A Reflection of Culture Shock in Scholarship Boy by Richard Rodriguez and Cultural Literacy by E. D. Hirsch

Being in a country where people don’t speak the same language as you is one of the hardest problems a person can face. Another challenge is leaving your family for the first time when you are 18 years old. Each person who moves outside their home country will likely experience some form of culture shock, but mine came before I even landed in the United States. I experienced it on the plane. I told myself it was only the beginning and that it was going to be a lot worse once I arrived. After arriving, I realized culture shock wouldn’t be the only problem I would encounter, but also several others. After reading the selections in class, I feel I can most relate to the stories “Scholarship Boy” by Richard Rodriguez and “Cultural Literacy” by E.D. Hirsch.

An Exploration of Culture Shock in "Scholarship Boy" by Richard Rodriguez and "Cultural Literacy" by E. D. Hirsch

Any young person at this age can experience culture shock as easily as I did. This is what I learned from my experience. People usually get culture shock when they arrive in a new country, but something unusual happened to me on the plane. It pushed me to experience culture shock earlier. It really can come at any time. In both stories, the authors also encountered a bit of culture shock.

In Saudi Arabia, there is something called Alabah for women and Thowb for men. These are the traditional clothes for Saudi Arabian people. All the people who were with me on the plane wore these clothes when we left Saudi Arabia. Three hours before we landed in D.C., I took a short nap, but it was a really bad time for a nap. Since I took my nap, my problems just started. While I was sleeping, all the people on the plane went to change their clothes from Saudi traditional clothes to American style. I woke up after the nap and saw different people. I thought at that time I went into a deep sleep, and they changed my plane. I figured out they just changed their clothes. I learned that from the person who sat next to me.

As I said, this nap was a bad idea. I didn’t know that while I was taking my nap, the flight attendants were handing out the papers for immigration, and I didn’t get one. We landed in D.C., and I went to immigration with only my passport. When it was my turn, I gave the officer just the passport, then he looked at me and spoke in English. He didn’t know that I didn’t speak English. I couldn’t even understand his body language, but he was pointing to a table at the back of the lobby. I didn’t know what he meant. I was looking for someone who could help me, but there wasn’t anyone who spoke Arabic in the lobby. After three hours, there was a guy with his mom, and he looked Arabic. He was coming to the same officer I was with. I went to ask him if he spoke Arabic, to which he replied yes. I asked for help because I really needed some guidance. He looked into my eyes, then laughed; he said, "You look so tired." I laughed and then told him what was going on with me. After that, he understood what the problem was, then he took my passport and filled out my information. After all this, the security finally allowed me access.

After I passed immigration and took my bags, I had my other flight to Columbia, SC. The problem was how I could find my other flight. I was looking for the same guy who helped me with immigration to help me again, but I couldn’t find him. The airport was very big. After I realized that I lost him, I started to look for somebody else, but I couldn’t find anyone. Then I remembered one sentence in English from when I used to take English in high school. It was "Where are you going?" Then I went to ask the people, "Where are you going?" The people were looking at me with a weird look. Their look was saying it is not your business. I understood there was something wrong with my sentence. I started to show each person my ticket for the next flight. People were trying to tell me how I could find it, but they didn’t know that I didn’t speak English. I was looking at their body language until I got to my gate for the next flight.

After five hours of waiting, I got on the plane to get ready to take off to Columbia, SC. After two hours of flying, I landed in SC. I went to take my bags. While I was waiting for my bags to come out, there was someone calling my name. I looked back, and it was my cousin. He was waiting for me because I called him when I was back home and told him that I would be arriving at that time on that day. Then I hugged him, and I almost cried as a feeling of relief because I knew at that time there would be no more problems anymore.

Insights from “Cultural Literacy” and “Scholarship Boy”

In “Cultural Literacy,” the author explained how one can gain the most insight into another culture. Experiences are very important in learning about culture. The author claimed, "Believing that a few direct experiences would suffice to develop the skills needed" (Hirsch, 1987, p. 35). This quote spoke to me significantly because by experiencing the culture in America, as I did, I felt less homesick. By engaging in these new activities, I began to worry less and less. Additionally, it made me realize the importance of stepping out of one's comfort zone to embrace new opportunities and broaden one's perspective.

The next quote, which was located in “Scholarship Boy,” also spoke a lot to me. Rodriguez stated, "Always successful, I was always unconfident" (Rodriguez, 1982, p. 17). This quote basically sums up my life. I succeed quite well, but I never have confidence in myself. The reason for this is because even though I know the information, I always feel it is wrong. I think several other students feel this way as well. Being stuck in a new culture and country is different, and students that are international fear being made fun of, maybe for pronunciation or something else. This fear can sometimes hinder one's ability to fully embrace and learn from new experiences, but overcoming it is crucial for personal growth.

Conclusion

Both of these assigned readings were quite relatable to my experience here in the United States. I have overcome many obstacles in my short time here, but I have not given up. I enjoy Mercyhurst University very much because they truly care about us students. Teachers are always willing to help us when needed, and for that, I am grateful. I feel very successful because not everyone can experience all the troubles associated with being an international student. This journey has taught me resilience and the importance of seeking help when needed, and it has ultimately enriched my life in ways I never imagined.

References

Hirsch, E. D. (1987). Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know. Houghton Mifflin.

Rodriguez, R. (1982). Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez. Bantam Books.