The culture shock video we watched was a documentary that talked about the disorientation international students felt upon relocating to a new country. It had interviews from various international faculty members and students of the University of Richmond. The culture shock documentary put into perspective a many things that I encountered, but did not know was a common occurrence with other people as well. The documentary discussed topics such as the meaning of silence in America in opposition to foreign cultures, conflicts in miscommunication, cultural integration, and the difficulty in the contexts of friendship.
Some things that the international students addressed as part of their difficulties in adjusting to life in America were cultural aspects that even I as an American found difficult to understand. Such an aspect is not knowing how to answer to someone who asks “how are you” in passing. The question follows a greeting and acknowledgment; however, the person does not stop and actually want to hear the answer to how the person they asked the question to is. I think that this cultural difference lies in the American concept of time—Americans tend to be less relaxed when it comes to everyday life so in order to display an acknowledgment to a person they are passing by, they ask them how they are, but don’t expect an actual response because they don’t have time to listen to it. Their expectation is a short “fine” or “good”, even if the person is not doing so well, the standard answer is the same because of the lack of time both people have. This was something I had to adjust to growing up here, but I think people fall into the habit of doing that because it becomes a cultural trait, not a personal characteristic. I can see why it is difficult for international students to grasp this because it shows miscommunication—an international student who is asked how they are might feel ignored and disliked if the one asking does not stop to listen or actually begin a conversation with them when they ask them how they are. In reality, the behavior is not related to the person’s like or dislike towards the person they asked.
Similarly, the concept of silence is different in America and miscommunication is a comment occurrence when it comes to foreigners. Silence in America usually indicates disinterest or irritation, and so it is uncomfortable when spending time with a person—especially if it is someone that they do not know very well. In other cultures, silence is comfortable because it does not indicate anything of the sort. For this reason, Americans are stereotypically loud and talkative. Therefore, if an international student remains quiet when with an American student, the latter student may think that the student dislikes them or is not enjoying their time with him or her. This type of miscommunication occurs too often without anyone having the opportunity to realize the misgivings and it tends to make it difficult for an American student to accept the international student and the international student difficult to integrate into friend groups.
The culture shock video brought to light many things that once concerned me in my interactions with international students earlier in the year. I was mystified by their manner of speaking (which would sometimes come out rude), but I saw it as a cultural thing and tried not to think too much about it. Regardless, I would feel an inkling of discomfort because I didn’t know how to behave around them and what not to take offense towards. It is more complicated than it seems to be friends with international students because you don’t usually know their culture and their differences. Many of their characteristics may come off as indifferent at first, but now I realize that it may just be that as an America, or even as an individual, I overanalyze everything and worry about what someone else is thinking of me. The culture shock video made it easier for me to understand different concepts and issues that foreigners experience when outside of their native country.
Comments