Reflection on Cultural Competence

Considering the wide variety of cultural practices in the Spanish-speaking world, I am not sure
how culturally competent even a native Spanish speaker can ever hope to be. However, I have seen
myself progress in this area during my studies at BYU. The two artifacts I chose to include in this portion
of my portfolio hopefully demonstrate the competence that I have accomplished, although I still have so
much to learn.

The first artifact, an excerpt from a nivola that I worked on for a class at BYU, is intended to be an
imitation of a central cultural practice that is found throughout the Spanish-speaking world: creative
writing. More specifically, the nivola is a form created by Miguel de Unamuno that is supposed to be
halfway between a short story and a novel and is thus a product of the Spanish-speaking world. I was
inspired by his famous nivola San Manuel Bueno, mártir, which is a thought-provoking reflection on
morality and religion. Of course, as I tried to imitate his style, I realized just how much my product lacked
by comparison. As much as I study his pacing, word choice, syntax, characterization, etc, there is a far
more important element, one that I’ve found in all of the Spanish-language books, movies, and poetry
that I’ve studied as part of my degree: a profound love for humanity.

It is dangerous to generalize something as broad as Spanish-speaking literature, but I really feel

that this is the thread that connects each of its products at least the ones that are celebrated enough to
be included in a university program. The joy in certain works is in the progress that humanity has made
despite the odds. The anger in other pieces feels inspired by a love for humanity’s greatest victim,
humanity. In each work I have found a belief that humanity has the potential to improve, to repent and
make amends, to move forward and to heal. Although I am still very far from being able to communicate
something so profound myself, I feel that my attempt at a nivola helped me appreciate Spanish-language
literature even more and improved my cultural competence.

The second artifact I have included is an example of the analyses of cultural products that I have
done as part of my degree that were also important in the growth of my cultural competence. This
analysis is specifically of the short story “La muñeca menor” by Rosario Ferré. The story is a perfect
example of that love of humanity, though it can be difficult to see at first. As part of my analysis, I
described certain literary devices that serve to develop the complex characters in the story and which
help to subvert certain gender stereotypes. To me, this story lays bare some of the greatest inequalities
in society, but only because of a belief that humanity can overcome them.

Despite the progress I have made in this area thanks to my degree, I know that I have so much
more room for growth. As I continue to seek out Spanish-language movies, music, and literature, I will
become more and more culturally competent and thus be able to communicate myself more effectively.