Exploring Interpersonal Cultural Changes in Foreign Students and Those Living Abroad

Exploring Interpersonal Cultural Changes In Foreign Students and Those Living AbroadEDUC 583 Spring 2014 Dr. Pierre OrelusPatrick Maestas

ABSTRACTWhat does it mean to be intercultural? Living, working or studying abroad, away from your comfort zone brings challenges to many. You have to be open minded and be willing to adapt to change. What happens after you return home? How have you changed? Was your cultural identity compromised orenhanced?

Interpersonal Cultural Changes

Many people travel abroad for various reasons. In our

career field many travel to English-speaking countries in

order to learn or improve a foreign language. In some cases

people travel abroad to teach and work in a foreign country.

Many have traveled outside their countries prior to living

abroad. But many of leave their country for the first time

and are thrust upon a foreign land and culture.

Prior to leaving their countries many of these

students had a strong sense of cultural identity. They had

a sense of what it meant to be from their country and were

confident that the year or two abroad would not change them,

besides their improvement in the language that they are

studying.

What is culture? Culture is widely used to mean

practices, perspectives and products shared by a certain

group of people. Indeed different countries and different

people have different ideas of what the word “culture”

means. Perhaps the term I am looking for is “cultural

identity.” Seeing as the United States is a vast country,


in of itself full of many cultures, it is perhaps challenge

to define “American Culture” or an “American Identity.”

I will explore what it means to be “culturally

aware” from a personal perspective. I will also share what

it feels to be “culturally aware” or perhaps be more in

touch with our own “identity.”

Personal Reflective

My situation in the United States is not a unique

one. I am one of many people born of Mexican parents. I

learned to speak Spanish before I learned English.

According to my parents I learned English through TV and

when I went to Kindergarten. Growing up with my light skin

and light colored hair, many people assumed that I was a

typical “American.” The stereotype of the dark-skinned

Mexican was and continues to be strong.

Growing up I spoke Spanish at home and English at

school. Church was always in Spanish, and I learned to read

and write in Spanish. I was raised a Jehovah`s Witness and

the idea of being proud of your nationality or culture is

frowned upon, and in all honesty I do not recall ever


thinking about my culture while I was young.

My cultural curiosity started in 1994. The World

Cup was being played in the United States for the first time

and I was excited. In prior World Cups I was too young to

care. I remember the USA went to Italy in `90 and I wanted

to see them play.

The USA as host automatically qualified for the

World Cup. Mexico, my Mother`s country, also qualified and

I was excited to see them play. I was going for both of

them! I remember rooting for Mexico when they played

Ireland and Italy. I remember going nuts when the USA beat

Colombia!

In subsequent World Cups it was the same. But it

all came to a head at the 2002 World Cup in Japan/South

Korea. The United States and Mexico were to meet in the

elimination round. I had to make a choice. All my friends

were going for Mexico. I literally sat down prior to the

game and had to think, whom will I root for? I understand

if it sounds silly, but these thoughts had never crossed my

mind before. By birth I am an American, but I grew up in a


Mexican household. I do not exactly recall why I made my

choice, but I made it: I was going to root for the USA.

I still maintained that I was Mexican-American,

and I stated that loud and clear for everyone to hear. Then

I moved to Japan in 2003 and things changed. Moving abroad

totally changed my perception of who I was, and it changed

my cultural perspective as well.

Prior to my travel to Japan, I had traveled

extensively to Mexico on family visits. In 1999 I went on a

two-week trip around Europe. I had always wanted to travel

to the old countries. While abroad I thought it would be a

good idea to tell any and all people I met that I was

Mexican. At the time the United States was involved

militarily with the Serbian-Bosnian war and I was worried

that Europeans did not like Americans.

In 2003 I decided to apply for work in Japan and

moved there shortly after graduation. My thoughts on my

culture and identity were pretty straightforward: I was an

American of Mexican decent and was extremely proud of it. I

made an effort to look for other Mexican people in the area.


