Will they EVER stop talking

Have you ever “rolled your eyes” or lost patience talking to Latinxs ?… well humor is always the best representation of reality 🤩🤣

The Culture Map: Trust Daniel Cruz Intercultural workshop

Intercultural Communication Perspective:

This image perfectly illustrates high-context communication, a common trait in Latino cultures (as well as in other collectivist cultures such as those in Asia and the Middle East).

In high-context communication (based on Erin Meyer‘s the Culture Map):

• Messages rely heavily on context, relationships, tone, and non-verbal cues, rather than being direct and concise.
• Much of the information is communicated indirectly, assuming the listener shares enough cultural and relational context to understand the message without everything being explicitly stated.

How It Reflects Latino🪇Culture:

1️⃣ Storytelling as a Form of Connection:

• Sharing context isn’t just about providing background—it’s about building relational warmth and showing care. Starting with the “context” before getting to the point is a way of inviting the listener into the speaker’s world.

2️⃣ Emotional Expression and Humor:

• The section about “riéndome de cualquier tontería” (laughing at any nonsense) reflects how humor and emotion are central in communication. It’s not just about transmitting information, but sharing a moment.

3️⃣ Non-linear Communication:

• The presence of “un tema totalmente diferente” (a completely different topic) suggests conversations often flow organically, jumping between topics based on associations or memories, rather than strictly following an agenda.

4️⃣ Value of Relationships Over Efficiency:

• Unlike low-context cultures (like Germany or the U.S.), where communication is expected to be efficient and direct, in Latino cultures, the process of sharing—the warmth, the jokes, the tangents—is as important, or more important, than the actual information.

Conclusion:

This image humorously but accurately captures how communication in Latino cultures isn’t merely transactional. Instead, it’s relational, expressive, and richly contextual. Voice messages become miniature conversations filled with emotion, laughter, detours, and stories that go far beyond the initial point, reflecting the deep social bonds valued in these communities.

About the Author

Daniel Cruz

My personal and professional life has always been within a multi-cultural environment. I have studied and worked in 4 different countries, Colombia, Germany, Switzerland and France, an experience which has given me a dynamic cultural background and language abilities, thus providing me with a global perspective to add insights and open problem-solving skills.

Beyond my intercultural background I’m also a polyglot speaking fluent Spanish, German, English, French and Portuguese. Already at the age of 21 I discovered my passion for education and sharing knowledge and I started my journey as a teacher (German and Spanish) followed by the creation of my first company SimpleMente offering tutoring services for the kids of international schools.

Founder of Global Insights and People Development and working as an independent trainer and coach helping companies build global success through talent development in 3 main areas: