Woohoo!! Officially in the States? Yeah, Yeah, breathe that air in. Wondering why there are no stray animals on the road? And why is everyone greeting you good morning? What is so good about mornings away from home anyway?
This is not what you signed up for. You signed up for a better and more opportunistic life. Trust us, cultural shock is part of that better life. Still not sure what exactly is cultural shock? Read on…
Culture Shock For Immigrants In America
In very simple terms, the shift of cultures, traditions, rules, societal norms, foundation, and freedom that you experience in a place you move to, is so strong that it comes to you as a shock.
For example, if you are an Indian who has lived their childhood days in a village where not putting a veil on women was considered shameful. And now you move to America where the veil is something that is reserved for weddings except if it is a religious thing. This is a fundamental example.
You will feel cultural shock not only in big things like veiling but even in smaller and less noticeable nuances of life. Like- You will find yourself ordering water without ice because, there, water with ice cubes is the norm. (It is not weird Rahul, Shut up!).
So, when you wake up in the morning and no rooster is crowing but rather a ten-year-old delivering newspaper at your doorstep for extra pocket money, DON’T BE SHOCKED, this is going to be your new normal. You will not only have to adjust to the legal and financial changes but also cultural changes, changes in everyday habits, and understanding of your true tradition.
Unlike your breakup which came suddenly, cultural shock has stages. And these stages start when you first land in America and the time it ends will depend on how well you adjust to them. But before we move to these stages straight wouldn’t you want to know if you are experiencing cultural shock?
Signs of Cultural Shock
Certain signs indicate if or when you are experiencing cultural shock. These signs or symptoms might sometimes even be unnoticeable just like your increment in the previous quarter.
Loneliness
As you are still finding your way around the new environment you shall feel out of place and that could lead to feelings of loneliness and anxiety. However, the seriousness of the same would depend on the kind of person you are. If you are a positive person, you might be able to navigate through feelings easily.
Sleep
When you cross oceans there is a very high possibility that you experience a disturbed sleep schedule. This could be because of jet lag or differences in time zones.
And once you settle in the new country, the sleeplessness might get aggravated because of the stress and overthinking and this will tell you that you are experiencing cultural shock.
Homesickness
The worst kind of sickness of all diseases is Homesickness, because you know the problem but you have no solution. When you move into a new place and see everything being so different from how they were at home, you will feel like you want the warmth of your home. The cultural differences which come as a shock are bound to make you feel homesick.
Productivity
When you are experiencing something very new and alien (Yes, Anjali we remember JADOO) (gives side eyes) you are bound to face difficulty in functioning properly.
This might be because you still haven’t figured out how to adjust to the new changes and this will show in your work or academic performance.
Personality
The kind of changes that the new culture desires will also shape the way your personality. So, if you can see the visible change in your personality because of the kind of environment that you are in now, this will help you to recognize the presence of cultural shock that you are facing.
Hence if you find any or all of these signs happening you could consider that you are experiencing cultural shock and that you are not the only one. there are many other students, workers, and immigrants just like you who too face the issue of the sudden changes in things ranging from food to social networking. All these signs of experiencing cultural shock are completely natural and normal.
Let us now understand the causes of the cultural shock- Rahul, being a Taylor Swift fan wouldn’t make it less of a cultural shock for you (facepalm).
Causes of Cultural Shock
Livelihood
As soon as you land you will realize there is a way of life that is very different from India. you may experience a newfound independence, you might find it difficult to understand how to dive into this pool and come out alive. The style of living in America is more tilted towards individuality as compared to the Indian lifestyle which is more community-based. This is one of the major causes of cultural shock.
Lingo
It’s LINGO Anjali, not LINGA (although, we agree Rajnikanth is the Thalaivar).
