DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION
IS CULTURE SHOCK REAL?
By Giulia Villanueva
To many international students like Ekim Karakoç, encountering stereotypes was very typical and was one of many culture shocks she had to go through in a predominately white institution like Ithaca College (IC).
“There was this one incident when my roommate’s friend came to our room and saw my luggage and said ‘did you bring a bomb in there?’ I mean he was joking but...I was a little bit offended. It’s sad to see that people stereotype,” Karakoç stated.
Karakoç, IC freshman majoring in business administration with a concentration in marketing and theater arts management, said she experienced culture shock. She said that 90 percent of Turkey’s cultural norms are different from the U.S.
This is common for international students that go to school in a foreign country. Culture shock refers to when a person experiences anxiety and confusion because they are exposed to a culture entirely different from their own.
This is apparent in Ithaca College as the international students are a small portion of the student population. According to Ithaca College Office of Analytics and Institutional Research, as of Spring 2017, there is a total of 106 undergraduate international students enrolled at IC, 1.8 percent of the grand total of students.
“I think the most shocking thing for me was the people, cause like I am so used to people being so warm and doing stuff for each other and not asking for anything back. Coming here, everyone has boundaries, walls, like they need their own spaces,” Karakoç said.
Back in Turkey, it was easier for her to talk to others because they did not put up “these walls.” For instance, she noticed that the American greeting is different from hers. During her work shift at the IC Starbucks Cafe, people automatically say “hi, how are you” and immediately order their food. Karakoç was surprised people only say the greeting without expecting a conversation to occur. As a realization, she understood people don’t always want to know how you actually are.
Karakoç does not think IC is a diverse school because it is predominately white and there are few international or students of color. She fails to understand how people are afraid of being called “racist” because she thinks everyone has some racism in them and it’s normal.
Most of the time, culture shock can take place immediately and in some cases, it takes a little time before realization occurs. This was the case for Ahad Rauf. He is a freshman from Pakistan majoring in international business. Rauf stated that he did not feel culture shock until the current second semester when it was pointed out to him in his class, Cultural Anthropology. He said the teacher pointed out that America is built on individualism.
“I’ve seen a trend that people are more introverted, they aren’t open to going out and spending time with people more. They keep more to themselves,” Rauf stated.
Because of his cultural norms back in Pakistan, Rauf was surprised to experience American culture.
He expressed that he is not used to the introvertness, especially since he comes from a culture that values community. He finds it hard to transition from being an outgoing individual to not being expected to make close relationships. He fears that he will come off too strong for people in the U.S. who are not used to this cultural norm.
Fernando Vargas, a freshman majoring in theater arts management, also experienced culture shock. He has been exposed to multiple cultures before coming to IC. While being born in Mexico, but partially raised in Austria, IC was an extreme cultural shock. Vargas highlighted the differences within the teenage cultural, specifically to music and dances like “the dab.” He did not know these customs and felt out of place. Vargas also was used to greeting other people, both men and women, with two kisses on the cheek.
Vargas explained that he thinks that there is some aspect of diversity at IC and he can witness it thanks to participating in the International Club where he can share similar experiences with other students. By attending shows and events promoted by the club and theater, he was able to learn about different cultures.
“If I see it overall, yes, the diversity is small and I can see that in classes because usually I’m the only international student,” Vargas said.
Different customs are often not an easy transition for international students. This was the case for Tanushka Shah, a freshman in the exploratory program. She experienced a cultural shock, being born in India. Shah expressed that she feels isolated, specifically with American holidays she does not recognize.
“But overall in a way I feel like I never really got impacted by culture shock because of the movies and television shows I watch,” Shah stated. She explained that where she comes from, it has been very “Americanized” and thus she has not experienced a high level of culture shock. Shah also stated that she is not surprised that IC is not diverse.
Similarly, Ashae Forsythe, an international student from Jamaica, experienced culture shock to a minimal degree. To a certain extent, she was exposed to American culture through the media. Forsythe stated that her transition to living in the U.S. took some time because of the slang people used and the educational structure.
“Sometimes in my classes, you’re very much aware that you’re the only black person in the class or one of few black persons in the class. And it makes it kind of hard to share views and perspectives that the other students aren’t necessarily understanding from your perspectives. Even professors. Sometimes classes tend to have a white-wash view, a very limited view,” stated Forsythe.
Another Jamaican student who did not experience culture shock was Jelani Williams. He is a freshman majoring in biochemistry. Williams stated he had no culture shock because he was very exposed to American culture at an early age. His frequent visits to the U.S. and exposure to American television shows prepared him for life at IC.
Williams said that there is no freedom of expression back in Jamaica and he likes that the U.S. can provide him with that.
“I guess the only kind of culture shock I experienced was the way people behaved. The way that people, you know, are very passive aggressive with their issues, not voicing all their problems and going off with a very passive manner,” stated Williams.
For Williams, the way U.S. manages time was something new for him. Back in Jamaica, he explained that they are not worried with students or teachers being late. On the other hand, Williams is still dealing with the highly enforced punctuality in the U.S.
All these international students have shown a high level of culture shock and others a lower level. Yet, their issues are the same: how do they adapt to a different environment where it is predominantly white? The data from IC’s Office of Analytics and Institutional Research has shown less international students enrolled at IC since 2015. If the college wants to make their students from different backgrounds feel safe and comfortable, they will need to help increase diversity in its campus.