EDCI 5546 Course Description (Fall semester)

This course serves as an introduction to the background of English language learners (ELL) from many countries of the world. It also serves to facilitate ESOL students’ success in ELL and mainstream classrooms. The course will introduce culture in general at first and then focus on how to better understand the ELL students’ cultures. Class participants will learn to develop lessons that enhance intercultural communication and understanding among all students.

Student assignment samples:

James Murphy’s Cultural Self-Assessment Report

James Murphy

Department of Teacher Education & Curriculum Studies
University of Missouri - Kansas City

EDCI 5546 Intercultural Communication

Dr. Michael Wei

March 7, 2024

Abstract

A person’s race, gender, and native language is something that defines them. It is something that will never change. Even in today’s world, where one can change their gender identity, one can never change your past. In addition to race, gender, and native language, many other characteristics about ourselves define us, including our social class, location, age, exceptionality, and religion. In this paper, I discuss who I am as an individual, and look at my social class, race/ethnicity, language, gender, religion, exceptionality, age, and geography to determine my place in the world.

Class

I was born into a middle-class family of five in the capital city of Missouri. According to Bennett et al (2020), we were one of 52% of families that were considered middle class. Both of my parents worked for the state of Missouri, as do many families in the city. We grew up in an older home along the outskirts of town that my parents spent several years fixing up. When I was eleven years old, we moved to a newer, ranch home in a more affluent neighborhood. My sisters and I each got our own bedrooms, and there was plenty of room for all of us. My parents would buy new vehicles, but would pay them off and drive them until they died. We all were gifted older vehicles on our 16th birthdays, so we never had to share a vehicle. These were either cars my parents already had, or inexpensive vehicles we bought from family members.  We never had the nicest, most expensive items, but the things we bought were generally new. The clothes we had were from Old Navy, Kohls, and other mid-level stores. I remember one particular situation of being ridiculed in middle school for buying my jeans from one of the mid-level stores mentioned above, but it didn’t affect me like it would have others. When I turned sixteen, I obtained a job, but all the income I received went towards my own personal expenses. I never had to contribute to the household like other kids in my town. We took yearly vacations, but never flew. I was able to see the beach, the mountains, Disneyworld, and many other places in the United States.

         Looking back now, my parents could have had a bigger house. We could have flown on vacations, had newer cars, or had fancier clothes. They sacrificed those items so they could give their children a better gift: a debt-free four-year degree. My siblings and I all went to private, liberal arts colleges, and our only expenses were the textbooks we purchased. As many Americans are grappling with student debt, which Appleby (2024) reports is at $43.4 million, I am able to put my income towards other things. One sister and I have pursued post-graduate studies, which we have both paid our own way, but that is nothing compared to the student debt we could have.

         I am now married with a 14-month-old child. My wife is a specialty Nurse Practitioner at a clinic here in my hometown. I married into debt, but we have paid it all off except for our mortgage. I live in a home similar to the one I grew up in, but due to inflation, we paid quite a bit more. I pay for my graduate studies out of pocket, and I do what I can to ensure that I live within my means. We don’t take elaborate vacations, and I drive a 13-year-old vehicle. But while we live a modest lifestyle, I do not worry about living paycheck to paycheck, and for that, I am truly grateful.

Race and Ethnicity (These two sections must be separated since they are two concepts)

Many people hold the belief that race and ethnicity are essentially the same thing. However, race and ethnicity are two completely different things. Samovar et. al (2017) identify race as someone’s physical traits, which are generally regarded as someone’s skin color. Ethnicity, though, is having a sense of a shared heritage, similar geographical area of origin, the same traditions, and even language. This section intertwines and discusses both my race and my ethnicity, though I do acknowledge their distinct differences.

I am Caucasian. While I have not taken any Ancestry DNA tests, both of my parents have. My roots mostly trace back to England, but I do have some ancestors who immigrated from Germany. While my surname, Murphy, is Irish, I am aware of only one ancestor who immigrated from Ireland. Eventually, both sides of my family migrated to Missouri, with my dad’s side of the family residing in central Missouri, while my mother’s side in Northwest Missouri. Both sides of the family immigrated to rural areas, and they were both farmers. They resided in areas with people that looked like them as both areas in Missouri have a high Caucasian population.

Growing up in a city that, according to the United States Census Bureau (2020) is 75% Caucasian, I surrounded myself with people who looked like me. This continued at William Jewell College (2023), whose most recent diversity report shows an enrollment of 62.42% white. After college, I tended to settle in places where the vast majority of people identify themselves as Caucasian.  I worked with people that looked like me, and never ventured out of my comfort zone. This changed in 2017 when my wife and I relocated to Buffalo, NY. While the United States Census Bureau (2020) reports that a majority of Buffalo still identifies as Caucasian, I worked at an urban health clinic in the downtown area. For the first time in my life, I was the minority as most of my coworkers were African American or Hispanic. My boss had even immigrated from the Côte d'Ivoire. It was a valuable learning experience for me. After Boston, I resided in Hyde Park, a neighborhood in Boston where I was once again the minority. Finally, my journey brought me to spend a year in Quito, Ecuador, where the majority of individuals identified themselves as Hispanics.

Being Caucasian, I am aware of being part of what Spring (2020) reports as being the dominant culture. Even when I resided in areas where I was not in the majority, I was still part of the dominant culture. While in Quito, I worked at an international school that was led by individuals from the United States, so even then I still was part of the dominant culture. It was only when I ventured out into the city or rural parts of the country that I found myself having to adjust how I interacted with people around me. Because I was surrounded by people who were similar to me, I never truly experienced what Samovar et al. (2017) describe as “culture shock,” which is the effects someone has while trying to adjust to a new culture. It was a good experience for me to be in a place where I wasn’t the majority, and to experience what people from other ethnicities experience on a daily basis.

Gender

I was born male, and I identify myself as male. I also identify as a heterosexual. While Carey and Hacket (2022) report there are more females than males in the United States, males hold a slight edge worldwide. In addition, males have always been the dominant gender throughout history. I will admit that there are many benefits to being a male, and I often take those benefits for granted. I don’t carry a rape-whistle or fear of being sexually assaulted, my input and thoughts in the workplace are often welcomed and appreciated, and I don’t have to fight for equal pay. Though my wife is the breadwinner in our family, people still treat me like I am the head of the household.

I will admit that there are some stereotypes of men that I don’t enjoy. I am a pretty emotional person, but men are often expected to hold their emotions in. I have trouble sharing my feelings with others, even with my wife, because I don’t want to feel vulnerable. Men are expected to be the providers of their families, but as mentioned above, my wife has and will always earn more than I do. This leaves me feeling somewhat inferior as I can’t provide for my family on my income alone. However, I do recognize that despite these stereotypes, around the world men enjoy the benefits of being part of the dominant culture, and I understand what a privilege it is to identify as a male.

Language

My primary language is English. While Lane (2023) reports that English is only the 3rd most people who identify themselves as native English speakers, it is the biggest language of total speakers. Here in the United States, most of the population speaks English. It is the language that you are expected to speak when out in the public. Even around the world, more and more people are speaking English. Spring (2020) reports that it is considered the global language, especially when conducting business. Even though one could travel to a country whose national language is different from English, you can usually find enough people and enough businesses to where one can speak English and not the native tongue.

I do also speak Spanish, but my Spanish skills are severely limited. When I resided in Quito, most of my conversations were in English, as the school that I worked for was an English-speaking school. However, I needed to know enough Spanish to be able to survive on public transportation, in restaurants, and at the local market. While you would occasionally run into someone who wanted to practice their English with you, the expectation was to speak Spanish. I was able to navigate around with my rudimentary knowledge, but there were particular situations, like applying for my visa, a trip to the hospital after a dog bite, or a difficult trip to the bank where I would ask someone to assist in translating. However, my desire was to become more fluent in the language, so I forced myself to participate in different clubs and put myself in situations where I needed to speak the language.

I am back to residing in the United States, where English is the expectation. However, in my position as an English Language Learner teacher, I work with many students whose primary language is Spanish. While I am expected to teach them English, I do enjoy being able to speak Spanish with them. In addition, because I lived in a country that did not speak my native language, I understand many of the hardships that they endure on a daily basis. This allows me to relate to them better and it helps me encourage them to keep working hard.

 Religion

If you were to ask me about my religion, I would tell you that I identify as Christian. I grew up in a Baptist home, and attended church twice a week. While Baptists are often identified as being conservative, the church that I grew up in was more progressive. We had women pastors and women deacons, which resulted in our church getting kicked out of the Missouri Baptist Convention. I am glad that this happened, as it inspired my older sister to enter the preaching profession. Christianity has always been the dominant religion in the United States, though McCammon (2022) reports that fewer and fewer people are identifying themselves as Christian.

Today, I believe that when you identify yourself as Christian, more and more people believe that you are a far-right conservative. Bush (2019) reports that when people talk about a Christian voter, they more than likely are referring to a white conservative who opposes gay marriage and planned parenthood. I hate how religion has become tied up with politics, and I find myself more and more avoiding identifying myself as Christian or Evangelical. Since we moved back to Missouri, my wife and I have only been sporadically attending churches while we search for the perfect church for our family. Where we live, it is difficult to find a progressive-leaning church that has a vibrant and growing children’s ministry. Finding a church that we can both agree on has been a source of contention for our household. In addition, I find that many of my friends who have once identified themselves as Christian no longer would use that term if they had to describe themselves. While a majority of Americans are like me and identify as Christians, it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so without being associated with a certain political party.

 Exceptionality

Entering into my 3rd grade year, I tested and was accepted into a gifted program called EER. Once a week, I was pulled out of my school and bussed to a central location, where I did learning activities with kids from across the district who had also been accepted into the program. I remember testing twice, as the first time I didn’t get in. I often thought that the only reason I was accepted into the program was that they needed more representation of students from my elementary school; however, after discussing this years later with my parents, they said that my guidance counselor was instrumental in getting me tested again so I could get into the program. While I enjoyed going to the EER program, it was awkward being pulled out of class every week because the students who stayed knew that I was different from them. I continued EER only through the 7th grade, as the program ended after the 8th grade year. In high school, I took 3 AP classes, but I bombed the AP tests and did not transfer any credits to college. I had a decent overall GPA, but never took school seriously or really applied myself.

When I entered college, I was surrounded by students who not only were smarter than me, but also had the necessary skills to be a successful student. I had received decent grades without putting in any effort in high school, so I never took the time to study for tests or read the material. As a result, I did very poorly in college, and–twice–was almost put on academic probation. It was a humiliating experience for me as I had always done well in academics. I learned a lot from this experience as it isn’t enough to be smart; I also have to apply myself.

Even to this day, I’ve never really considered myself gifted. However, looking back through a different lens, I can see where I might have been. In school, most things came easy to me. You could show me how to do a math problem and, after a couple of different examples, I usually had it. This is my biggest pitfall as an educator. When someone doesn’t understand a concept, it’s difficult for me to understand why. Since I tend to pick up on things quickly, I sometimes don’t know how to explain them in a different way. I simply provide more examples of the same thing and hope that by repetition, they will then understand it.

Age

I am 36 years old. According to Peck (2023), I am right around the middle of my life as a resident of the United States, with the median age being 38.9 years old. When it comes to my physical attributes, I am noticing my aging. For example, my hair is slowly thinning, my beard is graying, and my body hurts more often than before. My metabolism has slowed down, therefore, I have to watch what I eat so I don’t gain weight. I have noticed these differences for several years now and have come to accept them, though I do miss youthful days where I could do a lot more. However, even though my physical body has aged, I’ve still accomplished a lot. Since turning 30, I have competed in a half marathon, tried out various sports, and climbed several 15,000 ft mountain peaks. I haven’t had the limitations of my body keep me from doing what I love; I just have to pace myself more now.

While I have felt the physical effects of aging, the same can not be said for my mentality. I feel mentally in a better place than I ever have been. My thirst for knowledge has only increased, and I find myself reading nonfiction books for enjoyment, which is something I never really used to do. While in my undergraduate years, I found my learning experience to be tedious, I enjoy getting to learn more about things in my field of study and I take my schoolwork a lot more seriously. I enjoy intellectual topics of discussion, and I am more aware of the world around me. They say that age is just a number, and when it comes to my mental awareness, I wholeheartedly agree.

Geography

I was born and raised in mid-Missouri, and after a brief hiatus living on the East Coast and overseas, I returned to the area to raise a family. As mentioned earlier, I come from German and Irish descent, which explains why I feel comfortable living in Missouri. According to the State Historical Society of Missouri (2023), some of the first immigrants that came to Missouri were from Germany, and you can see their influence in the architecture of central Missouri today. The reasons we moved back into the area were the affordability of the Midwest and the location was great for raising children. I loved our time living in Boston, but it wasn’t practical for us to stay there. Even with good-paying jobs, we would have never been able to afford a house, especially one with a yard large enough for children to play. In addition, we wanted to be around family if we ever needed any support. Living in Ecuador was a fantastic experience, but we also would have never been able to afford a home. My spouse and I  would have also never been able to retire, which is something that we both want to do within the next 20 years. We also would have had to rely on family and friends to assist us in flying to and from the United States, and while many of them were willing to do that, we did not want to live off their charity.

         My hometown where I now reside, Missouri’s capital, hasn’t changed much since my childhood. However, the changes that I have noticed have been for the better. In recent years, there have been more establishments that have catered to people my age, including local coffee shops, chic restaurants, and breweries. I’ve also noticed a more diverse population than when I grew up. When I was in high school, I didn’t see many people who were not white or African American. Now, I see many students wearing hijabs or speaking languages other than Spanish. I take pride in this newfound diversity as I believe it shows that Jefferson City is a welcoming place to people from all different backgrounds and walks of life. I hope to see this continued increase in diversity in the years to come.

Conclusion

         In this paper, I’ve discussed who I am as a person. I am considered a middle-class, white male who lives in the middle of Missouri. I am also in my mid-30s and identify as a Christian. While I’ve always known that I have been part of the dominant culture, it wasn’t until this paper that I’ve realized just how much I am. In nearly every category, I am considered part of the majority, especially in my hometown and current residence. While I feel guilty for having the luxury of being part of the dominant culture, I can’t change who I am. My hope is that I use these findings to understand my place in the world and to better work with people from different cultural backgrounds than my own.

References (Can't use hanging style in Google Sites)

Appleby, C. (2024, January 19). How many people have student loan debt? BestColleges. Retrieved from https://www.bestcolleges.com/research/how-many-people-have-student-loans/#:~:text=About%2043.4%20million%20Americans%20have,other%20demographics%20in%20this%20guide.

Bennett, J., Fry, R., & Kochhar, R. (2020, July 23). Are you in the American middle class? Find out with our income calculator. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/ short-reads/2020/07/23/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/

Bush, D. (2019, July 8). Religious liberals want to change what it means to be a Christian voter. PBS Newshour. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/religious-liberals-want-to-change -what-it-means-to-be-a-christian-voter

Carey, I.W., & Hacket, C. (2022, August 31). Global population skews male, but UN projects parity between sexes by 2050. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/08/31/global-population-skews-male-but-un-projects-parity-between-sexes-by-2050/

Lane, J. (2023, February 9). The 10 most spoken languages in the world. Babbel Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/the-10-most-spoken-languages-in-the-world

McCammon, S., Levitt, M., & Fox, K. (2022, September 15). America’s Christian majority is shrinking, and could dip below 50% by 2070. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2022/09/15/1123289466/americas-christian-majority-is-shrinking-and-could-dip-below-50-by-2070

Peck, E. (2023, June 22). The median age in the U.S. reaches a record high, approaching 40 years old. Axios. Retrieved from https://www.axios.com/2023/06/22/median-age-america-population-older

Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., McDaniel, E.R., & Roy, C.S. (2017). Communication between cultures. (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Spring, J. H. (2020). American education (18th ed.). Routledge Taylor & Francis Group

State Historical Society of Missouri. (2023). Immigrant Experience Research Guide. Retrieved from https://shsmo.org/research/guides/immigrant

United States Census Bureau. (2020). Explore Census Data. https://data.census.gov/

William Jewell College. (2023, September 20). William Jewell College: fall 2023 diversity report. Retrieved from https://www.jewell.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/Diversity_Report_10.23.pdf

Sharon Crane

EDCI 5546

Cultural Self-Assessment Report
Dr. Wei

March 8, 2024

         Culture is much more than one specific part of our lives. It is a variety of subjects that make up our very being. It is important for us to know not only the different aspects of culture, but also how they apply to our lives. If we don’t know where we come from, we won’t be able to know where we are going. By knowing ourselves, we have the ability to attempt to know others. Before I can properly assess my own culture, first let us discuss the main aspects of culture. Culture contains, but is not limited to class, race, ethnicity, gender, language, religion, exceptionality, age, and geography. Each aspect has its own definition, examples, and importance in regards to understanding our culture. Once we understand their own culture, we can begin to understand the cultures of others.

