Cultur Shock in America
In America, the dominant culture is that of the WASP (Whit Anglo Saxon Protestant). I personally fit into none of these categories; thus, I am part of an Indian-American subculture. Many cultures come to America to experience freedom. What many fail to realize is that with freedom comes many other adaptations to the American way of life. American society does not meet all of everyone’s cultural expectations. Some foreigners come to America and fit right in, while others develop a counterculture. Houston is one of the biggest cities in the United States. It is so culturally diverse that you could walk down the street, got to the movies, go shopping, and go to the bank and hear six different languages in one day. These people hold a strong hold on their native cultures while living in a foreign land. On the other hand, you could walk down the street, go to the movies, go shopping, and to the bank and see people of subcultures walking and talking like the average WASP culture shock is “the feeling of disorientation tat can occur when one encounters a new or rapidly changed cultural situation”(Anderson, 84). Adapting to a new culture is one of the hardest things a person can do, because it
He did not know the language, how to dress, or how to act at school. When I asked Aure if he was ever picked on because of the way he dressed he said, “Yeah I was picked on because of my accent and the way I dressed.”(Pererira). After a few years, Aure slowly caught on to America’s cultural differences. Now Aure is considered Pakistani-American. At first times were hard, but in the end it all paid off. He is now a full time student, on academic scholarship, at St. Thomas University. Aure has face enthocentrism from many Americans. Ethnocentrism is “the habit of seeing things only from the point of view of one owns group”(Anderson, 75). Many foreigners face this all over the world daily. An example of ethnocentrism would be saying that all Indians are considered “Ghandi’s”. Foreigners also face countercultures. Countercultures develop when subcultures do not accept the dominant culture, or vice versa. feels as if you are leaving a part of yourself behind. There are many aspects to adapting to a new culture, which include learning a new language, eating new foods, dressing differently, and meeting new people. A major issue with people coming here is avoiding becoming the outcast. Learning a new language is one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish when there is no one to translate. The younger a person is when they come to America, the easier it is to learn English. Many older men and women have a much more difficult time learning English, especially when they need to find a job. Finding a job is really difficult when you can
Some topics in this essay:
Saxon Protestant,
Americans Ethnocentrism,
Women America,
Aure Pererira,
dominant culture,
America America,
University Aure,
walk street movies,
street movies shopping,
movies shopping bank,
cultural shock,
street movies,
learning language,
movies shopping,
adapting culture,
walk street,
cities united,
shopping bank,
american culture,
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Approximate Word count = 1060
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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