The culture shock video demonstrated the feelings of international students when they come to study in America. For a lot of international students, university is their first exposure to American culture, and a lot of times it is their first time stepping foot in the United States. I feel as though I can relate to a lot of how they feel. Being a third culture kid, I often have to ask myself where I fit in. My parents were born and raised in Ethiopia, but I consider myself more of an American than I am an Ethiopian. In this case, the “third culture” is the gap between the two different worlds that I am thrusted in- I find it hard to figure out where I really belong, and to meld the two cultures and norms together.
I have personally experienced culture shock when I went to Ethiopia. Even my parents, who have immigrated to America only 20 years ago, are still faced with culture shock when they go back to where they were raised. They ask themselves how they were ever raised in these conditions, and are in awe. I expect to face some culture shock when I go abroad to South Korea next semester. Living in a homogenous country is going to be a lot different than what I am used to.
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