Class

         Class can be explained as the social and economic setting in which we live.  I grew up in an upper-middle-class area. My house was comfortable for a family of four. It was a safe location. I felt comfortable walking to my neighbor’s house and the community pool. As a child, I didn’t understand the different class systems. I believe most children feel the same way. My parents taught me that everyone is different and that we should all be treated with respect, no matter their background. This is something I strive to teach my daughter.

         When I became an adult, I fell to the lower class. I didn’t live in unsafe neighborhoods, but I didn’t earn as much money as my parents did. Therefore, I lived in apartments for most of my adult life. I was not able to go out as much as my other friends. I never felt sorry for myself because I knew that others had more difficulties than I did. I am actually glad that I went through these difficult times. It taught me to appreciate what I have and it also taught me to budget. If I don’t have the money for something, I don’t buy it. Budgeting is not easy and, unfortunately, it often takes experiences with minimal money to really understand how to budget.

Race

Race can be explained as a group of individuals based on physical traits. I am a Caucasian individual as is most of my family. I went to school in the Northland, so I grew up with mostly Caucasian individuals. As a child, I did not get much experience learning about other cultures. I did not know that many people from other races. There were a few minorities in my school, but not enough for me to understand another person’s point of view. When I was in the Girl Scouts, one of my fellow Scouts was a young black girl named Elizabeth. She became one of my closest friends when I was in elementary school. We had sleepovers at her house and at my house. We spent time with each other’s families and learned a lot about each other. I truly hope that everyone gets to have a similar experience.

         My daughter is involved in scouting and has been fortunate enough to be in a troop where there are multiple races involved. I can only hope that she is able to have the same experiences that I had. I have the same wish for my current and future students. We can learn about the dictionary meanings of the different races, but we cannot fully begin to comprehend what a person goes through every day simply based on their race. It is impossible to understand what it feels like to be of a different race, but we can learn to see things from another point of view. By doing so, we begin to understand and accept other cultures from around the world.

Ethnicity    

Ethnicity is a group of people who possess similar backgrounds and/or generational descent. My ethnic background is primarily German. My great-grandparents migrated to the United States and generations have grown and thrived since then. The part of my family that makes me the proudest is our contribution to the military. Someone from my family has served in every branch of the military at some point in time. My family has served our country during times of war and peace. I never served in the military myself, but the knowledge that my family has done so gives me a sense of responsibility and respect for others. I’m not saying that this is the only or best way to gain respect for others. Not everyone is meant to be in the military, but we are all meant to respect and care about others. It’s not always easy, but some of the most important aspects of life are not easy.

         One such example is teaching. It is not simply giving information to students. We are instructors, tutors, caregivers, referees, and conflict negotiators to name a few. We provide information about our given subject, but we also show how to work with and learn from our fellow students. This can be a challenge, especially when there are big personalities in the room. Part of our job is to lead by example. If we show respect for other cultures, our students could understand the importance as well.

Gender

Gender is defined as the sexuality in which we are defined. This is not as simple as male or female. There are males who associate themselves more with a female and females who associate more with males. I have several friends who are members of the LGBTQ+ community. In fact, one of my best friends was born female, but has had reproductive change surgery. He carried and gave birth to a healthy baby girl 3 years ago. He and his wife do not use specific pronouns for the child. They use they/them and will continue to do so until their child is old enough to determine where she feels she belongs.

 I was born female, and I use she/her pronouns. Gender can be a sensitive issue in the world today. The LGBTQ+ community has made it possible for all people to have the same rights and freedoms that straight people have. As a straight woman, I never experienced the racism and hatred that members of the LGBTQ+ community have had to endure.

         There are stereotypes that are associated with being a woman, but more so for girls. Girls are supposed to wear dresses and play with Barbie's or dolls. They shouldn’t get dirty and play inside. They should like the color pink and want to be a princess. This was definitely not me. I did enjoy playing with dolls, but there was no way I was going to wear a dress when I was younger. I played outside with my brother and the other boys in the neighborhood. There were no girls in my neighborhood. I didn’t want to stay inside by myself, so I played with the boys. I was never very good at sports, but we had a lot of fun. These experiences taught me that there is no right or wrong way for children to play. Boys can play with dolls and girls can play with trucks if that’s what they want. We are doing harm to our children by telling them that they are playing with the “wrong” toys. As long as no one is in danger, my daughter plays with toys that are interesting to her.

Language

Language can be defined as simple as the way we communicate. However, language is so much more than how we speak. Facial expressions, body language, and sentence structure vary throughout all languages.  I have a lot of experience with the language. My native language is English, but I have many years of experience with sign language. I began to learn this language when I was 24 years old. I first became interested in sign language during my time at Northwest Missouri State University. I received my undergraduate degree in Psychology and one of the electives I took was sign language interpreting. I loved not only learning a different language, but learning about a different culture as well. I had been taking classes for about two months and I decided that I wanted more immersion in deaf culture. I decided to go to an annual conference sponsored by the Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. I was one of the only students who decided to go. It was terrifying, but it was worth it. I learned a lot of new skills and formed connections that still exist to this day.

         These experiences taught me the importance of culture. Every Deaf individual I met would not become hearing if they were given the option. Their deafness is part of who they are and they do not feel they should change to fit in with another culture. Most hearing people do not understand this. They see deafness as a problem or a disability and it is something to be “fixed”. In fact, one of the most controversial issues is whether or not to give a Deaf person a Cochlear implant. It is perfectly understandable that hearing people believe that deafness is something that can and should be fixed. If you don’t have experience in this world, you don’t always know how to react.

It is the same for ELL students. Individuals from other cultures have different languages and rituals. Examples of our many jobs are to give them skills to interpret the English language and understand how and when to use sentence structures. The main reason is not to “fit in” or change who they are. We are giving our students the ability to communicate without the need for an interpreter. This provides independence and confidence. They should not have to change or adjust their culture to interact with people in another culture.

Religion

         Religion is simply what we do and do not believe in. Religion varies from person to person as well as from culture to culture. The one thing I strive to remember is that it is okay to have varied beliefs, but it is not okay to tell others what they should or should not believe in. This can be personal or spiritual convictions.  I don’t have a strong religious background, but I do have personal beliefs. As a child, I went to church with my mother and my younger brother. It almost felt like an obligation rather than a choice. I never went to Sunday School, but I did enjoy listening to and singing along with the hymns. I found the music and beautiful voices very moving. I believe this is where I first fell in love with music. I played the violin for almost 15 years and music is still engrained in my soul.

         As I grew older, I went to church more often with my husband (now my ex-husband). It still felt like an obligation. My personal belief is that it isn’t necessary to go to church in order to have spirituality. I believe there is a God, but I also believe in science. Everyone has a different religion. In my opinion, there is no right or wrong religion. Everyone has the right to believe in whatever or whomever they choose.

Exceptionality

Exceptionality can be defined as something you feel you excel at or where you feel you make the most difference.  As you may or may not know, along with taking this course and others, I teach 8th-grade English Language Arts at my local middle school. As all educators know, this is often a thankless job. Our work does not only exist in the classroom; we have planning and grading to do outside of class. We have additional responsibilities to be taken care of outside of contract hours (supervising events, planning committees, etc.) The reason we do this job is for the students. One of my best (and favorite) students, Paige, decided to write an inspirational note because she feels she is fortunate enough to know me better than other students. After all, we spend at least 2 hours together every weekday. She deeply cares about others and she understands how difficult it is to be a teacher. This is what she wrote: “Hi Ms. Crane! I know for a fact that, even though you might not always realize it, you excel at being a teacher. I don’t know how you do it, but you have somehow managed to create a positive connection with all students in all the classes I have with you. Teaching any grade is hard and stressful, but 8th grade, or even just middle school students, is a different level. You do all you can to make class enjoyable and you are one of the best and favorite Language Arts teachers I’ve had. Love, Paige” This was one of the sweetest notes I have ever read. It makes the job worth it to have students like Paige who truly care about others. It now has a place of pride on my desk. If I ever need a reminder of why I became a teacher, I look at notes like hers.

         I believe that there’s no way for anyone to be perfect at something. Even our hearts falter beats, and that’s their one job. Human beings have so many interests and responsibilities that I believe it’s incredibly hard to even be exceptional, no matter how hard we work. With that being said, I know I will always try my best and everything I do, especially if I’m not very skilled at the beginning. The best way we can learn is from experience and mistakes.  

Age

Age is probably the simplest part of culture to define. The chronological number that is associated with the year you are born. For example, I was born in 1982 so I am 41 years old (at least until July). Age can be a tricky subject.  How often have we heard the phrase “Age is just a number”? It all depends on your viewpoint. It takes confidence and self-respect to not only accept your age, but to be proud of all you have accomplished. I am starting a new career at the age of 41. While it might seem challenging to start something new at this point in my life, I choose to look at it in a more positive light. I may be older than some of my coworkers, but I have life experiences that they do not have yet. I have often said that we learn more outside the class than we do inside the class. If we make a mistake during school, we can simply try it again at a later date. If you make a mistake outside of school, it can have devastating effects on your life. While there are many mistakes I have made in my life, I would not take them back if I had the opportunity. Mistakes are how we grow and learn. I am teaching my daughter this lesson.

         This is also something that I am teaching my students. Making mistakes is part of life. As an adolescent, it may seem like the end of the world. I have told them on more than one occasion that I have made mistakes. They were shocked to hear an adult admit this. For one reason, most adults don’t admit that they made a mistake in front of students and another reason is some adolescents think that when you reach a certain age, you no longer make mistakes. I want to do everything in my power to reassure them that it is part of life. It is our job to ensure they know that it is okay to make mistakes and that knowledge comes with time and experience.

Geography

Geography is the physical location where we were born, grew up, and live in.  I was born and raised in Kansas City, MO. I spent my youth in different locations in the Midwest so I will always consider this home. Some of my fondest memories as a child stem from places I have visited in Missouri. I spent a lot of time at the Lake of the Ozarks during my summer vacations. Both sets of my grandparents lived there as well as assorted great-aunts and uncles. I enjoyed swimming in the lake, going to Fantastic Caverns, and generally enjoying time with family. I look back on that time with joy and a little sadness since all of my relatives have passed away. I will cherish those memories for the rest of my life.

         During my time at public school, I encountered so many people from a variety of cultures. My high school was a place where exchange students often received their high school diplomas. In fact, 23 different countries were represented when I was a senior in high school. This was truly a gift for myself and my peers. We got to meet other students from other countries and other cultures. We learned about how people lived in countries other than our own. Education is far more than book learning. We learn how to work with others from different backgrounds. Students need to be able to work with and learn from individuals from other countries and cultures. This is one of the best ways to break down hate and discrimination. With understanding comes acceptance.

         I have traveled to other parts of the world. I have been to England, Scotland, and Jamaica. During my brief vacations in each place, I got to experience different parts of culture (i.e. food, language, religion, and interaction with strangers). As teenagers, we didn’t have much experience with how to respect others’ cultures. The most important takeaway I had was that it is crucial to respect others’ cultures and beliefs. This is something that I use in my current classroom and will continue to use t throughout my career as an ELL teacher.

         As I conclude my cultural self-assessment report, I reflect on the questions that were given to us. How do gender and class define me? What are my racial and national origins? Are there stories that have helped to define me? I believe that there is not one specific aspect of culture that defines me. I am a female, but I didn’t behave or play the way a typical girl did in my environment. My class has changed over the years. With each change, I gain a new appreciation for what others go through in a financial sense. It is so easy to see someone on the side of the road, holding a sign, asking for money, and think to ourselves that the person is just lazy, doesn’t want to try and get a job, or is trying to scam people. While for some people that may be true, it is important to remember that we don’t always know what a person is going through. We don’t have to hand money over to a stranger, but a simple smile and saying hello can make a person’s day. I feel I explained my racial and national origins fully in the body of this paper. We all have stories that define who we are. There is not a one-size-fits-all life experience. Some of my stories from my childhood might be similar to another person’s childhood, but the details are always different. I always enjoy sharing stories about my life. I feel personal experiences and life adventures are part of who we are and are one of the best ways to get to know someone. My personal stories don’t define me. They add to the many threads of my culture, and my very being, and make me the person I am today. I strive to use what I know about my culture and life experiences to make sure my daughter has a better understanding of the world around her. I want her to be open-minded and accepting of all those around her. I want the same to be true for my students. I am hopeful that we are all able to make a difference in the lives of our students and our community as a whole.

         There are two quotes I would like to end with. I am not sure of the originality or the sources, but my mother has said them to me many times over the years. The first is “No one else is perfect, so why should I expect perfection from myself?” This goes hand in hand with my earlier statements about accepting ourselves and recognizing that we can and will make many mistakes in our lives. The most important lesson we should take away from this is that it is not fair to ourselves to expect perfection. If that is the expectation, there will always be disappointment and discouragement. These are the last feelings I want my students to have.

         The second quote is “Everything is okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end”. There will always be challenges that we will face every day. Some obstacles will be more challenging than others. Some will be more emotionally draining than others. Some can even threaten our self-worth. We must remember that no matter what, things will work themselves out in one way or another. Finding the good things in life is an excellent way to get through the bad times. In order to provide this knowledge to my future students, I will create an environment that is positive and welcoming. I want them to be able to trust me. If we don’t trust the people we work with, we won’t form connections. If we don’t form connections, we cannot learn about them. If we cannot learn about them, we won’t learn about other cultures. By learning about other cultures, we are more accepting and caring of those around us. We will show our students how much we truly care about them and want to learn more from them. A classroom is a community, and communities thrive in diversity and understanding. As educators, that is one of our main goals.

An Interview with Roxanne

James Murphy

Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies

University of Missouri - Kansas City

EDCI 5546-Intercultural Communications

Dr. Michael Wei

March 30, 2024

Abstract

In schools across the United States, we are taught that our nation is one big melting pot. The idea of the melting pot is Americanization, where immigrants coming to the United States abandon their own culture and adhere to the dominant American culture. But many, including Thorton (2012), disagree with the idea that our nation is a melting pot. Other terms like salad bowl, where different cultures mix but retain distinction, seem more appropriate to describe life in the United States. We often surround ourselves with people who look and act like us. But sometimes, we need to purposely interact with individuals whose culture is different than our own. This paper describes my interactions with a friend whom I have been acquainted with for many years, but someone whom I realized I knew little. In the following sections, we discuss her demographics, education history, her experience through immigration, her family and values, her impressions of the United States, and her ability to adjust culturally to her surroundings.

Introduction

I first met Roxanne, better known to her friends as Roxy, on a mission trip to Matamoros in July 2005. She was one of the first people that I made a true connection with who identified as Hispanic. The mission trip was a joint project between First Baptist Church and Familia Cristiana Internacional, the only Spanish-speaking protestant church in Jefferson City, MO. Over the years we have kept in touch, but it was difficult as I rarely was in town. Since returning to Jefferson City in 2021, we have seen each other several times, but due to both of our busy schedules, have not had the time to sit and catch up on life.

Upon her suggestion, we met on a Saturday morning at Yanis Coffee Zone, a popular coffee spot in Jefferson City, which Gamm (2023) reports is owned by a gentleman who was born in Jordan and immigrated to the United States after high school. The coffee place was packed, so we sat in the back, as far away from the crowd as we could. She apologized for asking to meet at such a busy place, and she stated that she rarely opened her home up to the company. She laughed and said that she wasn't a very good Hispanic woman (R. Antonio, personal communication, March 30, 2024), but that was one of many things that made her distinct from a traditional Hispanic female.

Demographics

        Roxy is a 50-year-old Hispanic woman from San Salvador, El Salvador. Moslimani et al. (2023) report that there are an estimated 2.5 million El Salvadorians residing in the United States. She identifies herself as a Protestant Christian, attending the only Hispanic Protestant church in Jefferson City. This is an anomaly, as Henao (2023) found that only 21% of Hispanics identify as practicing Protestants, compared to 47% who identify as Catholic. She practiced Catholicism while growing up, but became a born-again Christian at the age of 15. Today she is an active member in her church, helping with administrative duties and leading various small groups over the years.