Things changed when I met Mexican expats in Japan.

Upon meeting many people from Mexico I realized that,

despite speaking the language and growing up in a Mexican

home, I didn’t have much in common with them. And they were

always quick to remind me that I was not from there, and

that my Spanish was not very good.

While this was happening my colleagues at work treated

me as one of them. My American co-workers were great, and

my other co-workers (Australian, British, etc.) kept

reminding me of how American I was. Despite some small

cultural differences, I realized I had a lot more in common

with my “American” side than what I previously had thought.

So I had a paradigm shift. I started to identify

myself more as an American than as a Mexican. I was not

denying my Mexican roots, nor am I denying my Mexican

culture. The way others saw me was as an American.

Upon returning to the United Stated I realized how

different I was. I had seen my country from the “outside

looking in.” While living in your own country, you do not

see it the same as you would if you were living outside the


USA. You get to see your country, warts and all. You start

to realize that not all around you are chants of “USA! USA!”

On the contrary, American foreign policy is a big deal

around the world and I as an American had to try to explain

my country a bit more. I became more critical of my

country.

Upon my return to the United States I was told

many told that I had changed. One of my brothers actually

stated, “some of your cousins think that you are not

American anymore.” This upset me. What does it mean to be

an American? Do you have to like American football, hot

dogs and light beer? Because I am critical of what I saw

around me, that made me “less” of an American? On the

contrary, seeing your country with all its flaws and still

identifying with it makes me more of an “American” than many

who have never left.

My cultural identity did change after living abroad and

returning home. I do not feel I am less “Mexican” or more

“American.” On the contrary, I relish both of my cultures.

I believe that I am still in a process of figuring


out my “cultural identity.” I am a proud father of a little

girl whose mother is Japanese. I am speaking Spanish and

English to her, while my wife speaks only in Japanese. My

daughter will have the best of three worlds! What will be

her “identity” as she grows older?

Interviews

In the process of this study I wanted to interview

some of my former students and see what they thought about

themselves, their cultures and their countries after living

abroad. I proceeded to interview two former students, a

friend that lived in the United States, and a friend that is

currently living in Japan.

The reason for this little research paper was to

compare and contrast what different people from different

nationalities experience while they are living abroad.

These interviews by no means represent the population of

said countries, for I only interviewed a small number of

people. I want the reader to attempt to place him or

herself in the shoes of the interviewees. If you have lived


abroad or are currently living abroad, you can probably

relate to what you read. If you have never lived abroad,

attempt to put yourself in their shoes.

I messaged my friends and former students on

Facebook and requested their assistance in answering some

questions. Out of the six people I messaged, four replied.

They stated that pseudonyms were not necessary and they did

not mind if I used their real names. So I will use their

real names.

Once permission was granted, I emailed them the

following set of questions:

1. What other countries had you traveled to prior to coming to the United States,

and why did you travel to those countries?

2. What were your thoughts on your country/culture/your identity prior to

coming to the USA?

3. After returning to your country, did you feel that you changed? Did others

(friends, family, etc.) comment on how you changed after living abroad?

4. How did you feel in regards to your own country and culture while living in

the USA? Did you see it in a different way (from the outside looking in)?

5. Finally, did your “cultural identity” change in any way after returning home?


The first two questions were “warm-up” questions,

designed to jump start the thinking process with my

interviewees. Just like you need a good warm-up prior to

exercising, I believe a good mental warm-up is necessary to

assist in answering the final three questions.

My interviewees emailed me their responses. I have

included the original responses as they were submitted to

me.

Khalid Dosari

The first person that replied was Khalid Dosari. I met

Khalid when I was an undergraduate at New Mexico State. He

is from Saudi Arabia and a graduate of NMSU.

In regards to his thoughts on his country prior to

leaving for the United States, he stated the following:

Khalid: thought his country was “backwarded, VERY

conservative and I thought my identity was somehow ready for

a major change and I was hesitant until last second.”

