispanic people are more physical and emotional and express it with actual contact.

The Hispanic community greets each other with hugs and kisses to show their love, that they are there for you and to show they appreciate the relationship they have with you.  It is all about love and respect.

Hello

Hello; is this gesture merely a greeting or is it more.   There are so many different ways of saying hello with using gestures but they all mean the same thing.  Hello is more than just a greeting it is a sign of acknowledgement and respect.

This photo is of a hand shake, a sign of respect but also a way most Americans would say hello to each other.  A hand shake is a sign of respect in a formal manner but it is also done between fathers and sons and other male to male contact. But none the less it is a way to say hello.

A hug and kiss on the cheek.  This is a greeting I know too well.  You usually see this type of greeting among the Latin community.  The warm embrace shows that you receive them with open arms and the kiss on the cheek shows an intimacy factor or even nurturing.   This type of greeting shows respect, acknowledgement and a gesture that shows you care and that the person is important.

A five, whether it be a high one, or low one, or a dressed up fancy one with a lot of claps and slides and what not.   This type of greeting could be among friends but is used to acknowledge the other person and show that you respect them.

A bow, I got this idea from my son when he was involved with Tae Kwon Do.  It is an Asian greeting which is a sign of respect.  As seen in these pictures, there were several ways to say hello but that was not the only reason we use these gestures to mean hello, we use them to acknowledge and to show respect.

HW due wednesday

Just recieved homework will due soon.