         Roxy is a married woman, having been married to her husband, who is originally from Mexico, for thirteen years. She was previously married before, having married at the age of 19 and divorcing after fourteen years of marriage. She has two grown children with her previous husband, ages 27 and 29; while those children are not married, they live on their own. Roxy mentions how Hispanic children living on their own is more of an American custom. In Central and South America, it is common for adult children to live with their families well into their 20s or 30s, and they will generally not find a place on their own until they are married and starting their own family. Roxy met her current husband while at church; someone made the joke that they should get married so that her now husband, who was undocumented at the time, could obtain his papers. They both laughed it off at the time, but years later, when they started dating, she admits that it was in the back of her mind. However, they have formed a great partnership over the years, and she is glad that she took the risk of going out on a date with him.

Education and Work

Education is something that is very important to Roxy. She has always loved learning, and is used to succeeding in the classroom. In El Salvador, she stated that she had a wonderful schooling experience. This is most likely because she lived in the San Salvador school district, which Flaitz (2006) mentioned received nearly 50% of the country’s educational allocation. She also mentioned her amazing school experience in Mexico, whether that was in Mexico City or in the smaller town where she resided. When she immigrated to the United States, she knew no English. As she started her 7th grade year in  Los Angeles, she was placed into an ESL class with students who spoke many different languages, but primarily Spanish. She knew right away that there were students there who weren’t interested in learning the language, so she made a point to do everything she could to learn English as quickly as possible. She began to fully immerse herself, only listening to English music and only watching English television. In just one year, she no longer needed ESL services, though she stayed in the program for an additional year. 

         Her love of learning continued, as she took part in various clubs while in high school. She credits her teachers for her excellence, as they made learning an enjoyable experience. While Manning et al. (2017) report that teachers often believe that Hispanic students are not as well-behaved as Asian Americans and not as intelligent as their European American counterparts, she never felt this stigma from her teachers. She mentioned how one social studies teacher would have them listen to different songs, where they would then dissect the lyrics and form their own opinion. She talked about another teacher who started a computer club in the late 1980s and would give her rides home after the club so she wouldn’t have to walk home alone. She graduated from high school as a salutatorian, which is an amazing feat considering she had started 7th grade in the United States knowing no English. She received a full-ride scholarship to the University of California - Berkeley; unfortunately, they later pulled her scholarship as she did not have a social security number.

         When Roxy moved to Texas, she was able to obtain a work visa. When she was employed, she was able to take college classes at the local community college free of charge. She also participated in a program through the library where she was able to borrow her textbooks, so obtaining her associate's degree cost her very little. It was here that she had her only negative experience with a professor. On a paper she had written, the professor questioned where she was during the time they were learning grammar, as apparently her paper had several grammatical errors. She explained to the professor that she was learning conversational English during this time period instead of learning complex grammatical rules. At the suggestion of her counselor, she ended up dropping the class, and the professor was not asked back at the end of the year.

When Roxy moved to Jefferson City, she enrolled at Lincoln University, the oldest historically black college west of the Mississippi River. She mentioned how hearing the stories of the black soldiers starting college motivated her to obtain her bachelor’s there. She is proud of her degree, especially because of all the trials and tribulations she went through to obtain it. Spring (2020) reports how only 14.6% of Latino Americans obtain a bachelor’s degree, so Roxy obtaining a bachelor’s degree is indeed an accomplishment worth celebrating. Her degree helped her become successful in the work industry, as she is currently the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Center of Human Service in the state of Missouri. 

Immigration Status

         Roxy was born in El Salvador, so she is not a naturalized US Citizen. Before immigrating to the United States, she spent five years in Mexico; first in Mexico City, and then a couple of years in a smaller town. Her mother immigrated to the United States before her, and after some time her mother sent for Roxy, at the age of twelve, to come to the United States. We did not discuss how she entered; only that when she came she was an undocumented alien. She landed in Los Angeles, and did not obtain any legal citizenship until she moved to Texas in her early twenties.

Once in Texas, Roxy had obtained a work permit, but she didn’t qualify for amnesty. She decided to apply for asylum, which put her through deportation proceedings. At the time, she was married with two young children who were US Citizens, so you can imagine the stress this put on her. She had a few hearings with a judge, who asked her every time where her lawyer was, to which she replied that she could not afford one. After the third time, the judge provided her with a list of legal aid, where she was able to find a lawyer. In the fourth meeting between her and the judge, the judge granted her permanent residency through the NACARA program. The program, Curbelo Law (2022) reports, was passed into law in 1997 as a way for citizens of Guatemala, El Salvador, and some former Soviet countries to obtain a path of citizenship. She excitedly explained how she was one of the first in the nation to benefit from the NACARA program, and how when she left the courthouse there were news stations and reporters there to capture the moment.

Today, Roxy is a United States Citizen, having obtained her citizenship in the mid-2000s while living in Jefferson City. While she believes that ultimately having two children who were citizens would have kept her from being deported, she still admits that it was a scary process requesting asylum, and that her faith helped her through it. We did not discuss the details of her current husband’s citizenship status, though she did say that he had obtained some sort of legal residency.

Family and Values

         When the discussion about family roles came up, Roxy gave a laugh. Samovar et al. (2017) mention how Latino women are often focused primarily on the family and are subservient to males. She discussed how traditional families are often relational and very affectionate. She states that it was not like this for her growing up. Her mother never gave her affection, and she never saw her grandparents be affectionate with her mother. Her family was very results-oriented and pushed her and her siblings to succeed, which Manning (2017) would say more resembles the family values of an Asian American family. She never understood why her mother was never affectionate with her as the mothers of other Latino families. She even saw her mother be more affectionate to her siblings, and she was even forced to take a year off from school to care for her younger siblings. Roxy has never asked her mother why she was this way, but thinks that it could have had something to do with the absence of her father in her life. As a result of this icy relationship with her family, Roxy moved out of the home at the young age of nineteen.

         Her childhood and the home that she grew up in greatly influenced Roxy to become the mother that she is today. When it comes to motherhood, she has taken on a more traditional Latino family role while still pursuing her career. She doted on her children more than her mother did, and she made sure to celebrate the big milestones in their lives. She is very proud of her kids, and after the interview concluded showed me pictures of her son’s big trip to Yosemite National Park. While she maintained this traditional motherhood role with her children, she admits that she is not a very good Latino wife. It was a big adjustment for her current husband, as she is often the decision-maker in the household. They also fend for themselves a lot during dinner instead of eating together. They are both independent, but they have made their marriage work. Their relationship would reflect more of the United States culture, which Samovar et al. (2017) say focuses on and rewards individualism within the family.

Culture Shock and Cultural Adjustment

         When Roxy first immigrated to the United States, she landed in the city of Los Angeles at the age of 12. This was in the 1980s, before the use of Google Translate or other translation services. Roxy could have easily experienced culture shock, which Samovar et al. (2017) state is where you encounter the difficulties of daily living and communicating in a new culture. However, she told me that she never had such an experience. I pressed her more about this, and she could not come up with a single moment where she experienced difficulties communicating. She explained that she grew up in a neighborhood of Los Angeles that was becoming increasingly Hispanic, so there was always someone there to assist her or her family out in the community. In school, she always had someone in class who could translate for her if needed. She also learned English at a surprisingly fast rate, so she was able to communicate rather effectively shortly after. Because of these reasons, she never experienced the kind of culture shock that we think of when we travel or live in a foreign country.

         There was a culture shock that Roxy admitted to experiencing that many of us could relate to the shock of moving to a population that is vastly different from the one you are emigrating from. Before moving to Texas, Roxy had always lived in large cities. She was born in San Salvador, moved to Mexico City, and then immigrated to Los Angeles. She was used to the fast pace of big city life. She states that she had difficulty adjusting to small-town life when she migrated to Texas. She had to drive everywhere, as many stores and restaurants weren’t within walking distance. Public transportation in the city also isn’t readily available. Food deliveries weren’t as common as they were in the big city, and you don’t have as many choices. Roxy said coming to Jefferson City, where her ex-husband's family lived, was a happy medium between large-city and small-town life.

         So why was Roxy able to escape culture shock and adjust so well to the culture in the United States? It is because she followed the items that Samovar et al. (2017) recommended when wanting to enhance your cultural acculturation. She made it a priority to learn the language and fully immersed herself in the way of life in the United States. She listened to music and watched TV shows that were produced in the countries that she was living in. She also made sure that she held onto her El Salvadorian culture and way of life, as she still attends Spanish-speaking churches and surrounds herself with friends who speak her native tongue. Finally, her immigration from El Salvador to Mexico helped her know what to expect when moving to a country with a different culture than hers. While Mexico speaks the same language as El Salvador, they are quite different culturally. This experience helped her when she later immigrated to the United States.

Conclusion

         In the abstract, I discussed how we’ve often called the United States a melting pot, but how a salad bowl would be considered a better term. However, when it comes to Roxanne, I would call her a true melting pot. The way that she has adapted to different cultures seamlessly throughout her life was astounding to me. Even though she has lived in so many places, she has always kept her values and beliefs through the many changes in her life. Roxy is the epitome of the American Dream, coming to the United States knowing no English to the successful person she is today. I am happy that I was able to sit down with her and learn more about her story, and I am even happier to call her my friend.

References

Curbelo Law. (2022, August 25). NACARA program - all you need to know. Curbelo Law. https://curbelolaw.com/nacara-program/.

Flaitz, J. (2006). El Salvador. In Understanding your refugee and immigrant students: an educational, cultural, and linguistic guide (pp. 1-15). University of Michigan Press.

Gamm, J. (2023, July 17). In the zone: Yanis’ gamble on Jefferson City pays off in 20 years downtown. News Tribune. https://www.newstribune.com/news/2023/jul/17/in-the-zone- yanis-gamble-on-jefferson-city-pays/.

Henao, L.A. (2023, April 13). Poll: among U.S. Latinos, Catholicism still largest faith. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/catholics-latinos-hispanics-religion-faith-nones -5d41660590022b0a2323a6708a295c9a.

Manning, M. L., Baruth, L. G., & Lee, G. L. (2017). Multicultural education of children and adolescents (7th ed.,). Routledge.

Moslimani, M., Noe-Bustamante, L., Shah, S. (2023, August 16). Facts on Hispanics of Salvadoran origin in the United States, 2021. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/fact-sheet/us-hispanics-facts-on-salvadoran-origin-latinos/#:~:text=Salvadorans%20are%20the%20third%2Dlargest,from%20710%2C000%20to%202.5%20million.

Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., McDaniel, E.R., & Roy, C.S. (2017). Communication between cultures. (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Spring, J. H. (2020). Studentdiversity. In American education (18th ed., pp. 148–178). Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

Thornton, B. (2012, October 26). Melting pots and salad bowls. Hoover Institution. https://www.hoover.org/research/melting-pots-and-salad-bowls.

A Cultural Analysis of Fresh Off the Boat

James Murphy

Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies

University of Missouri - Kansas City

EDCI 5546-Intercultural Communications

Dr. Michael Wei

April 19, 2024

Abstract

Culture is everywhere and in everyone. Our culture is expressed through our appearance, our actions, the music we listen to, and the shows we watch. Culture is also expressed in the media, including books, movies, and television. We can learn a lot about a particular culture by studying these items. This paper investigates a show that ran for six seasons on ABC entitled Fresh off the Boat. It will discuss different elements of Chinese culture and how it is portrayed in the show. The topics discussed range from family values to cultural acculturation in a country that is not familiar to you.

Introduction

When it made its debut in 2015, the show Fresh off the Boat did something that hadn’t been done in 21 years: have a TV show centered around an all-Asian cast. Later on in its run, Chow (2019) reports that it became the longest-running sitcom about an Asian American family and the only one to eclipse over 100 episodes. The series, which ran from 2015-2020, focuses on the Huang family as they relocate from Chinatown in Washington D.C. to a very white area in Orlando, Florida. The family consists of the parents, Louis and Jessica Huang, the children, Eddie, Emery, and Evan Huang, and Louis’ mother, Jenny Huang. The TV show is loosely based on Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same name and uses excerpts from his life to show how the Huangs adjust to their radically different life in central Florida.

While Fresh off the Boat was a success in both its accolades and its ratings, its lasting impression will be its importance of representation of Asian American families in the media. Because of its success, actor Jeong (2019) tweeted, that the industry opened its doors for other Asian stories to be told, such as the series Dr. Ken or the movie Crazy Rich Asians. The show also allows us to peek into the lives of a typical Asian American family as they adjust to the dominant culture of the United States and all the difficulties that go with it. The following sections will examine different elements of the Huang family and traditional Chinese culture, including a portrayal of Chinese families, culture shock and accumulation, cultural adaptation and integration, nonverbal communication and social hierarchy, and traditional Chinese attitudes toward education.

Portrayal of Chinese Families

         The story of the Huangs and their relocation to Orlando, Florida goes against many general ideas of Chinese culture in the United States. Samovar et al. (2017) report that Chinese culture is centered around collectivism, especially within the family. Cutchlin (2019) further examines this claim, and notes how Chinese families that immigrate to the United States often settle in areas with a high population of Chinese, including places similar to Washington D.C.’s Chinatown. Collectivism was part of the Huang family as well. When the Huangs lived in Washington D.C., they were surrounded by family and people with a similar culture. When Louis breaks away from the family business to start a restaurant 800 miles away, it shows a shift in the family from collectivism to individualism as Louis is fulfilling his own version of the American Dream.

         Gender roles portrayed in Fresh off the Boat also differ from traditional roles in Chinese culture. Samovar et al. (2017) state that Chinese gender roles are influenced by Confucianism, and that men and women have distinct jobs within the family. Men are expected to be the dominant ones, while women are delegated to child-bearing duties. There’s even a Chinese saying that goes “strict fathers, kind mothers.” This is not the case in Fresh off the Boat. In fact, it is the exact opposite. While Louis is the breadwinner, he is not the dominant one in the family. It is clear early on that everyone in the family answers to Jessica. Even the employees at the restaurant answer her demands. Jessica is the one who forces the children into extra schooling and makes several important decisions in the early stages of the restaurant. While she does not have her own career at the beginning of the show, she goes on to have several successful ventures as the series progresses, including entering real estate and writing her own book.

While the idea of collectivism and traditional gender roles are not found in the show, one thing in regards to traditional Chinese families is true: the family’s respect and reverent attitude toward the elderly. Samovar et al (2017) mention how when Chinese families move to the United States, they still follow this custom of respect towards the elderly and would never place their parents in a nursing home. The family in the show has a high respect for Louis’ mother, Jenny Huang. Even though she is older and in a wheelchair, the family is sure to take care of her. She has her own bedroom in the home, forcing the two younger Huang sons to share a room. The same level of respect is shown towards Jessica’s mother.

In the episode “Success Perm,” Jessica’s sister comes to visit and brings her mother along, allowing the viewer to assume that the mother is still living with relatives. In the episode, the two sisters go above and beyond to earn their mother’s respect. Overall, the show does a fantastic job of highlighting the Chinese’s cultural attitude towards the elderly. 

Culture Shock and Acculturation

         In the pilot episode, the Huangs are in the process of moving to Orlando. Louis has already been there for six months, but the show starts with the rest of the family relocating. In Washington D.C.’s Chinatown, they were surrounded by people whose culture was similar to their own. Even though the entire family speaks English, many aspects of their lives, including what they eat and where they shop, are embedded in Chinese practices. They are now forced to adapt to the majority culture around them as they do not have anyone who closely resembles them.  While Omaye (2015) reports that the Asian population in Florida was one of the fastest growing in the 2000s, the time period in which the show is set showcases a neighborhood that is overwhelmingly white.

The show’s main character in the first season, 11-year-old Eddie, appears to be the family member who would have the easiest time adjusting to his cultural surroundings. The viewer learns that Eddie already listens to hip-hop music and loves American sports like basketball. The viewer assumes he is going to have an easy time making friends when he is invited over to eat lunch with a group of boys. However, when he opens his lunch, the kids are grossed out by his traditional Chinese meal and he is forced to eat outside with the janitor. Eddie is the first character that the viewers witness to experience culture shock.

         Culture shock happens when someone experiences difficulties and frustrations of living and communicating in a new culture. According to Samovar et al. (2017), there are four stages of culture shock: the honeymoon stage, the disillusionment/culture shock stage, the recovery stage, and the adjustment/effective functioning stage. Up until lunchtime, Eddie was living in the honeymoon stage. However, when his embarrassment over his lunch happened, he realized how difficult it was going to be to live in this new culture. To cope, he lashes out at his mother and demands that she take him to the grocery store to buy Lunchables. His recovery period happens when he realizes that in order to fit in, he needs to eat similar foods that his classmates are eating. While there are some bumps in the road, the season progresses with Eddie entering the adjustment/effective functioning stage and beginning to feel comfortable in his new environment.

