Reaction to Americanization is Tough on "Macho" by Rose Del Castillo Guilbault

          When I hear the word "macho", the first thing I think of is a strong, muscular man. A "macho" guy is someone who acts tough. Although somewhat similar to the Hispanic connotation, the Filipino connotation of  "macho" refers mostly to the physical aspect of a man and not so much on his characteristic, at least that is how my friends and I use the word.

          Words, like people, are often misinterpreted especially in translation from one language to another. What makes it even more difficult to retain the original meaning of the word is the cultural and historical meanings attached to the word. The Americans probably watched films or read articles that referred to a man as "macho" but did not realize that "macho" only referred to the strength and not to the other characteristics showed my the character.

          The misinterpretation of meanings and definitions could cause cultural disputes and problems in the future. Therefore, we must make sure that when we talk to other people, we all have same connotation of the words we use. But what is even better is to make sure we stick to the original meaning of the word so that it we wouldn't turn something positive into a negative stereotype.