El Salvador culture

El Salvador culture people food and festivals 

The culture of El Salvador is similar to other countries in Latin America, and more specifically to other countries in Central America. The European influences are emphasized in the architecture of the colonial churches, museums and theaters throughout most of El Salvador.

The majority of Salvadorans who are of Mestizo ancestry can trace their American Indigenous ancestry to the Lencas and Pipil people. Salvadorans also have Arab ancestries that include Lebanon, Syria, Iran and the majority come from Palestine that immigrated to El Salvador

El Salvador's population numbers 6,377,358. Ethnically, 86.3% of Salvadorans aremixed (mixed Indigenous Native American and European Spanish origin). Another 12.7% is of pure European descent, other 0.23% are pure indigenous descent, 0.13% black people and others 0.64%

El Salvadorans are good conversers and very comprehensible with foreign people. You do not have to be worried for your Spanish; they will try to understand you one way or another, and a lot of people in the country can speak English due to the close relationship with the United States. Don’t be shy; you can make a lot of friends in El Salvador.

El Salvadoran society is very polarized, even after the long war and the signing of the peace treaty in 1992. I think that a bad topic to begin a conversation is by asking about the political situation of the country, unless you know the political orientation of the person with whom you are talking. Of course, after knowing the person and the context, you could talk about internal politics. The same idea applies if you try to talk about religion. These are topics that should be avoided at first contact with El Salvadorans.

El Salvadorans enjoy speaking about everything but, particularly, about their job, family, and customs. If you do not begin the conversation, they will. It is possible that El Salvadorans would like to know more about Canada and its people. Do not be surprised by the spontaneity of the people. El Salvadorans feel proud about their beaches, typical foods and some other beautiful places in the country. As an initial recommendation, any of these topics can be a good beginning for a conversation and a future friendly relationship with a Salvadoran.

El Salvadorans are recognized as hard workers and responsible persons. A manager who works a lot, often outside of the normal schedule and who has a lot of experience in the field is perceived as a good manager. El Salvadorans like humble people who are open to new ideas - people who want to share their knowledge. In our country it is easier for foreign people to be respected and believed because we are considered a "malinchista" society. However, a selfish and arrogant foreign manager could run into problems. El Salvadorans like to work hard, but they will not tolerate this management style from a foreigner.

Regarding education, Canada is a country where, normally, you need a certification or a diploma to work in any specific field. In El Salvador, sometimes experience is more important than education. Of course, there are some regulated fields, like medicine or dentistry, but in some situations you will find people working in jobs without the required education.

Religion:
The official religion is Roman Catholic, but there are others religions such as Baptist and other denominations. You will not find any strong barriers to establishing a relationship with someone of another religion.

Class:
There are different social classes, with marked differences between them. Higher classes are located in the capital and in the rest of the country it is fairly rare to find rich people. 35% of the population is considered very poor and another 30% as poor.

Ethnicity:
due to political and social problems, inherited by colonialism, native people were forgotten and our roosts almost disappear, however the Mayan culture is still alive in some areas along Central America. The native dialect is "nahuat", which just few people know. There is not a predominant race.

It is common to see wealthy businesswoman/man, but some of them treat their employees with no respect. This is noticeable through: a different kind in communication, their expressions when taking about poor people, differences in opportunities, and mainly in the salary. This situation can be clearly observed in some sectors as the industrial, commercial, and agricultural and you can find your self involved implementing some decisions, in the organization, which could affect impoverished employees.

Religion:
The official religion is Roman Catholic, but there are others religions such as Baptist and other denominations. You will not find any strong barriers to establishing a relationship with someone of another religion.

Class:
There are different social classes, with marked differences between them. Higher classes are located in the capital and in the rest of the country it is fairly rare to find rich people. 35% of the population is considered very poor and another 30% as poor.

Ethnicity:
due to political and social problems, inherited by colonialism, native people were forgotten and our roosts almost disappear, however the Mayan culture is still alive in some areas along Central America. The native dialect is "nahuat", which just few people know. There is not a predominant race.

It is common to see wealthy businesswoman/man, but some of them treat their employees with no respect. This is noticeable through: a different kind in communication, their expressions when taking about poor people, differences in opportunities, and mainly in the salary. This situation can be clearly observed in some sectors as the industrial, commercial, and agricultural and you can find your self involved implementing some decisions, in the organization, which could affect impoverished employees.