         Like Eddie, the mother Jessica also experiences culture shock upon moving to Orlando. In the pilot episode, she experiences the vast differences between the American grocery store to the Chinese markets in Washington D.C. She struggles to fit in with the neighborhood wives, not understanding their enjoyment of rollerblading and the show Melrose Place. In the episode, “The Shunning,” Jessica begins to become acclimated with the neighborhood wives only to experience culture shock when she realizes that no one is eating the traditional Chinese food that she prepared. Her level of culture shock fits the stress-adaptation-growth dynamic, which highlights culture shock as a continuous cycle that becomes smaller and more manageable over time as the person becomes more culturally competent. By the end of season one, Jessica appears to have fully integrated into her surrounding culture and experiences little to no culture shock.

Cultural Adaptation and Integration

         The entire premise of the first season of Fresh off the Boat is how the Huang family culturally adapts and integrates themselves into their surroundings. At the beginning of the show, the Huangs are practicing what Samovar et al (2017) state is Minority Identity Development. They have been entrenched in their own personal culture, and now they are attempting to identify with the majority culture around them. The pilot episode shows how the younger sons, Evan and Emery, are able to integrate seamlessly, while Eddie and Jessica struggle to integrate. Jessica is reluctant and wants to go back to her family in Washington D.C. By the end of the third episode, however, Jessica is starting to embrace the majority culture around her and finds herself becoming more comfortable in her surroundings. She has reached the Conformity stage, which is the second stage of Minority Identity Development.

In the finale of season one, entitled “So Chineez,” we see a major switch in Jessica’s attempt to integrate with the culture around her. While out to dinner, friends of the Huangs mention to Jessica and Louis that they had forgotten that they were Chinese. The Huangs had integrated so well into their surrounding culture that they had abandoned their own. While Louis seems ok with this realization, Jessica enters the Resistance and separation state of Minority Identity Development. She attempts to reject the majority culture that they had become accustomed to and embrace her Chinese heritage. She wears traditional Chinese clothing, cooks traditional Chinese meals, and forces the family to remove their shoes while in the home. She even encourages the family to speak more Mandarin while at home. By the end of the episode, however, she begins to enter the Integration stage of her development. She takes pride in the fact that she is Chinese while also appreciating the customs of her surrounding culture, including Stephen King novels, Melrose Place, and mac and cheese.

While Samovar et al (2017) don’t discuss the Minority Identity Development model as looping, the show sometimes focuses on Huang’s continual attempts to conform, resist, or integrate into the culture around them. The season four episode entitled “Ride the Tiger” shows some members of the family attempting to speak only Mandarin, as Jessica realizes that the entire family is losing their ability to speak the language. In the season three episode titled “Coming from America,” the family takes a trip to Taiwan to attend the wedding of Louis’ brother. Jessica longs for her old life in Taiwan and wishes to separate herself from the American culture. However, she realizes that she no longer fits into the culture of Taiwan, as many of the individuals there realize that she acts more like an American. At the end of the episode, Louis and Jessica have entered the awareness/acceptance of the duality stage, realizing that they exist and can function in two different cultures, though they don’t feel like they truly belong in either one. They compare themselves to Patrick Swayze’s character in the movie Ghost, being stuck between two worlds, part of both, but not belonging to either.

Nonverbal Communication and Social Hierarchy

Societal hierarchy, according to Samovar et al. (2017), is an important element of Chinese culture. In fact, it is so important that it affects how individuals communicate with each other. The premise of Fresh off the Boat is based on this idea of societal hierarchy. Louis relocates his entire family from Washington D.C. to Orlando to further their economic status. In Washington D.C, he worked at a furniture store for Jessica’s brother-in-law. Louis was tired of the way his brother-in-law, Steve, communicated with him because of their difference in societal hierarchy. Steve treated him as a lesser person as he was the owner of the store and Louis was only a salesman for him. He flaunted his wealth in front of Louis and made him feel like less of a person. This is one of the reasons why Louis sets out to start a restaurant in Orlando.

         In the season one episode “Success Perm,” we see how communication plays out through societal hierarchy. Steve and his family come to visit the Huangs in Orlando. At this point, the restaurant is struggling. They haven’t made a profit since they opened, and the family is in major debt. Louis and Jessica want to appear like the decision they made has paid off, so they attempt to use nonverbal communication to appear wealthy. Nonverbal communication, as Samovar et al. (2017) point out, is a message that you want to send to the receiver that is not done verbally. Sometimes, nonverbal communication can be unintentional, but in the Huang family’s case, their nonverbal message that they were wealthy, no matter how false, was intentional. 

         To send the nonverbal mirage that they are wealthy, Louis and Jessica focus on their appearance. They decide to spend money that they don’t have on perms, as in their mind, a perm hairstyle equals success. But they don’t stop at just their attire: they go to other great lengths to act as if they’re successful. They arrange their home, which Samovar et al. (2017) mention is another form of nonverbal communication, to send the message that they have money. They force Emery and Evan to secretly sleep in the pantry to give the impression that they have enough bedrooms in the home to house everyone. Louis sets up a home office with a fax machine to give the appearance that the restaurant is so successful that he has to regularly work from home. When the family goes to eat at Louis’ restaurant, he attempts to try to fill the restaurant with customers by giving out food to give the message that the business is successful. Steve and his family attempt to highlight their wealth as well, as he too shows up with his own “success perm,” while his wife, Connie, shows off her new breast augmentation.

         Of course, as with any sitcom, the plan goes sideways, and the Huangs are forced to admit the restaurant is struggling. Louis is fully ready to accept the societal hierarchy that is prevalent in Chinese culture and have Steve treat him as a lesser class. However, in a change of events, Steve’s Miata, which he claims he bought new, is repoed. Both Steve and Louis admit to each other that they are struggling financially. As a result of their situations, Steve and Louis now have a greater understanding and respect for each other and treat each other as equals.  

Education

        There has long been a stereotype in the United States that those of Asian heritage excel in school. Manning et al. (2017) report that Asian parents help structure their children’s lives in order to be academically successful, and that a student’s poor grades meant that they were lazy. Samovar et al. (2017) discuss how Asian parents take the education of their children seriously and are involved in all facets of their child’s education. Fresh off the Boat does an excellent job of highlighting the approach that Asians take to their children's education and the pressures that Asian children often face from their parents.

In the episode “Home Sweet Home-School,” Huang et al. (2015-2020) start off the episode by showing Jessica, at a school meeting to discuss an unrelated incident about a drug dealer in the area, interrupting the principal to ask when report cards came out. The narrator then insinuates that Asian children were more afraid of having a bad report card than the drug dealer handing out drugs to children. While this humorous interaction incorrectly displays an Asian parent placing their child’s education ahead of their actual safety, it highlights the seriousness that an Asian parent places on the proper educational experience of their children.

Later in the episode, Eddie, Emery, and Evan present their report cards to Jessica. Jessica is confused and angered by Emery and Evan’s lack of letter grades on their report cards. Instead of a traditional letter grade, they received a report card full of random stickers, including leprechauns, rainbows, and clouds. Since Eddie is in middle school, he received traditional letter grades, and is elated to show his mother that he received straight A’s. Instead of being proud of him, Jessica goes to the principal to demand that school is too easy and to encourage the principal to make it more challenging so that Eddie doesn’t fall behind. When he didn’t provide any helpful suggestions, she asked if there was any extra school provided to the students and where the nearest CLC (Chinese Learning Center) was located.

         The Chinese Learning Center, which Cleo Yap (2015) states most students refer to as Saturday School, is a program where American-born Chinese students can learn Mandarin and Chinese culture. It is generally held after school or on Saturdays, hence the nickname. While it has traditionally been for students of Chinese heritage, today more and more non-Chinese students are taking part in these Chinese Learning Centers to become better prepared for the globalization of the business world. Cleo Yap went on to report that there are an estimated 300-400 million English learners in China, and 47% of Chinese students are exposed to English between the ages of three and six. Chinese Learning Centers hope to compete with Chinese students by exposing its students, both Chinese and non-Chinese, to Chinese culture.

         The show Fresh off the Boat does not portray Chinese Learning Centers this way. Instead, the show highlights these centers as an afterschool program where American Chinese children practice reading, math, science, and violin. The narrator insinuates that instead of enjoying childhood like their white counterparts, they are forced by their parents to get ahead in their learning. When the principal tells Jessica that there are no Chinese Learning Centers in the area and instead suggests an afterschool program with farm animals, Jessica takes things into her own hands and decides to start her own CLC. While the overall episode was a humorous portrayal of an Asian parent’s attitude toward the education of their children, it does highlight the great lengths that they will go to to ensure their child’s success in the classroom.

Conclusion

This paper focused on different episodes throughout the first season to highlight the Huangs as they adjusted to the culture that they had moved into. By the end of the first season, the Huangs seem to have adjusted and are beginning to acclimate. Several episodes in later seasons suggest that they are still integrating, but by the end of season four, the show focuses on topics that are similar to other sitcoms. This seems to suggest that the Huangs have fully integrated into the culture around them, and now the show can focus on more traditional American topics, such as family values, relationship issues, and traditional coming-of-age discussions. 

After a small selection of around fifteen episodes, we were able to get a small glimpse into the life of an Asian American family as they acclimate to a different culture. We examined the portrayal of the typical Asian American family, the different ways individuals react to culture shock, the cultural acculturation of the Huang family, nonverbal communication and social hierarchy in Asian culture, and the Asian approach to education. Even though the selection was small, I believe that there are many examples and more of the above topics throughout the entire series. It is suggested that one should view the entire series to fully celebrate Asian culture and all it has to offer.

References

Chow, C. (2019, November 12). Why ‘fresh off the boat’ was a game-changer. Andscape. https://andscape.com/features/why-fresh-off-the-boat-was-a-game-changer/

Cleo Yap, A. (2015, November 30). The changing face of America’s Chinese schools. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/11/chinese-schools-in- america /417027/.

Cutchin, J (2019, February 11). Why do Chinese nationals move to the US? USC Center on Public Diplomacy. https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/blog/why-do-chinese-nationals-move-us

Huang, E., Kasdan, J., Khan, N., Mar, M.\, McEwen, J. Heisler, K, & Kuhn, M. (Executive Producers). (2015-2020). Fresh off the Boat [TV series].20th Century Fox Television, ABC.

Jeong, K. (2019, November 8). Thank you so much @FreshOffABC for galvanizing the Asian-American community into a living breathing organism [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/kenjeong/status/1192866830106284032?s=20.

Manning, M. L., Baruth, L. G., & Lee, G. L. (2017). Asian American children and adolescents. In Multicultural education of children and adolescents (7th ed., pp. 118-143). Routledge.

Omaye, J (2015, February 1). New ABC sitcom focuses on Asian-American immigrants. Orlando Sentinel. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2015/01/12/new-abc-sitcom-highlights-asian- americans-in-central-florida/

Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., McDaniel, E.R., & Roy, C.S. (2017). Communication between cultures. (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Julie Myer

EDCI 5546 Intercultural Communication

October 10, 2018

Cultural Autobiography

I am from the Midwest of the United States; and the Midwest, particularly Kansas, is deep in my heart. As we say, “You can take the girl out of Kansas, but you can’t take Kansas out of the girl!” I was raised in Lawrence, so I was considered a city slicker until I got out of Kansas, where everyone considered me a hick because I was from Kansas. Being from the Midwest has made me love wide open spaces, strong wind, blue skies, beautiful sunsets, and all seasons. Life is comparatively laid back. People are friendly. Rain can make or break the economy. 

The most important person in the state of Kansas is a basketball coach. Lawrence is the liberal hotbed of a conservative state. I am not liberal enough for Lawrence nor conservative enough for Kansas, but when the Jayhawks play basketball, we are one. An Indian man and my father, who had never met each other, hugged like brothers when “we” won the national championship. Yes, “we.” I am not a graduate of KU, but our basketball team is “us” and “we.” The inventor of basketball was our first coach, and basketball is unquestionably part of our culture. Even Presidents know this about Kansas. 

Kansas and the Midwest have influenced me as a teacher. I was raised to be friendly to strangers and to smile at everyone. I know that you cannot make assumptions about someone because of the country they are from. While most of my friends in China thought all of America is like the coasts, I know that the heart of America is different. I know that not all my students from countries that I see on the news will live in the environment I have seen or live the life I have been shown. I appreciate that sports can be deeply important to a culture. In the Midwest, we are just common folk, and we welcome you, but you will have to take us as we are. 

I was born into a working class family. When I was born, my mother was 26 years old, and she already had a 2-year-old son as well as three daughters, ages 4, 5, and 6. My mother never worked outside the home. She stayed fully occupied taking care of her five children, who were all born within six and a half years. To support the family, my father worked two full-time jobs. One of his jobs was as a firefighter, working 24-hour shifts. He got off work at 7:00 am, came home to change clothes and eat quickly, and went to his next job. 

This family atmosphere taught me to work hard and to do as much as I could to take care of myself. Admittedly, as the youngest, I had the least responsibility. However, my mother could not keep up the entire house, do laundry and dishes, and manage every bit of housework for our family by herself. From the youngest ages, we children learned to help with housework. We also had no expectation that my parents would buy us anything extra from what we needed. We had a good life, and we had nice birthday and Christmas gifts, but we lived within my dad’s income. We were taught three words: work, money, buy. In that order. Debt was not an option. Even though my parents did not graduate from college, we knew we would, and we knew we would pay our own way through school. Even in elementary school, we started helping my dad at his second job, and we started earning (and saving!) money through odd jobs from a very young age.

My upbringing in a working class family has influenced the way I teach and interact with students. I value education as necessary to establish a career and survive. I feel responsibility to help students prepare for a career. In China I taught students who were much more financially secure than I was, so I felt an intensity that the students, who had a very strong safety net, did not feel. I am currently teaching students who have a similar need to get as much as possible out of their education for their survival. I understand their need, and I also want to help them feel confident and hopeful about their future instead of anxious. 

My family is White, and growing up, being white meant nothing to me. My neighborhood was white, but there were no children my age, so I played mainly with my siblings. I went to a one-room school that grew into a two-room school, so I had a very small circle of friends. In high school, I home schooled. My parents’ best friends adopted to boys who were Filipino and Black. I grew up with these two, but I never thought about the difference in race. I do not remember realizing that they or anyone else looked different from me. When I was in high school and started working at a hotel, I interacted daily with people of various races. I did not notice any friction, awkwardness, or difference interacting with them than with anyone else I knew. I do not remember race being a factor in my thought processes until I moved to China. I experienced life there as a minority race in a very homogenous country. 

I never knew how my being White shaped me until I started working at a state university. I started hearing about privilege. Due to my socioeconomic class, I did not feel privileged. I felt that I had to work hard for everything I got. I worked hard to pay my way through college. But through trainings, professional development, personal conversations, and classes at UMKC, I have learned more about the ways that being White has made my life easier than it could have been as a minority. The things I have learned here and as a minority in China help me better understand some of the challenges my students face. Being an ESL teacher, every one of my students will be a minority. The things I have learned in China and in my career since China have also made me more aware of offenses that my students might be dealing with frequently.

Samovar et al. (2015) state that ethnicity “is derived from a sense of shared heritage, history, traditions, values, similar behaviors, geographical area of origin, and in some instances, language” (p. 250). Based on this definition, my ethnicity is American, or it could be stretched to being English. Although my ancestry is a mix of German, Swedish, and a hundred other backgrounds, I feel no sense of shared heritage, history, or anything else with Sweden or Germany. I do not know their histories or cultures, and I hate sauerkraut! (Most of my family likes it, and this is our only remainder of German heritage.) My biological descent did not shape who I am now; or if it did, I do not know what parts of my culture are due to German and Swedish influence. 

Because American history is rooted in England and because of reading and studying so much British literature, I feel some sense of shared heritage with England. However, America was established by declaring that it is not England. I understand that England and the US have a lot of shared history, traditions, and values, but I do not feel a sense of connection with any other ethnicity or country, except China, where I lived as an adult for 11 years. 

In China, I learned quite a bit about the ethnic identity the Chinese maintain no matter where they emigrate to and no matter how many generations they live outside China. I thought at that time this characteristic was unique to China because no one I knew back in the US, White or Black, ever referred to ethnic identities with our ancestral countries of origin. As I have had more exposure to different people after returning to the US, I am starting to realize that the Chinese are not the only ones that feel that tie. 

Living in China for so long, I felt that to some extent I had become Chinese. I changed ways of thinking and some of my values. I changed my living habits and tastes, and I learned their language. Even though I felt a deep connection to China and lost a lot of my “American-ness,” the Chinese never accepted me in any way as one of them. I was always an outsider and foreigner, to be treated with honor as a guest, but not to be treated as one of the family. This experience will help me remember to let students decide how much or how little they identify with America. I need to understand their ties to their ethnic heritage as well as any new ties to their new home. I will respect their ethnic identities, and I am prepared to understand the mixed emotions of holding on to the old and the new, possibly never being fully understood either by those from their original ethnic group or those of the host location. 

