01Two codes of gaze before authority
In the English-speaking world, looking one's interlocutor in the eye - including a figure of authority - is taken as a mark of honesty, confidence, and attentiveness; avoiding the gaze arouses suspicion (one must have "something to hide"). Across much of Latin America, and among US Latinos, the rule can invert before a superior, an elder, or a doctor: lowering or averting the eyes is a mark of respect (respeto), not evasiveness. The misunderstanding arises when these two codes meet - and it is common at school, in hospital, or in interviews.
02Respeto
Respeto is a central value in Latin American socialization, described by research as deference toward authority and elders (Calzada, Fernandez & Cortes, 2010). One of its nonverbal manifestations: before a person of higher status, one modulates one's gaze - not "staring", but lowering the eyes - to mark deference. One nuance matters here: respeto is not a mechanical "always lower your eyes" rule. The same framework can, conversely, require looking at the adult who is speaking to you in other situations (attentiveness, obedience) - Calzada's own work notes this dual requirement. It is a grammar of deference sensitive to context, not a uniform reflex.
03The misunderstanding: school, hospital, interview
It is in the Anglo-American context that the clash occurs. A Latino student who lowers their eyes before a teacher, a Hispanic patient who does not hold their doctor's gaze, a candidate who looks away in an interview: from their own point of view, all are showing respect or deference. But the Anglo-American observer, for whom direct eye contact signals honesty and attentiveness, reads it as evasiveness, dishonesty, disinterest, or a lack of confidence. Cultural-competence literature (healthcare, education) warns specifically against this reading: among Hispanic patients, avoiding a doctor's gaze is often a mark of respect, not to be mistaken for inattention (Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University).
04Where the stereotype gets it wrong (and the case of Spain)
Two clarifications are needed. First, this is not a uniform "Latino" trait: usage varies by individual, generation, background, and degree of acculturation; young US Latinos often adjust their gaze to the Anglo-American code. Second - and this is a common confusion - peninsular Spain is not a "lowered gaze" country: on the contrary, it is a high-eye-contact culture, where direct gaze signals sincerity and attentiveness, as in the English-speaking world (Cultural Atlas). Respeto expressed through an averted gaze is mainly a Latin American and US Latino phenomenon, not a Spanish one - something common sense sometimes conflates.
05The same code elsewhere, and how to adjust
This respect expressed through a lowered gaze is not unique to Latin America: it is found, with variations, before elders in West Africa, Korea, or Japan, where holding a superior's gaze can come across as a challenge. The right instinct in an intercultural context: do not conclude from an avoided gaze that an interlocutor is lying, disinterested, or lacking confidence - it may be a mark of respect. And, symmetrically, do not mistake an English speaker's direct gaze for insolence. When in doubt, rely on the whole set of signals - words, posture, content - rather than eye contact alone.
Geography of misunderstanding
Offensive
- usa
- canada
Neutral
- mexico
- colombia
- argentina
- peru
- chile
- guatemala
- honduras
- el-salvador
- dominican-republic
Historical origins
Le respeto, valeur de la socialisation latino-américaine (Calzada et al. 2010), inclut une déférence non verbale envers l'autorité et les aînés : baisser ou détourner le regard marque le respect, non la dérobade. Le monde anglophone, pour qui le contact visuel direct vaut honnêteté et attention, le lit comme de l'évasion (école, hôpital, entretien — Galanti). Nuance : le respeto est sensible au contexte (pas un réflexe uniforme) ; l'Espagne péninsulaire, elle, est une culture à fort contact visuel — le stub confondait Espagne et Amérique latine.
Practical recommendations
To do
- Ne pas conclure d'un regard fuyant ou baissé qu'un interlocuteur latino-américain ment, se désintéresse ou manque d'assurance : ce peut être une marque de respect (respeto).
- En position d'autorité (enseignant, médecin, recruteur), se fonder sur l'ensemble des signaux (paroles, posture, contenu) plutôt que sur le seul contact visuel.
Avoid
- Ne pas interpréter le regard baissé d'un élève, d'un patient ou d'un candidat latino comme de l'évasion ou de la malhonnêteté.
- Ne pas supposer que « regard direct = respect » partout, ni confondre l'Espagne (à fort contact visuel, comme le monde anglophone) avec l'Amérique latine sur ce point.
Neutral alternatives
- Expliciter, en position d'autorité, que le contact visuel n'est pas exigé, et laisser l'interlocuteur choisir son registre.
- Croiser plusieurs indices verbaux et non verbaux plutôt que de se fier au regard seul.