When I asked him about how he felt upon returning

to his country after living in the USA, he stated that he

had changed:


Khalid: "yes indeed, I grew more open minded yet still

maintaining my conservative identity and thoughts, the way I

look at things improved. I grew wiser, more patient,

understanding and accepting, and I even learned a second

language in USA, Spanish. Some family and friends think I

haven't changed `coz I maintained my main tribe & culture

identity. “

And to finish, he stated the following in regards

to his thoughts on his own country, culture, and his

identity:

Khalid: “I am still suffering from dealing with society

with double standards coz my way of thinking & analyzing is

practical & logical yet I still need to contain different

local social attitudes which are traditional & resist

change. I still think that my culture needs to go back to

real honest & sincere Islamic teachings on how to respect

time, others, honesty, &fight corruption. So that is a YES.”

Khalid returned home a different person in many

respects, but he was able to maintain his faith and his

conservative identity. At the same time he saw what he


thinks his country could do to improve and become a better

country. He changed as a person, but maintained his

cultural “identity” while living abroad.

Staci-Ann Ali

The second person that replied was Staci-Ann Ali. I met

Staci while living in Japan. She is from Trinidad and Tobago

and is currently living in Nagoya, Japan. The difference

between Staci and the others I interviewed was that Staci is

still living abroad (in contrast to my other interviewees,

who have since returned home).

When asked her thoughts on her country prior to leaving

it, she stated:

Staci: "My thought on my country was that we are a strong

country, my culture is direct and to the point, not very

emotional and doesn't really consider other peoples

feelings. I've somewhat tamed and refined my identity since

coming to Japan. I've had a lot of time to address, deal and

soften a lot of my defenses to allow myself to let people

in. My identity will always be Trinidadian, I've taken the

best points of my culture to help me.”


When you return to your country, do you feel that you

have changed?

Staci: “Of course I have changed. I don't fit in. It's

apparent that I am different in the way I think, feel,

address others, and conduct myself in situations. I don't

use the same phrases or "in words" that are being used

simply because I'm not there. My family and friends ALWAYS

comment on how I've changed, how I've become more cultured,

some say I think I'm better than everyone else, some think

it's just a phase. I'm coming from a background where women

went to school/university, met a boy got married and had

kids. So for me completing school/university NOT getting

married instead moving half way around the world and

traveling at every opportunity, is WILD!!! And very

rebellious…”

How do you feel about your own country and culture

while living abroad, and do you feel your “cultural

identity” had changed?

Staci: “I love my country, and living outside of it doesn't


change me. Being in Japan has only made more proud of being

Trinidadian. I have a deeper understanding of how I deal

with situations and why. I appreciate my traditions, crazy

stories, and humorous old wives tales. Looking in from the

outside, I see my country and people as colorful, full of

life and verve, strong and straightforward, all qualities I

have embraced. Being in Japan has only deepened my sense

of cultural identity, and made me more aware of how I am.”

As she clearly states, her sense of identity and

culture have actually been reinforced while living in Japan.

She is extremely proud of being Trinidadian and admits that

her changes have surprised many back home.

Marcos Vinueza

And next we have Marcos Vinueza. Marcos was a Go

Teacher from Ecuador and is currently an English teacher in

his native country. After spending seven months in the

United States he returned home in December of 2013. Even

before he left, he stated to me how he enjoyed his time in

the United States, and that he is a changed person. He

wondered how his life would continue now that he has seen


and learned a lot while living abroad.

What were your thoughts on your country/culture/your

identity prior to coming to the USA?

Marcos: “Well, being honest, I thought that USA would be

very complicated to survive, because many people around the

world consider us like Indians or undeveloped citizen.