I am bilingual with English as my primary language. My second language is Chinese, and I speak very limited Cantonese. Being born into an English-speaking family has paved the way for me to communicate with a large number of people around the world and has smoothed many processes for me. Additionally, speaking Chinese has helped in many practical ways, both in China and in the US. I was able to establish a career when I returned to the US partially due to my Chinese language ability. Knowing Chinese also gives me some level of prestige with monolingual Americans and also with people from other countries, who sometimes believe all Americans are monolingual. It is expected for the rest of the world to speak at least two languages, but if an American speaks a second language, people seem to be impressed! 

Learning another language has taught me much about ways of thinking as well as the difficulty of learning a language. I am a better English teacher because I have studied another language. I know that people approach situations and problems from different angles, and I can adjust my thought processes to try to understand others. I have a better understanding of the amount of effort involved in learning a language and how much can be learned in a certain amount of time. I understand embarrassments and frustrations due to learning a language. I understand miscommunication and living in a country that does not use your first language. Simple life tasks are challenging, and you can feel like a child. You cannot express how intelligent you really are. This is key to making me a better teacher. It is easy to think someone is not intelligent because they are not communicating their ideas. Having learned another language, I remember that there can be great intelligence even when it cannot yet be expressed in my language.

I am non-disabled. I have not experienced the challenges of that disabilities bring, and I have not had the experience of teaching disabled students. This background could make me less aware of the feelings and needs of disabled students until I have more experience. My brother became disabled in his adult years, so I have some family experience that will help me start to understand my students’ needs better. 

I excel in academics, but I am unsure as to whether I would be considered gifted. My small private school did not have gifted classes or separate classes or aids for students with learning disabilities. We were all “just normal students,” as far as any of us realized. I was an education major in my undergraduate studies at college. My professor frequently said that C students make the best teachers. I was worried that I would not be a good teacher because I would be too demanding and not patient with students. I have not found that to be my experience in my teaching career, however. I have found that I still appreciate and respect students who do not do well academically. I enjoy helping them reach their full potential and encouraging them to reach their potential and not another person’s potential or expectations for them. I know the stress of feeling like I needed to be good enough academically both to receive approval and to survive life. This desire for approval and need to do well enough for school help me sympathize with students who are not performing as well as they would like. I am prepared to help them understand that they are valuable as they are, and I am also prepared to help them go as far forward as they can. 

I remember the day, when I was 35, that I was first referred to as middle-aged! I thought that middle age would start at least at 40, and I thought I was still young. By either standard, I am middle-aged, turning 41 this month. Most people usually do not think I am as old as I am, possibly because I look young or because I am single and childless. My name, Julie, means youthful spirit, and I feel young at heart. I have had arthritis since I was in junior high, and I have worn glasses since second grade. Maybe having these experiences early is part of the reason I have not noticed a significant change in physical abilities yet. I feel as healthy and strong as I have ever felt, or actually better since my arthritis is more under control than when I was younger. I currently teach students ranging from the age of 18 to older than myself. Because of my lifestyle (single, college student), I can still relate to the younger ones in many ways. Because of my age, I can relate to the older ones, too. It is somewhat awkward to be an “old maid,” as they used to say. Single people are often young enough to be my children and are usually at a completely different stage of life. People my age usually constantly talk about their children and even grandchildren! They generally have a completely different lifestyle, centered around their family. However, as I slowly move toward a caretaker role for my parents, I am starting to have a common experience with others my age. Because I feel young but have several years of experience, I am able to appreciate the enthusiasm of youth that some of my students will be feeling and the various feelings of preparing for their future, as well as benefiting from insight that comes from experience. Life experience in general as well as being a college student at the age of 40 in particular will also help me support and encourage older students that I teach. 

I am female, and I was raised with a biblical view of the roles of men and women in general and of husband and wife in the home. Some would be surprised at the rights and independence the Bible provides for women, but most modern American women would reject some of the responsibilities and roles the Bible outlines for women. My mixed background of growing up with a biblical view of femininity as well as my exposure to modern American thinking and ways of living has prepared me to understand a wide range of student backgrounds. I believe it is also my femininity that makes me desire to nurture my students.

I usually try to avoid explaining my sexual orientation because I have not yet found a way to describe myself that people understand. Many people think that since I have remained single, I am lacking many traditional female characteristics. For example, I am not expected to be able to cook well. I have also been asked if I am homosexual because I do not have a boyfriend or husband. While there are other words that could be used, I choose to identify myself with the biblical term “eunuch.” In the New Testament, Jesus said, “For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:12). I was born a eunuch. From the time my mother explained to me the way of men and women, I knew that was not for me. I enjoy my life greatly as a single female, even though I am often misunderstood. I consider this characteristic a gift. As my faith has taught me to hold certain values about gender and sexual orientation, being a eunuch has prepared me to better understand students with LGBTQIA orientations. 

I am a Protestant Christian. This aspect of my culture has had the deepest impact on who I am. It shapes my view of class distinctions and work; the way I view and treat people from different races and ethnicities and how I perceive my own race; and the way I fulfil my role as a female and the way I understand my sexuality (or lack thereof). My faith motivated me to learn Chinese and helped me though the process. It guides me in how I view my abilities in some areas and lack of abilities in others. It teaches me how to live in every stage of life. My faith leads me in deciding where to live and work. My faith influences my daily habits, my mental health, my choices for physical health, my relationships, my use of time, my ethics, and every single aspect of my life. 

With such a significant impact on who I am, my faith will necessarily greatly impact my teaching. The Bible teaches us to love everyone, just like God loves us (John 13:34) and to consider others as better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). There are many things the Bible says that influence me as a teacher but these two references sum the whole—I will love and respect my students. Everything else falls under that. If I care about them and respect them, I will do my best to prepare high quality lessons. I will teach and evaluate with integrity. The fruit of God’s Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). The greater the influence my faith has on my teaching, the better I will be as a teacher. 

Reference

Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., McDaniel, E. R., & Roy, C. S. (2015). Communication between cultures (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. 

Afnan Alahmari 

EDCI 5546

Cultural Autobiography

Class, race, ethnicity, gender/sexual orientation, language, religion, exceptionality, age, and geography are nine microculture factors that have contributed profoundly to shaping my identity. These factors affect an individual's identity differently. It depends on an individual's historical background and social experiences. In this paper, I will share my own experiences according to the nine microculture. Besides, as I'm strongly tied to my identity as a daughter and granddaughter, I will also reflect on my parent's nuclear family and extended family. 

Class

I was born and raised in an upper-middle-class family. This class in Saudi Arabia is usually for educated people in specific majors such as doctors, engineers, officers. People among this class usually do not face any significant financial issues. Thus, they are able and eager to provide a good education for their kids. Saudi upper-middle-class families tend to have nice summer vacations abroad not only for entertainment purposes but also for educational purposes. So, each summer we used to choose the country we would visit based on its culture, historical sites, and museums. Also, this class knows for being more careful when it comes to their diet and eating habits. Until today it is prohibited in my parent's house to eat fast food at home, so when I was a teenager, I was sneaking out with my friends just to have a McDonald's meal without my parents knowing that. However, now my husband and I are both students. We receive monthly financial supports from our families, so we are considered in a middle-class range. 

Race and Ethnicity

Saudi Arabia initially consisted of many tribes and immigrants, mostly from other Arab countries. My grandfather and my father always emphasize that we should know more about our race and ancestors, so I identify myself as Arab, Southern Saudi, Bedouin from Alahmari tribe. My last name is related to my hometown. Usually, last names or names of tribes are associated with hometown names, so everybody that has Alahmari as the last name is originally from the same hometown, which is Bellahmer. Alahmari is composed of three major tribes, Almajnab, Almohammed and Nazlah. I am from Nazlah tribe. Also, we were taught to know our full names. My name is documented back to Noah. I know my names till my 16th grandfather, Afnan Mohammed Dhafer Ouath Dhafer Mathker Dhafer Hlees Jethref Salim Ghramah Ghetheer Bheesh Bjad Nahid bin Ojain bin Yasba bin Yam.

Gender/Sexual Orientation

 I am a heterosexual female. Values and traditions in Saudi society are lines no one can cross. Thus, gender role in our masculine society is strict. However, women's role in Saudi went through many stages. The main ones are, at the very beginning, the only job women can work in is to be a submissive wife and good mother and take on all household responsibilities. Gradually, women could work in particular jobs such as, teaching. However, they still have to take care of all the household. Nowadays, things are changing in our society. Awareness of gender roles has been increased. However, we still have this issue in some houses. Thus, I am trying to establish my own rolls in my house. Not following some of the traditional ways in raising my kids or dealing with my husband. So, as a mom of two boys and a master's student, my husband and I are doing everything together. We have a cleaning schedule, we both take care of the kids, etc.   

Language

Generally, I speak two languages. My first language is Arabic and my second language is English. There are differences between sedentary and Bedouin's way of talking. However, I don’t talk exactly as Bedouins, but I used to listen to it. Bedouins usually teach their kids the importance of their dialect through their literature and poetry. Also, it is related to maintaining their identity among other tribes. It contributes to enhance and strengthen my formal Arabic more. In addition, I was exposed to the English language from the early stages, but I still have not fully mastered it. My conversational English is better than academic and formal English. I realized huge improvement in my English since we have moved to the U.S.

Religion

 I am Muslim. My family is religious. Religion and culture are critical factors in Saudi society. However, some people value culture more. They mix between culture and religion, so they do not know if something is religiously or culturally forbidden. For me, I'm trying to not mix between them. If there is something allowed in the religion, but prohibited just because of the culture, I do not mind doing it. I really appreciate my culture, heritage and traditions but I adopt only what fit in my religion. As an EFL/ESL future teacher, I have to be open-minded, especially when it comes to religion and beliefs.

Exceptionality

Personally, I do not have any exceptionality. As a future teacher, I have read a lot about it. Therefore, I have to take into consideration all types of students in my class. Some of these exceptionalities need special care in order to enhance and improve them, such as giftedness. Gifted students need to have something challenging them. They do not feel engaged in regular class activities. However, in some other types of exceptionalities such as speech/language impairment, teachers should double the effort of being patient, helpful, and supportive. Also, she/he has to create a pleasant environment for these students to be more confident and feel accepted. In addition, teachers should be more familiar of these kind of exceptionalities by keeping in touch with the students’ parents in order to provide the best for students. 

Age

I am almost 26-year-old. I was complaining that I had very busy early 20's to my parents. My dad shed light on thinking about age positively. He told me that "you have checked many things in your checklist at a very early age, which is a great accomplishment. So you have plenty of time to do more." Then, he got mad a little bit and said, "Hey, do not think about age that way.” From that conversation I had with my dad, I literally changed my way of thinking about age. Thus, no matter what my age is, I will keep doing what I like, improving myself, and learning more about my career. 

Geography

Because of my father's job, we used to live in many places. First, I was born and lived in the Southern region of Saudi Arabia, which is originally the place I'm from. It was the most extended period we lived in one place. We lived in King Khaled Air Base. It is like a compound. Everything was in it, such as supermarkets, a hospital and schools. Usually, we spent the weekends at my grandparents' house, so I did not have the chance to explore the southern region that much. Then, we moved to Riyadh, and it was the same. We lived in two different bases. Also, I lived in the U.S.A three times with my family. When I was five years old, we lived for one and a half years in Montgomery, Alabama. Also, I lived in Virginia and Washington DC with my family. When I got married, we moved to Boston for two years and then London for almost two years. Then, we moved to Lawrence, Kansas. Lastly, we are living here in Overland Park, Kansas. I do not have any idea where we will go next. 

Conclusion

Because of my cultural background, at the beginning of writing this paper, I could not write anything. I felt I could talk about each category in just one word. We do not usually share this kind of information about ourselves with everyone. So, I spent more time thinking about it and going deep in details. Eventually, I expressed myself in each category relaying my cultural background, and as I see myself personally. I'm glad that I had this chance to break the wall and share this information about myself with everyone. 

As a future teacher, I will create an environment where students can talk about themselves without any constraints. I will encourage them to talk about these factors confidently. Therefore, students will respect and accept each other more if they have the chance to be exposed and know more about their peers’ cultural background.

Shannon Dunn

EDCI 5546

12/5/2019

Cultural Interview Report

            Understanding others’ diverse experiences and situations is critical in intercultural communication. Everyone has a different story, so being sensitive and open to diverse experiences is invaluable to bridging gaps between people from different cultures. This paper reports a personal interview with Sima (personal interview, November 15, 2019), in which she relayed her perspective on her demographics, immigration status, family and values, first and current impressions of America, and cultural adjustment. Sima (pseudonym) is a personal friend; however, at the time of the interview, we had only met twice in large group settings, so we were not close friends.

Demographics

            Sima is a 31-year-old female living in Olathe, Kansas. She was born in Libya, which is a country in northern Africa. She can trace her family’s heritage throughout Libya and Egypt back to about 450CE. Her extended family lives in Al Khums, which is a 45-minute drive east of Libya’ capital, Tripoli. Al Khums is a mid-size urban city on the Mediterranean Sea. While its beaches attract higher socioeconomic status families, she considers her family as lower-middle class. She shared that her father has a bachelor’s degree and is a low-level chemical engineer in a factory that produces household cleaners. Her mother, who is a housewife, is a high school graduate. Her native language is Arabic; however, she noted that the Libyan dialect has a lot of French influence, which slightly affects vocabulary and highly affects accent in comparison to the standard Arabic dialect. Libya’s most practiced religion is Islam, which is Sima’s religion. While Islam permeates social practices, it does not set legal precedence in the country (not Sharia Law).

            As for Sima’s education, she attended public schools from first grade until her second to last year of secondary school. For the last two years of high school, her parents placed her in a private school that focused on college readiness and English language learning. Sima expressed that the difference between the rigor in public versus this private school was extreme. Since public schools were not well funded and not nationally organized, school’s curriculum was based on what materials teachers had available and the teachers’ personal preferences. While she graduated high school before the beginning of Libya’s civil war in 2014, she said that the governmental constraints on education were already present, which was the major reason her parents decided to transfer her to a private school. From 2007-2010, she studied her undergraduate degree in English literature at Al-Mergib University, and after graduating, she started working for a local bank as a document translator. After a year of working, she returned to university to get a second bachelor’s in business management. While higher education is free in Libya, there is a limit of one bachelor’s degree per citizen. Therefore, Sima paid tuition to attain her second bachelor’s degree, which took her two years to complete while still working part time. This degree enabled her to get a better position at the bank as a loan manager, which she did for the year prior to immigrating to America. 

Immigration Status

            Sima’s immigration status is very complex. She initially came to the United States because she got married to an American; however, she entered the USA on a student visa (F-1). She explained that marriage visas take a long time to process in the American embassy in Libya because of governmental conflicts between the two countries. Therefore, she applied for both a marriage and a student visa as a way to hedge her options. She said she was extremely worried at the time because two days after her wedding, the American travel ban to and from Libya was instated. She was extremely surprised and relieved when her F-1 visa was issued during this ban, and she and her husband were cleared to fly back to America. After being in America for some time, she realized that her visa paperwork went through while the travel ban was being challenged by the Supreme Court, which temporarily suspended the enforcement of the ban. She is currently in the English language program at Johnson County Community College and will complete the last level this semester. She is planning to start her master’s in business administration if it is still required to keep her legal status in America. While she is fine with being a student, she really wants to be able to work and contribute to her household without being restrained by the student visa requirements. Her husband has sponsored her paperwork for a K-1 marriage visa; however, the process is long and expensive, so between having to pay tuition to keep her legal F-1 status and paying for their personal expenses, saving up funds to process their marriage paperwork is taking time. Once she is legally able, she plans to quit school and find a job in business to support her household. Moreover, she is warry to visit her family in Libya because she is afraid she will be barred from returning to the United States. She said that she and her family understand this problem and feel it is the safest option for her not to travel back to Libya until the travel ban is completely eliminated or she has the American nationality. 

Family and Values

            Sima described her family (parents and siblings) in Libya as very liberal for the area. She is the second oldest of four siblings. She has one older sister and a younger brother and sister. She expressed that her father was tough on her and her sisters, especially when it comes to their education and professional opportunities. In Libya, if women do not have higher education, it is difficult for them to find jobs with livable wages; therefore, Sima said that her dad urged them to be financially independent in case something happens to him or within their future marriages. While her family is quite liberal in their views of female roles, they are still a conservative Muslim family. Sima was not allowed to date or interact personally with men outside of her immediate family, which is normal in Islamic-dominant cultures. The way she met her husband was very unique.

