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Cultural Referencing is when someone refers to something that is associated with a nation's culture in communicating. A Cultural Reference can be an event that occurred historically in that nation years ago or something that is currently making headlines. Cultural references are appropriate words that either do not exist in the target culture or differ from vocabulary counterparts in the target culture. Since these references are lacking in a particular target culture, translating cultural references is difficult. A cultural reference is mentioning something that is native to a different culture. It's like discussing things and saying popular phrases that originated in other countries. In simpler words, Cultural Reference refers in communication refers to the use of language in reference to one's culture and country of origin.

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Why does cultural referencing cause communication issues?

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Why does cultural referencing cause communication issues?

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Adapting to a foreign environment can involve anything from overcoming a language barrier to starting a new job when business norms differ vastly from one's expectations and origins. Undoubtedly, we have all made the mistake of misinterpreting cultural taboos when adapting to foreign environments.

In the context of communication, cultural reference can become an issue when miscommunication occurs due to different understandings of what certain words, phrases, or reactions mean depending on which culture it references. Certain words and phrases may be considered normal to one community/culture but offensive to another and this is where communication issues arise.

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An example of Cultural Reference in Communication is the use of the word "Negro". In the context of Black African culture, the word "Negro" can be considered taboo or offensive. This is based on their history of oppression and discrimination due to their skin color. People of color have been called "Negro" by their oppressors to demonstrate black inferiority hence why it is considered offensive in their culture. On the other hand, in Spanish culture, the word "Negro" simply means the color "black".

Using the word "Negro" in a conversation referencing Black African culture will mean black inferiority and their history of oppression. Whereas using it in reference to Spanish culture will mean nothing but a simple conversation about the color 'black'.

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Another example of cultural reference in communication is the word "Schmuck". Schmuck, often known as shmuck, is a derogatory epithet that refers to someone who is ignorant, foolish, or annoying. The word was borrowed into English from Yiddish (Yiddish:, shmok), where it has a similar derogatory connotation but has a crude translation for a penis.

Euphemized as schmoe, which was the inspiration for Al Capp's cartoon character the shmoo, the word was "regarded as so vulgar as to be taboo" in Jewish homes [Leo Rosten, "The Joys of Yiddish," 1968] and Lenny Bruce wrote that telling it on scene got him apprehended on the West Coast "by a Yiddish undercover agent who had been placed in the club several nights running to determine if my use of Yiddish terms was a cover for profanity."

There are a lot of words that would mean differently in different language. Learning its origins and brief history would help us determine whether it would mean something good or bad especially when travelling to a foreign country.