Something is true, that Ecuador is growing step by step, but

we have to do a lot to get the American Culture. I am

Ecuadorean and in the moment when I took the risk to stay a

kind of transition of 7 months, just I opened my mind and I

tried to share with the rest of Americans keeping my

identity as Ecuadorean, but learning a new Culture. Let me

tell you that one week before one of my friends told me that

Americans could refuse my identity or they are going to

discriminate my costumes.”

After returning to your country, did you feel that you

changed? Did others (friends, family, etc.) comment on how

you changed after living abroad?

Marcos: “Of course, it was totally different. One of the

clear evidence for me was when I was in my neighborhood the


first morning I started to say “good morning” or “hi” to my

neighbors. Most of them were looking at me so weird.

Something else was when I was walking in the crowded streets

of my city somebody pushed me and I had to say, “I am

sorry”. Those are values or modals that Ecuadorean’s

citizens do not do usually. Furthermore, when I was hanging

out with some Go teachers of others states like Kansas and

Kentucky who live in my city, we were sharing almost the

same experiences or events. Moreover, something funny which

I heard from my women’s friend was that now there are not

worry when in their dresses in the moment to go to the job

or walking, because being fashion is not very important,

they say that the dress code is depending the occasion or

date.”

How did you feel in regards to your own country and

culture while living in the USA? Did you see it in a

different way (from the outside looking in)?

Marcos: “Yes, I did. Many times I felt that my country

needs to grow up a lot, because in my country there are many

good changes based on buildings, streets, transportation,


etc. Everything is just superficial, and that’s why the

propagandas of tourism are regarding landscapes, buildings,

streets, beaches and important monuments, but unfortunately,

the population keeps low in values. For example: many people

drop garbage in the streets, children cannot study on time

because there is not subscriptions, men do not offer or

extend the seat in the public transportation to women or any

disability. Also, dogs make poop in the streets and their

owners do not clear up it. Hence, while I was in my

transition of seven months I felt so comfortable and no

worry about those issues.”

Did your “cultural identity” change in any way after

returning home?

Marcos: “In my view, I can say that “Cultural Identity” are

not the correct words but rather “Cultural Values”, because

as Ecuadorean the first one will never change, rather the

second one improved and actually I know what is the

important of the dress code, to be polite, keep my city

cleaned and teach to my neighbors how to clean the poop of

their pets, although sometimes I got troubles with them. In


addition, I like reading more than before and most of the

time I spend it doing the same.”

Marcos was quick to clarify that perhaps the proper

term in his case was “cultural values.” Like many that have

lived abroad, there were some small changes in his

personality that perhaps are not well suited for life in

Ecuador. Saying “hello” to your neighbors is perhaps the

norm here in the Southwest, but not in Ecuador.

Sandra Coronel

And finally we have Sandra Coronel. She was also a Go

Teacher and returned to her native Ecuador in December to

teach English.

What were your thoughts on your country/culture/your

identity prior to coming to the USA?

Sandra: “I thought that my country needed something extra

to receive many tourists, and also I believed that the rest

of countries had many attractions and things to show to the

foreigners, but now I know that my country is one of the

most beautiful countries around the world. We have different

climates. In the north of the country is very cold. In the


orient region we have animals and plants that do not exist

in another places. The weather there is very hot and humid.

In the coast region, it means in the beaches, days and

nights are very warm, and the food is delicious. Can you

imagine, many climates in only one small country? I am very

proud of my Ecuador.”

After returning to your country, did you feel that you

changed? Did others (friends, family, etc.) comment on how

you changed after living abroad?

Sandra: “After my experience in United States, I feel my

change because now I am more humble than before. I accept

many aspects that I did not before. Nobody tells me about

any change, they said that they congratulated me because I

am the same person.”

How did you feel in regards to your own country and

culture while living in the USA? Did you see it in a

different way (from the outside looking in)?

Sandra: “all countries have their own culture, food,

traditions, parties, festivities. We have to respect them

and try to adapt ourselves to the new form of living. For me


was very difficult because the food was very different. The

weather was the hottest I've lived before. Nowadays, I

understand that the process that I had experimented there

was relevant in my life.”