            Sima met her husband online through LinkedIn. Even though he lived in America his entire life, Sima’s husband (Alex, pseudonym) is half Libyan on his father’s side. His father immigrated from Libya to America with his parents as a teenager and stressed the importance of their Libyan culture throughout his life, so Alex decided to marry a Libyan woman. While in America, he contacted her through LinkedIn and asked if she was interested in getting married, to which she replied with her father’s information. After two months, Alex went to Libya to meet Sima and they got married. Sima and Alex now live with Alex’s parents while they save money for Sima’s visa and a house. 

            Sima feels odd living with her in-laws. While she says they are nice and accommodating, it is difficult for her to not run her own house. Also, she can tell that her mother-in-law is not content about their financial status. Sima expressed that living with extended family is normal in Libya, especially for financial benefits, such as saving up to buy a house or attending college. However, since Alex grew up in America, he and his parents have a more Western mindset of anti-cohabitation of married couples. Sima says she feels her in-laws do not feel completely comfortable with their living situation, but they understand the necessity for now. 

            As for Sima’s family values, she feels torn between Alex’s and her family values. While Alex’s family is conservative for America, it is not in Libya. For example, Sima explained that her father was a strict man, and that she and her siblings had to follow what he suggested for them. Specifically, Sima’s father pushed her to study English literature even when she did not want to. He thought that would give her the most professional opportunities; however, her second bachelor’s degree was what provided her with better job prospects than her degree in English. Now that Sima is married, her father’s influence on her personal life is diminished. She said that while she enjoys the process of making her own decisions and following through on them, she also feels that in some cases, she does not know best and wishes that the right decision could be made for her. Specifically, she talked about her experience with buying a house. Currently, Alex and Sima are looking to buy a house, and with such a big decision, Sima expected her in-laws to be more assertive and helpful in the process; however, they are very vague with their advice. Oppositely, her parents are always asking for pictures of their potential houses and asking a lot of questions and suggesting which is better, even when they are so far removed from the physical location. Overall, Sima expressed that her parents’ persistence in offering their opinions is an indicator of how much they care about her and her husband’s happiness. Even though she knows her in-laws also want them to be happy, she is not used to their mentality and how they show their concerns. 

First and Current Impressions of America

            Sima’s first impression of America was one of relief. She was happy to think of America as her home, especially since Libya is still in turmoil since the beginning of their civil war in 2014. She noted that one of her first impressions was a fallacy, which was that Americans were a lot more modest than what media portrayed. However, she realized this was because she came to America in the middle of December when the weather forced people to cover up more. She realized this impression was false specifically when she went on a weekend trip with her husband to Oklahoma City at the beginning of Spring that year and saw how people dressed when the weather was warmer. She said that this experience completely changed her mind about what kind of clothes she perceived as appropriate at a given time of the year. Specifically, she said that during the winter, she would just wear a toboggan with a thick scarf around her neck instead of a full hijab because it covered the same and was more aligned with what Americans were wearing; however, once spring came, she realized she could not dress that way all year round. While this was not such a big deal for her, she felt more pressured to find modest outfits that did not seem too oddly out of place in hot weather.

Currently, her impressions of America a still positive, but she said that some social experiences showed her that not everyone in America is kind. She cited one example from when her and her husband went out to eat in Kansas City and someone yelled Islamic slurs at them. Even though she feels these kinds of people are few and far between, she is more aware that experiences like this could happen, so she tries to stay mentally prepared for them when she goes out. On a more positive note, she expressed how much she liked the organization of governmental process in America. She said that in Libya, if she needed anything done with the government, the process was hard to navigate. For example, when her and her husband got married in Libya, they had to register their marriage differently because he is not a Libyan citizen. She said that to register their marriage, they went to a governmental office every day, all day for two weeks. Each day, they would go to check the status of their documents, and the worker would give them more forms to fill out and request more personal documents, which she expressed was a strategy that the governmental workers use not to do their jobs. They never knew if a form was really needed or if the workers were trying to delay their request under the guise of not having all the information that was required. At the end, she even realized that their marriage was fully registered two days before they were notified, and they were still filling out forms during those two days. She really stressed on her delight with how in America, these kinds of governmental processes have been set in stone: they ask for specific information and you provide it with payment, and they complete the process promptly. She stated that even when the process is long, such as the process she is currently going through to get a K-1 visa, at least she knows the steps and where she stands in the process and can hold the workers accountable for filing and processing their information in a timely manner. 

Cultural Adjustment

            Sima came to America in late 2017, so she has just completed two years in the country. While she speaks English fluently because of her undergraduate degree, her husband and father-in-law also spoke her native Arabic dialect. She said this really helped her feel completely understood in complex situations. Since Alex’s dad strongly embraces his ethnicity, he is connected with the Libyan community in the Kansas City area, so while Sima has American friends, there is still a connection to her culture through the Libyans she has met here. While she expressed going through culture shock, she said that her husband and in-laws have been really supportive. After being in America for about seven months, Sima said that she just felt odd and out of place; however, being a student kept her busy and her husband and in-laws were very supportive at that time. She expressed that her father-in-law’s Libyan influence has really been a helpful in acculturating. While she is learning and adopting some aspects of American culture and redefining her identity, she still feels true to herself because of her husband’s initial ties to those similar core values that are rooted in Libyan culture and Islamic practices. 

In terms of religion, Sima said that she had some hard time adjusting her religious practices to her American lifestyle. While Libya does not use Islamic law as its governmental base, the society is still very sensitive to Islamic practices. For example, Sima said that in her part of town, the athan (call for prayer) could be heard throughout the district. This shows that religion is a heavy influence on social life. Practicing Islam in America made Sima reevaluate which parts of her religious practice were strictly religious and which were influenced by the culture of the Islamic-dominant society in Libya. Even now, she still expresses her cognitive dissonance with some daily practices that she feels are necessary. For example, she grew up with an understanding that when she was going somewhere, her father had to be explicitly aware of where she was. Even as a working adult, she made sure that her father knew when she was leaving for work, coming home, stopping for errands, going out with friends, and etcetera. This meant that at the time she was leaving for work, she had to call her father and explicitly tell him she was going to work, which he had to approve. This is a common practice in Muslim families as the fathers are seen as the protectors of their children, especially over their daughters. Not only did Sima perceive this practice as part of her father’s role as her guardian, but she also saw it as a practice of respect towards her parents and a practice of personal responsibility and accountability. Moreover, she sees it as a sign of respect towards her husband and his responsibilities towards her. However, in American life, she understands that this practice is impractical. Specifically, Sima leaves for school while her husband is at work, so he is not always available to express that he is aware that she is leaving for school. With that understanding, Sima and Alex have agreed on a system that works for them. They take time specifically each day to go over the next day’s schedule, so they know what each other will be doing the next day. When something outside of the schedule happens, they text each other. While Sima said it is silly, she expressed that she still feels anxious to leave the house without explicitly telling someone.

Overall, Sima expressed that she was adjusting to American culture as needed for her current situation, like with her in-laws and at school. She expressed her concern with work culture as she felt that American professionalism has its own culture that she will have to adjust to when she is employed, but she is optimistic about her future life with her husband here in America. 

James Howard

Dr. Michael Wei

EDCI 5546

8 December 2010

Cultural Interview: 

Learning from Sunil Aggarwal

            For this course’s final project, I decided to sit down with a student who is a non-native speaker who immigrated to the United States from Ahmedabad, India in 2001.  Sunil Aggarwal, a 17-year-old junior at Flagship High School who is perfectly fluent in English and has no detectable accent, said that for the most part, he doesn’t feel that much different from other students, but he is keenly aware that he is a very distinct minority in the sea of non-Indian students at our school.  At first, he didn’t seem to want to share his story—perhaps it is because we don’t know each other very well, or maybe because he’s never really spoken about the subjects we discusses.  Our hour-long chat covered a number of topics including peer pressure, family pressure, stereotypes, educational expectations, ethnic identity and future goals and plans.  All in all, Sunil seemed to be a good choice to collaborate with, as his experiences are generally similar to those students we’ve examined this semester from different ethnic backgrounds from his.

            Sunil is an honor student at Flagship who excels academically, particularly in science and math courses.  He is the only Indian student in the building, and he said that at times, he feels different, but usually he feels that others treat him with courtesy and respect.  He said that he feels his teachers seem to expect more from him, partly because of his father’s involvement in his parent-teacher relationship, and partly because teachers know his capabilities.  He said he feels real pressure to excel academically, and he takes his studies very seriously.  He said that teachers are supportive, but other students sometimes label him as a geek because he wants to be successful in class.  

            He admits that his academic drive is a direct result of pressure from his parents.  He also said that he can see by interacting with other Indian-American adults, that other Indian students share the same feeling of high expectation from parents.  He said that his father would be extremely upset and disappointed, if not embarrassed, if his grade card didn’t reflect all A’s.  In fact, Sunil said that he received one B last year in World History, and, perhaps the pun was intended, he said, “My dad treated me like it was the end of the world.”  Sunil also acknowledges that his drive has become internalized.  He now says that he wants to excel because he wants to become a doctor and attend the University of Kansas.  

            Sunil’s father, Kamlesh, and his mother, Shilpa, are also very involved with his teachers at school, and have been so since they arrived nearly ten years ago.  “They go to every open house, every conference, everything,” he said.  After my interview, I spoke with a colleague about Sunil, and she affirmed that she has had numerous encounters with the parents, particularly Mr. Aggarwal.  She said that between the two, the father always spoke, while the mother followed his lead, and said nothing.  She said that she saw examples of Mr. Aggarwal speaking extremely sternly with his son, indicative of extremely high academic standards.  Sadly, she also said that she had an experience last year where Sunil actually cheated on his coursework for English.  When she met with Mr. Aggarwal about this issue, she was certain that physical punishment ensued, and that Sunil hardly raised his eyes again after that incident.  

            According to our text, Asian American parents structure their children’s lives more for academic success than Caucasian parents do (Baruth, L. & Manning, M., 2009, p. 128 ). Sunil said that sometimes he feels that he’s the only student at the school whose parents care about grades.  With a 4.2 grade point average, he’s in the top five students in his class.  He said he has to work extra hard to maintain his grades, but feels it will be in his best interest in the long run.  And, he said, it makes his parents happy.

            While Sunil says his parents push him educationally, they also put pressures on him in other ways.  He said they have very strict social rules, they still insist that he maintain his Hindi language, and he is expected to attend temple with the family weekly.  This is consistent with our studies that these types of behaviors are expected of Asian students, and he is no exception.  Sunil said that his dad conducts himself with a strong moral code, never drinking or smoking.  He said he would never even think about doing those things, even though he knows of his classmates who do this on a regular basis.  “My dad would kill me,” he said, “but that’s not the reason I wouldn’t do it.  I have his values now, and I’m sure I’ll pass those values to my children also.”  

            Socially, Sunil said he gets along very well with his American-born counterparts at the school, but outside of school, he doesn’t interact with them.  He said it’s because he sees himself too differently from them.  He said, “They have different ideas of what having fun is.”  While he said he likes the “white kids” and has no problem with them, he said he has many Indian friends from neighboring communities with whom he prefers to socialize with on a regular basis.  They play video games, go shopping, dine out, and attend Hindu related social activities sponsored by his temple, which is located across the state line in Kansas.  He said the other kids (American kids) are often about getting in trouble, talking about sex, drinking and doing things his parents would frown upon.  Therefore, he says he’s quite comfortable staying with members of his own racial and cultural background.  He said, “It’s just easier for me that way.”  He also added that he’d like to go to parties with his schoolmates, but his dad would never let him, fearful that it would only lead to trouble.

            He said that he’s just finally found enough Indian friends locally who share his passion of cricket, a highly popular sport in India.  He said that he knows very little about American football and baseball, but he is quite fond of cricket.  In fact, he said it’s the number-one thing he misses from his homeland.  Because of his lack of understanding of American sports, combined with the fact that his father said they’re too time consuming, he never joined up with the school teams.  He said he considered soccer, but just never joined.  So, now with his cricket buddies, he’s finally able to interact on a social team sport, and he says he loves it.

            Since we discussed religion, it is important to discuss Hinduism as it relates to this young man.  Sunil said that he’s honored to be a Hindu.  He said he doesn’t mind being surrounded by non-Hindu people, but he feels free to be what he wants to be in this country.  He acknowledged that he is aware that he is Hindu simply because of his parental and cultural upbringing, but he believes the tenets of that religion are similar to other religions, and he said that if he conducts his life in such a way, it will please God.  He said the family attends a temple in a makeshift school auditorium in Johnson County until they get a new one built.  He said it makes his proud to see more Indians and Indian-Americans coming to their place of worship weekly, knowing that good Hindu people are all over the Kansas City area, even though they’re not in Flagship.  

            Sunil said he feels that he doesn’t quite understand the Christian notion that only Christians are admitted to God’s Kingdom.  He said he believes that God is far more encompassing, and will reward all people who lead a good and just life, regardless of religion.  He said he avoids discussions with people of other faiths, because he said he often feels judged or ridiculed.  He said that arguing about religion is pointless, because the people who want to argue don’t really want to hear his opinion; they only want him to change his opinion.  He added that he thinks that while Christians and others are good people, but he doesn’t foresee ever converting to another religion because of his upbringing in Hinduism.  He jokingly said he doesn’t get Christmas gifts, but wouldn’t mind it if people surprised him with a new X-Box 360 game.

            He said that their family celebrates Hindu festivals and holidays, namely Diwali, a key festival of Hindu people celebrated in the fall.  This holiday celebrates the return of Lord Rama after being away to defeat the Demon King.  He said that it’s different to celebrate here, because he has to go to school and his parents have to go to work.  He said his family gets together with other families, light candles in commemoration of their Gods and bake candies and cakes for one another.  He said he’s never been able to explain how and why this holiday is so important to him, but he said he thinks of Diwali on Christmas day to try to understand what others might be celebrating.  He did say that he missed his extended family most during Diwali, but in general, he’s very happy living in America.

            That was not always the case for this young man.  Some nine years ago, this seven-year-old boy, with not a day’s lesson of English, was moved by his parents to a land that was extremely foreign to him.  He said his dad taught him some basics of English, including the alphabet, numbers, colors and basic phrases.  When his first day of second grade rolled around in Late August of 2001, he said it was the scariest moment of his life.  He said he’d never seen so many white kids in one place at one time, and recalls just wanting to leave.

            Sunil was placed in the ESL program where he said he met, mostly with Mexican students, for a couple hours daily.  He said that his teacher was very effective at showing lots of pictures and letting the students work together in groups to learn English.  He said that when he had to leave the ESL room and return to the regular classroom, he was horrified for the first year because he said he “just didn’t know what was going on.”  Apparently, the combination of a good ESL teacher, demanding parents, and a bright mind didn’t leave him in the dark very long.  He said that by fourth grade, just two short years later, he was completely out of the ESL program and doing well on his reading, spelling, and writing tests in language arts.  Now, just six years removed, his spoken English is impeccable, and he scored highly in the Practice ACT test administered just a few months ago at the high school.  What makes this more remarkable is that he said his parents continued to speak Hindi in the home, but pushed him to excel in his English lessons.

            He said he’s always been the only Indian student at his school.  As a younger student, he said that made him feel like a loner both socially and academically.  He said kids would laugh at his name, his skin color, and his English, though it was improving.  He said that he raced home and often cried because he couldn’t fit in.  He said that motivated him more than anything to learn English.  To add to his troubles as a young immigrant, Sunil said that just a few weeks after beginning school in America, the attacks of 9/11/01 occurred.  He said he looks back now and laughs as the things that made him sad, but admits that he was extremely withdrawn in elementary school because of ignorant comments made by school children.  “After 9/11, the kids would call me terrorist, Iraqi, Muslim and other mean things.  How does a seven-year-old explain that he’s none of those things?” he asked.  

            He said hurtful, divisive comments not only came from the uninformed school children, but also from people in stores, particularly in his father’s Subway sandwich shop which he owns and operates.  He said his dad would get comments like “Go back to Arab land” and “Get out of our country, towel head.”  Sunil explains that his father never let comments get to him, but instead explained it to his son that people who choose ignorance do so because it’s easier than being informed.  He said it wasn’t until middle school that the unflattering comments ended.  Ironically, that’s the age that students seem to be the most hateful, but he said he’s received very few slurs in high school.  That, of course, is welcome news to him and to me as a teacher.

