Adapting to the new culture such as America’s culture is something that takes several years, especially for someone who is so dependent on his background and country. Immigrants can learn about American culture in books and movies. However, to be more comfortable it is essential to assimilate some American values and assumptions. Living inside the American communities could be the fastest way of adapting to their characteristics.
When I moved to America three years ago, I had some imagination from what I’m supposed to see. Yet, a few of my assumptions came true, and most of them didn’t live up to my expectations. After going to a couple of Computer and English classes, and then finding a job in a private and family oriented company located in Huntington Beach, CA, now most of the American reactions are apprehended .
For Americans, individualism and equality is part of what it means to be an American. They have been taught since their childhood that everybody in this world are responsible for their actions, equal, have the same rights, and should be treated evenly. Doesn’t matter what color your skin is or what gender you are, you have the same rights and should be capable of doing your own habitual tasks. On the other hand, are these subjects only said in books or they are really practiced by citizens?
As a matter of fact some of American’s features differ in suburbs than countries. To be honest, I have experienced the equality between neither races nor genders until I came to New York City. Back in California, I applied for many computer jobs (which are known as a masculine kind of career) through the internet where the interviewers couldn’t tell my gender by my name. Unexpectedly, almost all of the interviewers were surprised when they saw a woman came to the interview, and none of them asked for the second interview except one which the manager was an Asian woman. A couple of years later when I moved to New York I was amazed when I saw African Americans actually own jobs like officers, bankers or teachers since in Orange County, California, I rarely saw an African American doing a high level job or living in a good neighborhood. However, individualism is in American’s blood. No matter how helpless I was in some situations people never dare to ask if I need help. It’s not clear for me if their behavior refers to the ideology of the individualism or they think I would be upset as a female if they reach their hands. In contrast, I was born in a country that although women have the rights to do exactly the same jobs as men, generally, the idea underneath is female gender is physically weaker than male. Therefore, whenever a woman carries stuff there is always a man daring to help.
One of the American values discussed in “American Values and Assumptions” in Gary Althen’s article, is the directness and assertiveness which is so obvious for some particular people from Asia and Middle East. Tending to hide feelings is common in those cultures. Yet, not only had I experienced mediation in Americans, expressing their feelings, but also I have seen some superficial behaviors. I remember several times when I was called to fix a computer problem in a room or an office with 2 or 3 desks people working behind them. In spite of the fact that they treated me politely and friendly, I heard here and there that they are actually not happy of my existence. How should I categorize this type of behavior? Should I consider it as frankness or politeness?
“Time is money” and “You only get so much time in this life; you’d best use it wisely”, indeed, are two valuable quotes in Gary Althen’s article. People in Middle East and especially in Iran don’t really understand the meaning of time. Spending hours and hours on the phone talking to a friend, being late at appointments, swinging on streets aimlessly and as a hobby are some of common tasks for Iranians. On the other hand, in America, most people value their times and try to get the best out of it. For example, I used to see people in Iran sleeping and doing nothing on holidays, but here in the US people actually schedule their plans weeks earlier before the holiday arrives.
Some American’s characteristics may seem too direct, independence, and impartial and they may be acceptable for some, and unpleasing for others, however; looking from outside, those values always let Americans be one of the most successful nations in the world as an individual and as a whole. To be able to live and understand people in other countries more certainly, it is a must to practice and imitate some of those characteristics and then find out if it guides you to a better life in an unfamiliar culture or not.