My Experience Of Culture Shock In The United States

It is both exciting and stressful to change cultures. It is often difficult to transition from one culture to another. Culture shock refers to the feelings of anxiety, frustrations, alienation, anger, and other emotions that can occur when one is introduced to a new culture. Many customs and practices of a foreign culture might seem strange or uncomfortable compared to your own. Even experienced travelers can find it difficult to adapt to unfamiliar places. This is why it is not uncommon for them feel lonely and frustrated. Different people experience culture-shock differently. Some might not even notice it and others may have difficulty adapting to their new surroundings. It can be frustrating to adapt to a culture that is different from the United States’s if your cultural background is very different.

To make it clearer, let’s look at a bit of my background. I grew up as a Kazakh citizen, and the majority of my knowledge about America was gained from watching Hollywood movies. Although Hollywood is a medium for entertainment, it may not accurately portray American life. While I have long dreamed of moving to America, I had no idea that it would bring me culture shock. I was first struck by the American way of being friendly. They are open to making new friends, chatting with strangers, offering a compliment, and inviting them to lunch or birthday parties. Americans enjoy making casual friends. They quickly become close friends and develop trust over time. Americans are quick to make friends and sometimes befriend strangers. They are quick to make friends and become close, but they can easily disappear from each other’s lives. This aspect was frustrating and confusing to me. My culture believes in friendships and keeping in touch after trust has been established. Kazakh culture is based on trust and maintaining that trust. Before they can trust someone, Kazakhs need to believe they are honest and good-hearted. Although we might appear cold and reserved at first, once we get to know someone, we soon become open and friendly. It was only after I arrived in America that I realized my Kazakh cultural identity as shy and reserved.

American culture also has a different aspect to me than my culture. It is characterized by a high sense of privacy. Americans don’t like having their privacy invaded. Americans are uncomfortable with others standing too close to them and will often move away. Americans greet their family and friends by shaking hands, giving a quick hug, or sharing a brief hug. Then they move away to allow for more conversation. Americans are proud of their privacy and feel that everyone has the right to it. They don’t like being asked about their weight, age, gender, income, political views, religion, or personal family matters. Kazakhstanians greet each others with a hug & kiss. Kazakhs prefer to be close to one another and don’t mind sharing too much space. They become closer to one another as the conversation progresses. It is considered disrespectful and rude to keep a long distance during conversation in Kazakhstan. It is perfectly acceptable to inquire about your marital status, salary, and age in Kazakhstan. It was always my preference to keep my private life private. I found it easy to adapt to American culture by sharing details with only close friends.

Unbelievably, I was also struck by the informality of Americans. Informality seems to be an American characteristic. This was something that surprised me in a good way. Kazakhstan is a country where elders, teachers and superiors are called by their first names. In Kazakhstan, however, this was not common. However, Americans aren’t ashamed of their informality. It is a sign that someone is friendly or accepting of you and not an attempt to make you feel less important. Informality is also reflected in how people dress and interact with each other. Americans prefer to be casually dressed than people in my country. This is because Americans believe in equality. If all people are social equals, then informal communication is possible in any situation.

Learning about the culture of another country is part of living abroad. It might be tempting to compare your values with the customs and values of another culture. It is possible to be more open-minded by learning how to navigate other cultures. It helps us understand and shape our cultural identities, as well as teaches about ourselves.