            Sunil explains that he feels that he does find it different what age a person immigrates as to how well they learn English.  He mentioned his younger brother, who was three when he moved to the US.  He said that he is flawless at English, but his Hindi is far inferior.  He said he can understand it, but doesn’t speak it very well at all.  His father encourages him to speak Hindi, but he resists.  Sunil also said that his brother is much more American than he is Indian, which is in contrast to himself.  “I see him as being the type who will defy our family and culture, and possibly bring embarrassment to my parents,” he said.  His brother, according to him, shies away from Indian music, movies and television, cultural activities enjoyed by the rest of the family.  He also has far more white friends, and seems less occupied by making his father mad.  Sunil said he dad doesn’t get mad at him, because his grades remain high.  He said that his dad would “come down like a hammer” if his younger brother’s grades became a problem, however.

            With Sunil’s high school academic success all but ensured, it’s natural to wonder about his future.  He said he has always wanted to be a doctor.  He said he sees honor in all works, but he particularly feels drawn to medicine.  “I can make a difference, and I can make a very good living,” he said.  I was obliged to ask if his father is pushing him to medicine.  He tersely responded “No!”  He said he knew that his father would always be proud of him, because he works hard.  He also said, my father would be very happy if he pursued business, or even inherited his sandwich shop from the family.  “I’ll let my brother sell subs, I’ll be a doctor,” he joked.

            I asked him how he would ultimately make his decision about his career path and his college.  His response was typically Indian.  He said he wouldn’t rush to a decision, but instead he and his parents would think about it for some time and make a decision.  In Indian culture, silence and introspection are revered, and they are not quick to rush to decisions (Samovar, et al., 2010, p. 282).  He said his family has been thinking about this decision for years, and they have decided that he should focus on his studies first and foremost to give him the opportunity to choose any career at any school.  He did indicate he was leaning to KU Med School, located in the metro area.  This typifies the Indian value of pace and patience (Samovar, et al., 2010, p. 315).

            He said he plans on staying close with his parents, even after he’s graduated from high school and college.  He said he hears his schoolmates talking about “Getting the Hell out of Flagship.”  He questioned why American kids want to flee their families and move away on their own.  He said it’s in his culture to stay with the parents throughout life.  He said in India, the sons would often live with his parents, even after marriage.  This statement by him goes right in line with what our studies show about Indian patriarchal cultural philosophy.  Generally, the men make the most important decisions, inheritance is through the male line, and women live in there husband’s villages after she marries (Samovar, Porter & McDaniel, 2010, p. 65).

            Speaking of marriage, Sunil said he’s never had a serious girlfriend, but looks forward to the day when he meets the right young lady.  I asked him to describe her to me, and he responded, “smart, pretty, and a good person.”  After a prompt, he replied that she would also be Indian.  He said he feels it’s important for him to share that important culture with his future bride.

            During our chat, I tried to observe non-verbal cues that indicate a difference in cultural communication, and I could observe none.  Every gesture shared was typical of American culture, and not necessarily that of India.  Afterward, I asked him about some of the different non-verbal cues he had to pick up on.  He said the most important for him as a student were the handshake, fist bump and high five, which are all greetings.  He also said that the namaste and other cultural bows are fading in Indian society as Western culture meshes with theirs.  He did say that he observed a funny episode of a TV show that poked fun of the “Indian head bob” and said that gesture is more common with women than with men.

            This interview allowed me to meet one of the most interesting young people I’ve ever encountered.  I admired his loyalty to his parents, which is not a trait I see displayed too readily in our society.  I enjoyed his passion for learning, which is also not a trait I see enough.  I felt warmed by his compassion and understanding for others, even though he was taunted and ridiculed as a youngster.  All in all, I believe this young man has achieved a very strong cultural identity.  In fact, I asked him whether he describes himself as Indian, Indian-American, or just American.  His response: “Actually, I’m all three of those, and always will be.”

 Author’s Summary

Meeting with Sunil was a real honor and privilege.  I don’t personally have him in class, but after explaining this assignment to some colleagues, they recommended that I meet him.  Without a doubt, he provided some valuable insight to me regarding cultural influence on communication that students bring with them to school.  In the hallways, he seems rather self-adjusted, but after meeting him for just an hour, it’s easy to see how profound and deep the cultural values of India are upon this young man.  

Another personal response to this interview was that one sit-down chat, even if just an hour or less one-on-one with a student will help a teacher to really get to know a student.  There is no reason that any ESL teacher couldn’t find time like I found for Sunil to just get to know him.  Now, if I were to have him as a student, I would know that he’s academically driven to achieve because of personal and parental expectations.  I would also know that while he gets along well with other students in a classroom setting, he doesn’t necessarily feel comfortable in social settings with them.  As a result, I could make sure to modify lessons to give him more opportunity to interact with non-Indian students in a social setting.

I know that every lesson I learn from Sunil can be transferred to every ESL student, but the general lessons learned can make me a better teacher.  Students, with strong support from teachers and parents can learn English and succeed.  Students cultural values don’t need to inhibit their success, but rather can be used to augment their experience.  Finally, I realized that students from other cultures have feelings also, and we, as teachers, need to foster an environment where young people can feel welcome and comfortable.  If we do all of these, our students will ultimately be the most successful version of themselves. 

References

.Manning, M. L., & Baruth, L.G  (2009). Multicultural education of children and adolescents (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E. & McDaniel, E.R.  (2010). Communication between cultures (7th ed.). Wadsworth: Cengage Learning.

 James Howard

Dr. Michael Wei

EDCI 5546

17 November 2010

Reflection #12: 

Model Minority: Myth of Asian American Children

            In May, one of my brightest and most dedicated students graduated from Flagship High School.  He was a star runner, a journalist, and scholar.  And, he was Chinese-American. I had Benny in class for four years, and watched him grow from a meek freshman to a fairly adjusted senior.  Most students had known him since kindergarten, so I never saw outward prejudices or stereotypical behavior from students, but I did hear comments that showed how, as the “model minority,” his classmates and teachers alike expected more from him.  In fact, he joked as he delivered his valedictory speech at graduation, “Some of you may not know this, but I’m Chinese,” he said.  

            So that I could enlist his help with this assignment, I decided to call Benny this week at his dorm at the University of Missouri to discuss any overt and covert stereotyping that he endured growing up in Flagship.  Surprisingly, since he had never mentioned such a thing during my four years knowing him, he encountered more than I could have imagined.  He said he felt academic pressure from his parents and teachers.  He felt he had to have perfect grades, because that’s who he was.  He said he had to follow the model presented to him by his parents as to what a dutiful son would do.  He also said that this continues, to some degree, still in college.

            He said he first realized that teachers held him to a high standard when he was in seventh grade.  His science teacher apparently made a comment that he had no excuse not to win the school’s Science Fair.  He said he never talked to anyone other than me about this, but that was, for him, the first time he realized he was Chinese.  Thus, the ethnic identity of Benny began to form.  He said other teacher through middle and high schools made similar comments, though he said he didn’t think anyone meant any harm by them.  He said that he ultimately decided for himself that he wanted to maintain academically high marks to best position himself in contention for the better scholarships.  He also said that he was motivated by the competition to try to beat the other students to higher grades.

            He said his parents, one an engineer, and the other a manager with Social Security, put pressure on him to succeed.  I asked if they expected straight A’s.  He said they never discussed it directly, but their attitude toward school always led him to believe that anything less would not be sufficient.  He said they took him to China for six weeks for two different summers, also.  They wanted him to be exposed to his heritage and at least have some contact with his living grandparents.  He said that his grandparents even made him feel like academic success was essential to his credibility as a young man.  This solidified the belief that Asian American parents expect academic success (Baruth, & Manning, 2009, p. 128).

            Now, one year later, meet David.  He is Benny’s younger brother, and he’s also a runner and is also in journalism.  The only difference is that he doesn’t quite qualify as a scholar.  As an older brother myself, I remember my sibling’s discussing living in my shadow as a good student.  For David, however, it’s apparent that he’s casting the shadow away completely.  He’s beyond competent is all aspects of school, but his grades do not reflect it.  He’s gifted, but he could care less about getting an A or an F.  In fact, I asked him what his mother would think if she saw an F on his journalism grade card.  Unlike Benny, David commented, “It’s not their grade card, it’s mine.”  Oddly enough, for Benny, his parents came to every parent-teacher conference.  For David, I have yet to meet with them in person.

            These two boys both show how a cultural expectation of Chinese American youth could affect their adolescence.  The expectation is the same for both boys, but the outcome is completely different (thus far).  That doesn’t mean that I’m going to give up on David, I’ve just learned by observation, that he doesn’t want to be compared to his elder brother in any way.  He does want to outdo his brother as a competitive runner, however.  His motivation as an athlete is very high, and I have no doubt that he won’t be state champion in cross country in two years.

            Much of the “model minority” myth comes from real cultural differences between Eastern and Western values, especially academically.  Others, however, are may create a pitfall for students, especially if teachers aren’t aware that the stereotypes can adversely affect these youth who go to school each day just like the rest of the students in our schools.  We must be mindful to push them in the same fashion as all students: no more; no less.  We have to keep a watchful eye on behavior from other students that put pressure on them as well.  It’s the right thing to do, and that’s why we’re here.

Reference

Manning, M. L., & Baruth, L.G.  (2009). Multicultural education of children and adolescents

     (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Russell Triplett

EDCI5546

09/21/10

Reflective Paper 4

 How Learning about Culture Promotes Understanding

             Samovar, Porter & McDaniel (2009) write, “…values tell a member of a culture what is normal by identifying what things are good and bad, or right and wrong” (p. 189). After reading this in our text I realized that just as my culture has equipped me with one set of beliefs every other person I encounter is equipped with their own as well. Everyone does not perceive the world from my perspective. That realization helps me to understand that what I may take offense to someone else may view as entirely normal. For example, the woman who grabs her purse as I pass may view her action as common sense instead of offensive. When I think of it from that perspective it takes the edge off of what can be quite a cultural misunderstanding.          

Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel (2009) write that, “Culture teaches you the meaning of most of your experiences…We learn to see the world in a certain way based on our cultural background” (p. 187). I agree with them. I come from a past oriented, collectivistic culture that is wary of law enforcement, very orally expressive, and often perceived as dangerous. Because these ideas have been culturally ingrained in me my view of and interaction with the world is affected by them.  When I encounter a police officer I find myself naturally cautious. I automatically expect him or her to view me with disdain and to treat me in a manner not often experienced by others who do not look like me. Before the officer has an opportunity to speak I have decided how this interaction will go and am ready to play my role. I do the same when speaking with friends and colleagues. With my friends we really relax around one another. My hand gestures are looser and my stories are more colorful. I am used to that being our medium of interaction and were I to change my comrades might think me standoffish. On the other hand when I am at work with colleagues who are not from the same cultural background as me I tone my movements down and keep my voice even so as not to cause offense. I am overly conscious of my voice, movements, and word choice because I have been taught that as a Black man I am perceived as a threat at all times. I have seen women hold their purses when I walk by and children run for their mothers after they notice my skin is darker than the rest. I expect all of this and handle it with aplomb. Still, I do my best not to exacerbate the situation because while I know that I am not a threat the rest of the world does not.

            After reading our text it stands to reason that I am not the only person who has fallen victim to cultural misperception. I recall a time when I corrected a student in front of the class for talking too much. The student was so angry that he lashed out at me for what I viewed as a commonplace exchange. What might his culture have taught him about direct confrontation? Mine teaches me to call the issue out and trust that embarrassment will nullify the problem. I also remember a girl I had in my class who slept constantly. I called her mother about the issue and was treated to an hour long session about how their home was breaking up. I have been taught to keep such things private but this woman had no qualms with sharing what I took to be her innermost secrets with me. Needless to say I was shocked at her candor and the exchange proves exactly what our text is talking about. 

I think that most of all I take this away from Samovar, Porter & McDaniel (2009), “…facework comprises the various actions you engage in to acquire face for yourself or give face to someone else” (p. 217). We all have an image we want to project and that image is determined by culture. Understanding that the image we project does not necessarily comprise the whole of who we are is enough to help me see past my own cultural training and get to know my students as people who are struggling to make sense of the world through their own cultural lens just like me.

Reference

Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., & McDaniel, E. R. (2009). Communication between cultures. Boston, MA: Wadsworth 

 Joe Herdler

EDCI 5546

 Reflective Paper Six

             In this paper, I will discuss some of the problems that could arise from not having an understanding of the differences in nonverbal communication behavior. During any given day, a person will use countless nonverbal communication methods in their interaction with those around them (Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel, 2007). Though there are six universal or ‘pancultural’ facial expressions that indicate happiness, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, and surprise, for the most part, the use of nonverbal expressions are dictated by the culture of the people engaged in the communication process (Samovar et al, 2007). Other than the above listed pancultural expressions, there are many gestures, body positions, modes of dress, ornamentations and degrees of eye contact that are used to transmit information from one person to another. Though there are some commonalities among the various nonverbal expressions, often the meaning of any one of them will be completely different from culture to culture. These cultural differences in the meaning of the various nonverbal expressions could potentially be the cause of many problems in cross cultural communication. 

            One example given in the text that strikes me as having the potential to cause embarrassment and discomfort is the simple hand motion that is commonly used in the U.S. to beckon someone to come. To use such a gesture in the same context in Vietnam would be considered quite rude, for that same hand motion is used by the Vietnamese to call a dog (Samovar et al, 2007). Another very common nonverbal expression in the U.S. is looking eye to eye with the person that one is speaking with. The authors state that “…most people in Western societies expect the person with whom they are interacting to look them in the eye” (Samovar et al, 2007, p.210), yet in some cultures, to look someone in the eye is an act of aggression, and still others, it is considered to be disrespectful.

Another example of a nonverbal communication difference that I experienced first hand, involved a friend of mine who is a Japanese student that was going to university in the U.S. At the time, he was attending the Applied Language Institute (ALI) at Penn Valley, and studying art at UMKC. We became friends by helping each other with our L2 studies. I helped him with his English verb conjugations and vocabulary, and he helped me with learning how to correctly draw some of the Japanese Kanji. One day, we started talking about Japanese movies, and I mentioned that I had a movie made by a famous Japanese director. My friend told me how much he wanted to see the film, but that he had to leave for the U.S. before it was released. The next day, I brought the DVD with me and casually offered it to him. He of course politely declined. I offered it to him again, and again, he declined. I knew that he would like to have the movie, but he refused to take the DVD. I then remembered that in Japan, one offers a gift three times before it is accepted, so I held the DVD case with both hands, bowed very slightly as I said “I would like for you to have this…”.  My friend then accepted the offer and sincerely thanked me. 

            The classroom implications in light of the above as well as many other examples of nonverbal communications are obvious. In order for students of other cultures to feel comfortable in the class environment, it is imperative that the teacher have a good grasp of the various modes and meanings of nonverbal communication as well as the context of their use among the cultures of the students that he or she is teaching. Without such an understanding, a teacher could possibly be very offensive to a student of theirs without even realizing that they are being offensive, which should be avoided at all costs.

Reference

 Samovar, L.A., Porter, P.E., & McDaniel, E.R. (2007). Communication between cultures (6th ed). Belmont, CA: Thomson-Wadsworth.

Seohyun (Sunny) Penn

EDCI 5546

Intercultural Communication

Reflective Paper 2

 Before I came to the States, I didn’t have many chances to meet people from other countries.  While working as a property manager, I’ve encountered so many different cultures and groups of people.  I made a good friend with a girl from Pakistan.  She was newly married and came from Pakistan not too long ago and her English was really good and she was very intelligent.  She wanted to get a job and study in this new country but her 57 year-old-Pakistan-born husband literally grounded her at their little one bedroom apartment.  To fill the void in her life she tried to reach out by making a lot of food that she and her husband could never finish so she often brought her leftovers to my office.  As a little thank-you, my boss and I bought her McDonald’s 30 pieces chicken nuggets one day.  To our shock, she said that she could not eat them because the food we brought was not Kosher, which meant our food was not holy for her to eat.  Living in a diverse culture like the U.S.A., I’m learning that other cultures including mine often encounter situations like that. 

Religion heavily influences a society’s culture and values.  Values are culturally defined standards of desirability, goodness, and beauty that serve as broad guidelines for social living (Macinois, 2007, p.34).  The reason people turn to religion is, as Malefijt noted, “Religion provides explanations and assigns values to otherwise inexplicable phenomena (1968, p.145).”  

Throughout human history, religion has determined the cultural values and beliefs in a society.  In a lot of cases, religion eventually becomes the culture itself.  That is the reason why the surest way to gain insights into the important perceptions, values and behaviors of people are through their religion (Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel, 2007).  

