While these are not easy topics to discuss, they are important to touch upon prior to the trip. Students need to be sensitive to the possible dynamics in these situations and mature enough not to take advantage of socioeconomic inequities and cultural misunderstandings that may prevail. In the course of the trip, concrete situations may provide ample opportunities for in-depth discussion and reflection on these issues. Latin American families also get intimate glimpses of U.S. students. One of the most common reports students make upon their return is that they unknowingly offended their hosts by having too much money to throw around by local standards.
Students often comment with delight on how cheap local food, craft items, and clothing are.
While there are no simple answers to these questions, it is helpful if students arrive in the country having thought about these issues beforehand. Their sensitivities will be heightened. The daily dilemmas that come from these stark economic inequities are important topics for reflection, discussion, research and analysis. These daily dilemmas can encourage students to further investigate the economic realities in the communities in which they live. The superpower mentality internalized Service-learning immersion programs are usually organized to provide ample time for discussion and cultural exchange between U.S. students and other school groups, social organizations, families and communities.