Did your “cultural identity” change in any way after

returning home?

Sandra: “The new good ideas that I could find there I would

like to transmit here. For example, the respect to the

traffic law. The transportations must be organized like in

your country and other aspects. But mainly, it means about

my attitude in front of the rest of people.”

As she states, her experience abroad humbled her a lot.

She understood that all countries have their own culture,

food, traditions and festivals and respect for each culture

is important.

Questions for Future Study

I am in no way basing the findings in this paper as

conclusive proof of intercultural personal changes occurring

when someone is living abroad. The sample size is just too

small to make a complete analysis.


All four shied away from openly displaying their

personal opinions on their host country. On the contrary,

the host country was not really portrayed in any of the

responses at all. As a reader you are aware that the

interviewees are living in a host country, but all shied

away from a critical opinion of said country. Kramsch

stated that teachers tended to `shy away from too

conflictual a clash of opinions`(Kramsch, 1993, p. 85).

This might be the case not just with the Ecuadorian Go

Teachers, but also with the other two non-teachers.

This study was limited to two Ecuadorian Go-Teachers,

one former student and one person that is still living

abroad. Perhaps in any future study we can concentrate on

one group in particular, or broaden the field to more

people. Being more selective will change the dynamics of

the study.

The overall conclusion is that all four had

interpersonal changes due to their time living abroad. The

Ecuadorian`s had to adjust to living in a country where

everything was different. In Sandra`s case, it humbled her


and helped her appreciate her own culture and country.

Adaptability and sensitivity is the basis for intercultural

communication skills.

Marcos stated that his “cultural values” are what

changed, and not his identity. Both of them both wished

that their home country would make certain changes that they

became accustomed to while living in the United States.

Khalid`s identity never waivered while living abroad,

and Staci`s identity and sense of cultural pride has

actually grown stronger while she lives abroad.

In conclusion, my time abroad did change me but in a

different sense. I come from a bi-cultural home where

nationality and culture were topics that were not really

spoken of at home. All of a sudden I was thrust into a

situation where I was asked, “Are you Mexican or an

American? You can not be both.”

Ting-Toomey`s definition of transcultural competence

(TCC) is adaptability and sensitivity. Ting-Toomey explains

that TCC is a process where communicators learn to “mutually

adapt to each other’s behaviors appropriately and flexibly”


by respectful observing and reacting to other’s

communication process (1999, p. 261).

In all subjects I believed that they all gained a bit

of TCC while living abroad. You have to have TCC to begin

with, or else your time abroad will be challenging.

And being flexible and open allows someone to accept

other ways, a lack of rigidity, and an ethno relative

perspective (Brislin & Yoshida, 1994, p. 90) allows people

to live and thrive abroad.

In all four subjects, they were flexible and open, and

in some cases humbled by their experience. And in each case

they all maintained strong cultural “identity,” perhaps

because of their time abroad.


REFERENCES

Brislin, R., & Yoshida, T. (1994) Intercultural

Communication Training: An

Introduction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Ecuadorian Go Teachers. NMSU. Retrieved from

http://celp.nmsu.edu/special-programs/gt/

Kramsch, C. (1993) Context and Culture in Language Teaching.

Oxford: Oxford University Press


Menard-Warwick, J. (2014) English Language Teachers on

the Discursive Faultlines. Identities, Ideologies and

Pedagogies. Great Britain: Short Run Press Ltd.

Ting-Toomey, S. (1999). Communicating Across Cultures. New

York: The

Guilford Press.

Williams, T. (1999). Impact of study abroad on

students` intercultural communication skills: adaptability

and sensitivity. Retrieved from

http://www.aaplac.org/library/WilliamsTracy03.pdf

Exploring Interpersonal Cultural Changes in Foreign Students and Those Living Abroad

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