As an example, people from the states, even if they are not religious, observe Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Korean and Japanese have similar cultural habits as they go to fortune tellers at the beginning of a year even though it is a Shamanistic tradition.  Another example is how America’s core conservative values, freedom and individualism are linked to God and the protestant church who wanted religious freedom from England.  This is why they pledge allegiance to the flag and the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, united under God…with liberty, and justice for all (Ellis, 2005).  Americans also have a prayer before each session of Congress begins as well as say a prayer at the beginning of every NASCAR racing event.  Therefore, American people believe in their rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and they wholeheartedly believe that these rights are given by the almighty God of creation.  

Unfortunately, some religions have chosen to place restrictions and limitations on human lives.  Some even validate the unjustifiable social status. According to the sayings of Hinduism, the ethical and social laws of humankind are referred to as “dharma”.  If you go against dharma, you will be producing bad karma (Samovar et al., 2007).  They believe karma affects not only this life but also the many lives to come.  Therefore, when they are born poor in this life instead of fighting their poverty and the imbalance of wealth, their religion tells them that they are simply living according to their dharma.  Religion, in this case, helps make the poor feel justified in an unfair Caste System.

            In conclusion, I’m going to do my best to keep an open atmosphere of diversity among other religions represented in my future classroom so that all my students will feel safe and secure no matter what kind of religion they and their family practice.  I’m sure that feeling will help them to open up and feel more comfortable in their language acquisition.  

References

Ellis, R.J. (2005). To the flag: The unlikely history of the pledge of allegiance.  Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Press.

Macionis, J. (1997). Society: The basics.  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Malefijt, A. (1968). Religion and culture: An introduction to anthropology of religion.  Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press.

Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., & McDaniel, E.R. (2007). Communication between cultures.  Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.  

Mark J. Barber

Intercultural Communication

Professor Wei

Reflection Paper II

What is the link between religion and the values of a culture?

             All cultures are intrinsically tied to their religion. As Lamb observes, “It is clear that religion and culture are inextricably entwined” (Lamb, 1982, p. 358, cited in Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel, 2007). Without religion, a culture would be void of tenets and guidelines that attempt to answer important “cosmic” issues (Samovar, et al., 2007). These issues many cultures face on a daily basis and strive to find meaning or purpose in their lives through religion. Also, religion attempts to organize standards of behavior, interaction, and moral guidelines for its culture.

            No matter where you live, religion will ingratiate itself into the culture. For example, in America we have “In God we trust” printed on our money, we pledge allegiance to the flag under God, and certain parts of our judicial code are based on the Ten Commandments. In Muslim dominated cultures the traditions of Allah permeate through interactions of money transfer, greeting of neighbors, and attitudes towards gender roles in society. In Jewish cultures, being Jewish is often intertwined with meaning either religion or culture. Religion finds a way to set the tone for the cultural values of a society and works towards bettering the members in that society. 

            All religions seem to follow a cross-cultural story (Smith, 1994). Core beliefs such as honesty, integrity, and charity find homes in all major religions. These beliefs then trickle-down into the societies and cultures they surround and influence many intercultural communications. For example, Americans view honestly as crucial to daily interactions. Think about how trusting we expect businesses like banks to be with our money, the post office to deliver the mail, our police officers and firefighters to be diligent and prudent. Also note, that Americans consider perjury a felony and you can begin to understand that Christian traditions can subconsciously influence culture values. 

            The links that conglomerate religion with culture forge special bonds in civilization that have lasted throughout history and extend to all countries. It would be impossible to find a culture that exists that is not rooted in a religious tradition or values. Many cultures around the world benefit from strong religious traditions that help them survive and thrive in a global economy. Concerning intercultural communication, knowing a person’s religion can help mediate communication between people and facilitate the exchange of ideas.

            The link between religions and cultural values are strong. Religion gives cultural values answers to cosmic questions and advances the rituals of a culture. The intertwined nature between both religion and culture make them inseparable when talking about either and make them an important idea to study and learn.

 References

Samovar L. A., Porter R. E., & McDaniel E. R. (2007). Communication between Cultures. Belmont, CA: Thomson.

Smith, H (1994). The illustrated world's religions: A guide to our Wisdom Traditions. New York: Harper Collins.

Book Analysis

 Gudykunst, W. B. & Nishida, T. (1994). Bridging the Japanese/ North American differences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

   Joe Herdler

University of Missouri, Kansas City, 

School of Education

EDCI 5546

            Intercultural communication between the Japanese and English speaking North American peoples is a subject that is important in today’s climate of international trade and finance. In the years following the Second World War, Japan has risen to become one of the largest economic superpowers in the world’s financial markets, and is one of the world’s largest creditor nations. There are substantial cultural and linguistic differences between Japan and the West that present many obstacles to successful communication between the Japanese peoples and the English speaking peoples of  North America (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994). These cultural and linguistic differences often lead to misunderstandings between Japanese and Americans, due to both sides “not knowing the norms and rules guiding each other’s communication” (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994, p.2). With the increasing interdependence of the industrialized nations for trade and finance, it is of utmost importance that these obstacles be overcome, and that a genuine communicative competence be developed between the two cultures. The main focus of the work by Gudykunst & Nishida that is being reviewed is to aid in the development of this communicative competence. 

            The topic of the work is narrow compared to many general texts on intercultural communication, such as those written by Samovar et al, and Manning & Baruth, that deal with the broad subject of different cultures communicating with each other. In this work, Gudykunst & Nishida deal strictly with intercultural communication between the Japanese and English speaking North American peoples. The book is divided into six chapters, not including the preface. A brief discussion of each chapter will follow.

            The first chapter is naturally titled “Introduction” and as the title suggests, it is an introduction to the subject matter of the book. It starts with a very brief history of Japan starting from the Meiji Restoration and the ‘opening’ of Japan by Admiral Perry. This is followed with many of the basic concepts of intercultural communication such as is found in Samovar, et al. The chapter is subdivided into three subsections, the first being an overview of intercultural communication, the second is a discussion of both effective and ineffective communication and the last is an overview of how the rest of the book is ordered. One of the most important topics in the first chapter is a discussion of ‘mindfulness’, or how an individual becomes “…aware of their communication behavior in order to correct the tendency to misinterpret others’ behavior and [thus] communicate more effectively” (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994, p.13).

            The second chapter is titled “Cultural similarities and differences between the United States and Japan”, and is an overview of what culture is and how Japanese and American cultures compare and contrast. The chapter is subdivided into to two main sections, the first being a discussion of what culture is, and the second being a deeper discussion on how cultures differ. This chapter covers the basics of what comprises a culture, and how the members of that culture relate to themselves and to those outside of their culture. Also covered are several concepts that are specific to Japanese culture, such as the concept of wa, which is loosely translated as harmony; amae which relates to dependence; and enryo, which relates to reserve or restraint (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994). Chapter two also discuses at length three of the four cultural dimensions that were described by Hofstede: uncertainty avoidance, power distance, and masculinity-femininity. The cultural dimension of individualism vs. collectivism was left out of this section of chapter two, and was replaced with a discussion of high and low context communication.

            The third chapter is titled “Language usage in the United States and Japan”, and is a very basic overview of how the language usage varies between the two nations. This chapter is subdivided into two subsections, the first of which covers the differences between communicating in Japanese and English, and the second section deals with the issues that arise when Japanese and North Americans speak each other’s languages. The chapter touches on certain elements of how the Japanese language is used, such as the fact that a subject is not necessary for every sentence, and how the language is predicate centered (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994). Another area that is discussed that has the potential for creating misunderstanding in Japanese-North American intercultural communication is the concept of tatemae and honne communication. Tatemae communication refers to what is said in relation to “the standard to which one is bound by principle”, and honne is what “one’s true mind” is (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994, p.43). In other words, a L1 Japanese speaker will say in the tatemae sense what is expected for him to say in order to comply with the cultural expectations that he is bound to; where as the same speaker will only express his honne sense when he or she is communicating with their intimate friends. In the second subsection of the chapter, various issues are discussed that occur when both Japanese and North Americans speak each other’s language. One of these issues has to do with what is referred to as aizuchi, which is a system where the Japanese listener provides the Japanese speaker with indications that he or she is listening to what is being said. This process uses words such as hai (yes), ee (informal yes), soo (that’s right) and naruhodo nee (indeed), that are said by the listener as the speaker speaks (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994). This is comparable to an English speaking listener saying “uh huh”, “yeah”, or “I see” in response to an English speaker. The difference between the two languages concerning the concept of aizuchi is that the Japanese speaker will assume that he or she is not being listened to if aizuchi is not provided as the speaker’s sentence is being spoken, whereas the English speaker will not usually make such an assumption if there is no verbal response given by a listener as the sentence is being spoken (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994). 

            The fourth chapter is titled “Communication patterns in the United States and Japan”, and concerns the “general patterns of communication in relationships” (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994, p.61).  The chapter touches on many subjects, including the need for the Japanese to reduce the level of uncertainty in their interpersonal relationships. The authors continue their discussion with the indirect and non-verbal aspects of the Japanese cultures use of the language. These aspects include ishin-denshin (“traditional mental telepathy”); taciturnity; kuuki (mood or atmosphere); and respect for indirect communication (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994). The chapter continues with how the Japanese language is used differently depending on the relationship of the speaker to the listener. The chapter also discuses many non verbal aspects of culture and communication, including the concept of ‘face’, privacy defense, relationship development, and conflict resolution.

            Chapter five is titled “Expectations for Japanese/North American communication”. The authors point out that in the context of the chapter, expectations are the “anticipations and predictions about how others will communicate” (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994, p.85). These expectations are derived from stereotypes, group and cultural norms, communication rules, and “the characteristics (including group membership) associated with others” (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994, p.85). The authors continue the discussion about how expectations are culturally biased, and then how violations of those expectations are dealt with. Gudykunst and Nishida make the argument that growth in the relationship of a dyad involved in communication is determined in large part by how the violations of expectations are evaluated (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994). If a violation of an expectation is evaluated in a positive manner, then there will be “positive consequences for communication with the violators (e.g., no misinterpretations, increase in intimacy)” (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994, pp.86-87). The opposite is also discussed, as when the evaluation of the violation is negative, which leads to misunderstanding and a decrease in intimacy (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994). Chapter five continues on with an in depth discussion of ethnocentrism and stereotyping, and how they negatively effect intercultural communications. The last part of the chapter discuses cultural attributions and the attribution process as it applies to Japanese – North American intercultural communication. The most important thought in the last part of chapter five is that only when people can see beyond the stereotypes that they hold and become aware of their own ethnocentrism, it is only then that they can start to “perceive themselves and others in individual terms, (e.g., their personal identities generate their behavior) or see an out-group member as atypical, they tend to make person-based attributions” (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994, p.97). (Emphasis mine.) Only when this occurs, can people make individual based attributions, which “…in turn lead individuals to look for personal similarities and differences between them and the other person” (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994, p.97). The opposite of this is category based attributions, which is what occurs when individuals see themselves and others as members of a group. Category based attributions tend to cause the individual to “look for the differences between their culture and the other culture” which has the potential to foster negative feelings, stereotyping and ethnocentrism (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994, p.97).

            The sixth and final chapter of this book is titled “Effective Japanese/North American communication.” This chapter is more concerned with the practical aspects of Japanese – North American intercultural communication, and could be subdivided into three major parts, that are titled ‘motivation’, ‘knowledge’ and ‘skills’. The motivation subsection discusses several human needs including the need for predictability; the need to avoid and diffuse anxiety; the need to sustain self-conception; and the need to be open to new information and ideals. The second subsection titled knowledge, discuses how to gather information; the necessity of having knowledge of the other culture; knowledge of the other language; the knowledge and acceptance of personal similarities and differences between the people involved in intercultural communication; and the willingness to accept that there is usually more than one perspective in any communication situation. The last section of the chapter titled skills, discusses the ability of be mindful (or in other words, to be aware of the communication behavior that one is engaging in); to tolerate ambiguity; to manage anxiety; to have empathy; to make accurate predictions; and the ability to adapt one’s own behavior. Most of the topics discussed in the final chapter are discussed in a highly theoretical manner in the previous five chapters, and are basically summed up in the last chapter.

            I enjoyed this little book, and as with the other academic works that I have read of Dr. Gudykunst, it is very scholarly, and exceptionally readable. It is a given that communication is the “ability to share beliefs, values, ideas, and feelings”, and that communication “is the basis of all human contact” (Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel, 2007, p.13); and this book will go a long way to fostering better communication between the Japanese and North American peoples. I feel that Dr. Gudykunst has a deep and thorough knowledge of intercultural communication in general, and that involving the Asian cultures in particular. Though I would highly recommend this book as a supplement to a graduate level course in intercultural communications; I feel that unless the course was very narrow in scope in dealing with the subject of Japanese-American intercultural communications that it would be unsuitable for a main text, particularly if the class was of more than one transcript hour. It should be noted, that the authors point out that it was written in English, and was targeted to L1 English speaking North Americans. It should also be noted that no where in the text was mentioned anything concerning speakers of British English, or of any of the other ‘Englishes’, and that the work consistently referred to ‘North Americans’. 

            Though I felt that this work was in general very well written and researched, I do have two small criticisms that I will now discuss. Of these, the main criticism is that I was slightly disappointed with the fact that I was lead to believe by the title that the book was more of a practical guide for Americans on how to communicate in a culturally sensitive and respectful way with Japanese people who spoke the English language as an L2. Instead, it was a highly academic work that stressed ideals and sophisticated theories and research into the processes of intercultural communications between the North Americans and Japanese peoples, and yet it was written as a relatively brief overview. The authors themselves in their discussion of the functions of communication, state that that “it is impossible to examine all of the functions in a short book like this” (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994, p.5). (Emphasis mine) Though I was actually looking for a book of practical suggestions on how to improve my communication competence when engaging in English conversation with a Japanese L2 speaker of English, I still found this to be a very rewarding book to read. 

            The second minor criticism that I have of the work is that the authors make it seem that no matter how hard a gaijin (foreigner) tries to communicate in the Japanese language, that many if not most Japanese people will act as if they do not understand, even if the gaijin speaks fluent Japanese. The authors use a quote from a work by Miller (1977) regarding Japanese people’s attitude toward those non-Japanese people who speak Japanese and the ‘law of negative returns’: “This law holds that the better you get at the language, the less credit you are given for your accomplishments; the more fluently you speak it, the less those hard won skills will do for you in making friends and favorably impressing people” (Miller, 1977, p.74). I have spoken about this subject at length with a Native L1 speaker of the Japanese language, who was raised and educated in Kyoto, and who has extensively traveled in Japan before immigrating to the US. He has assured me that this is not true, and that most Japanese people that he knew of would be flattered to have a gaijin speak to them in Japanese. To me, this almost sounds like a stereotype that might have been left over from a previous era, and to give the authors credit, they say as much by pointing out that there are many critics of Miller’s position (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994). I am in no way accusing the authors of stereotyping, but by using Miller’s work, they have in turn had to spend two and a half inches of text and a whole paragraph documenting how this “might have been true in earlier times (e.g. the late 1950’s and early 1960’s), it has disappeared in current Japanese society” (Gudykunst & Nishida, 1994, p.57). Miller’s quote not withstanding, the authors throughout the book do use terms like “natural-telepathy” and “the ability to guess”, which of course refers to high context communication skills, but still (to me) the inference seems to be that unless a gaijin was born and raised in Japan, that effectively communicating in the Japanese language will be extremely difficult if not impossible. Again, I have been assured by an L1 speaker of Japanese that this is simply not true. 

These two minor criticisms not withstanding, I feel that the work by Gudykunst and Nishida is well written, informative, highly documented and is an important resource for those studying Japanese-American intercultural communication. I also feel that as long as the author’s intent of the publication is kept in mind, that this is an excellent academic work and subject overview that will help the graduate level student of Japanese – North American intercultural communications. It must be understood that this work is not a “how to” guide for the casual communicator who is attempting to learn how not to embarrass themselves when talking with English speaking Japanese people, nor is it suitable for basic undergraduate level studies. Finally, a work of this caliber requires that the reader will have a basic understanding of how to use references and annotations, and that they are at least acquainted with the methods of academic research. 

In conclusion, I feel that this book belongs in the library of any English speaking North American whose career goals involve interacting with Japanese people on a routine basis. It is my ultimate goal of teaching ESL in either a Japanese, Chinese or Thai environment, and even considering that this book was published almost fourteen years ago, it will be a valued addition to my list of resources that I keep on hand, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

 References

 Gudykunst, W. B. & Nishida, T. (1994). Bridging the Japanese/ North American differences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Miller, R. (1977). The Japanese language in contemporary Japan. Stanford, CA: Hoover Institute.

Samovar, L.A., Porter, P.E., & McDaniel, E.R. (2007). Communication between cultures (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson-Wadsworth.

Copyright © Dr. Michael Wei