66 CultureShock! Chile
The family does not consist of only the immediate
children and grandchildren, but embraces cousins, aunts
and uncles (whether real or just close family friends). On
special occasions, such as birthdays and holidays, the entire
family comes together. More importantly, the extended
family serves as a support network. Although there is
significant poverty in Chile, there is little homelessness, the
main reason being that family takes in members who have
fallen on hard times. Many Chilean households, especially
the poorest, take in allegados (from the word allegar, which
means to put in close proximity), giving those in dire need
the opportunity to get back on their feet.Myths and Facts
Certain stereotypes and myths swirl around every group of
people. If you’ve never visited Latin America, the thought of
going to Chile must conjure up a whole range of images. A
survey conducted in the United States found that the number
one image people associated with Chile was the Mexican
sombrero. This demonstrates a very important point: Latin
America is not one big country or culture. Differences abound
within the region and Chileans, like others from the Southern
Cone region, are the polar opposite of Latinos from the
‘tropical Caribbean’ area. If this was your expectation you
may be disappointed to find the mood in Chile somewhat
somber. You will not find scantily clad women with fruit on
their heads! Chileans are not flashy and to be so is a sign of
bad taste. They dress conservatively, and are very reserved
when conducting business. Even their fiestas are restrained.
Of course, some groups, such as artists and intellectuals, are
the exception to the rule. The best advice to the visitor is
to keep it simple, don’t dress in loud colours, get drunk or
engage in rowdy behaviour at a party.
Curiously, one way in which Chileans express their pride
to foreigners is to downplay their performance and insult
themselves. Chileans ceaselessly complain that they are
mostly a bunch of lazy, disorganised procrastinators and that
things work due to last minute arrangements, improvisation
and sheer luck (some say that the country survives only