Environment
The literal weather conditions in America and India are like democracy and dictatorship (far different from each other). America is colder than India. this will affect your adjusting process there. This shock might even affect your health so that you are ready to hustle in these cold countries because life doesn’t stop because of the cold.Education
If you are moving to this new country for education, you must know that cultural changes also follow in the education department. The scoring, the methodologies, scholarships, projects, and others will differ from your home country and this might give you a hard time and thus, shock you even further. But you can get hold of it with time.Cuisine
The food in India and the food in America are typically each other’s opposites. But remember opposing values are complementary. So, the shift in the culture in America could also be felt in the form of the kind of food that would be available to you. Unless you are an excellent chef, you might have to change your food habits.Community
The rules of the community societal norms are bound to differ in a country as Westernized as America from a country as Asian as India. The rules are unspoken and you are to understand these rules of your new environment. Thus, in India when someone smiles at you, you might think they are acting suspiciously but in America, it is quite common. And if you think about how someone can take the names of their elders which is very unlike your Indian self, it is very American to do so.Now let us move on (You should move on from that situationship too) to the stages of cultural shock that most immigrants experience. So that when you experience them you are aware of them.Stages of Cultural Shock
1. Honeymoon Stage
This is the stage that an immigrant experiences when they just land in an alien country. You will find life in your early days there very beautiful and all rainbow. This stage occurs before the cultural difference begins to affect your life.
2. Troubling Stage
This stage will finally bring the challenges and difficulties in the new country in your old life. You could see the changes affecting your life and you bearing the burn of all of it. Immigrants might start feeling lonely or even homesick.
Every day might seem like a struggle because of the changes and you could experience isolation because of the communication gap.
3. Rehabilitation Stage
After the last stage, you might think that adjusting to this new country is out of your control but soon you will find yourself making adjustments in your lifestyle and finally being able to understand the American way and thriving.
You might sometimes still feel pressured to adapt and even frustrated when failing to do so quickly, but it is okay because of the unfamiliarity of the culture.
4. Liberating Stage
Now you would be in a more comfortable position than your previous stages. You would be more confident and more accepting as you would not compare your home environment to the American environment more often now. You could see that you could start a new and better life in America.
5. Self-Sufficient Stage
This stage shall be called the self-sufficient stage because when an immigrant reaches this stage, they are more independent and self-sufficient and they have adjusted and adapted to American life very well. This stage allows immigrants to feel good about their old culture in their home country while simultaneously appreciating the migrated country’s culture.
6. Reverse Shock Stage
This stage might not necessarily happen in every immigrant’s life because this stage will only occur when the immigrant returns to his home country. This way the immigrant will re-enter their home country’s culture. And this might again come as a cultural shock.
This re-entry phase makes the immigrant adjust to the home culture after adapting to the American culture for so long. They might not fit in back again perfectly as they did before.
Surviving The Cultural Shock
You need to survive the cultural shock to thrive in an unknown country amongst strangers. Overcoming these cultural changes might seem like a lot of work but the truth is it is easy to drive through them if you put in just a little work. We have laid down some ways that could help you to ride the cultural shock better.
Connections
You must stay connected with your well-wishers be it in India or America. You need people who can motivate you to start adapting to the changes and take on a positive outlook towards life. And accepting your reality as it is.
Acceptance
This brings us to our next way which is acceptance. You need to accept the fact that cultural shift in your environment is just the natural part of you moving to a new country and the sooner you accept these changes the better you will adjust your life in America. Take your time and adjust.
Work
If you are shifting to a new place as an employed person you should seek that you are using your extra time to maybe find extra gigs to support yourself. And if you are moving there as a student, you must find some work. This will help you to adjust and understand the culture better and even use your free time rather than obsessing over the changes.
Events
As mentioned, if you move to another country as a working professional you could either work more or you could also socialize. No Rahul, sipping Whiskey on rocks in a shady bar in Brooklyn in a corner alone doesn’t count as socializing.
You must attend some cultural events to understand their culture better and socialize likewise. You can also volunteer if you get a chance.
Networking
As described, you must attend different cultural events so that you can socialize and network. This will help you to miss home a little less and accept the changes in your life a little early. You can connect with not only other Indian immigrants so that you have people who can connect to you on a level that is alien to Americans. But also make friends with people from different communities so that you have a better chance at understanding the shifting cultures around you.
Help
If you feel that adjusting to the new environment is too much for you and your mental health is suffering the same, you could get help from professionals. You could consult a therapist, or a psychologist even to make sure that you are not tackling harder mental health issues alone, since it can be stressful.
Conclusion
You need to keep in mind that cultural shock is very obvious and the most natural thing to happen to any immigrant. You are bound to face a new and unusual set of norms and societal structures as you shift from your homeland to a foreign land. But the real deal is to not be scared of it but rather embrace these changes and move forward with them. You will meet new people, some friends, some Snakes but remember, a new culture is a window to a new life.
Also understanding American culture is important because what if you fall in love with an American and have to explain to your family why your partner can’t touch your parent’s feet? That would be a discussion, wouldn’t it?
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