Except for Native Americans, our
country is made of immigrants and continues to experience culture adjustment
almost daily with the influx of those from other countries. However, the question is often avoided: What
happens to individuals when they attempt to live in a new cultural
context? If culture is such a powerful
force of changing behavior, do individuals act in a new setting as they did in
the previous one, do they allow new cultural influences and expectations to
influence their behavior? Or is it a
complex combination of keeping the old and adjusting to the new?
In our increasingly global and
integrated world, opportunities to experience and interact with different
cultures are more prevalent than ever. Although
there are many factors contributing to the rise in international integration, the
rise of international student enrollment in U.S. Universities plays a large
role. According Allan Goodman, president of the
Institute of International Education, “The number of international students
at U.S. colleges and universities reached an all-time high, nearly 691,000
during the past [2010] school year.”
Last year, the Institute of International Education said that 103,260
students came from India, 98,235 from China, even 11,581 from Nepal.
BYU-Idaho
is also following the national trend with record enrollment of international
students. According to Mike
Oswald, manager over the International Services Department, there are a total of 454
international enrolled at BYU-I this year, the second greatest number of international
students ever recorded on campus. This
great influx of students is undoubtedly an asset to the student diversity of
the University, but also presents challenges to the foreign students. International students
not only have to deal with the rigor of U.S University academics, but have to
adapt to their new social, cultural, and linguistic environment.
There are many approaches to
adjusting to culture. Malcolm
Lewthwaite, author of “A Study of International Students' Perspectives on Cross-Cultural
Adaptation” suggests that there is a process to cultural adaptation. First
there is “culture shock” which can be seen as a crisis of personality or
identity. Being exposed to an unfamiliar
culture often rips away all that is familiar about oneself leaving an
individual with questions about identity.
One major concern that
is often highlighted in the media is that the natural response to counter-act
“culture shock” is for many students lives are segregated in ways that
reinforce their ethnic, racial and cultural identities. This self-segregation, often referred to as
“Balkanizaton” often conjures up negative images of Brown vs. Board of
Education era mentalities, stereotypes, concern, and surprise. According to Troy Duster, Director of the
Institute for the Study of Social Change, some critics argue that it “as open
assault on the common community... and “undermines the educational promise of a
genuinely multicultural college community.”
Colleges such as Berkley have all Black dormitories
or an “all Asian” dance. There is
International Student Housing at BYU-Provo and various culture clubs at
BYU-I. Despite contrary reports,
self-segregation is not a dominant part of campus life today. Students sometimes choose
to live, socialize and study with other student’s from similar backgrounds.
However this shouldn’t be considered “Balkanizaton.” According to Anthony Lising, “research
suggests that this clustering isn’t widespread; it doesn’t prevent students
from interacting across racial/ethnic lines; and it may be an essential
ingredient in many students’ persistence and success in college.”
A 1994 study of Latino students
suggests that belonging to Latino clubs and organizations actually helped their
adjustment to college life and University studies as opposed to hinder it. Trippi,
J., and H.E. Cheatham found that a targeted student support program was, “positively
related to African American students’ persistence in college and their degree
status.” Similarly two
other studies conducted by researcher in the 90s found that a positive
correlation between belonging to ethnic and racial groups and intergroup contact,
rather than a diminished interracial experience.
Quick labels such as “self-segregation” or
“Balkanization” are too simple and narrow minded. Cultural pride and honoring traditions is a
basis for self-affirmation and self-esteem.
Cooking, eating, praying in native tongue, and participating in cultural
tradition helps international students adapt to new surroundings, as well as
enrich the college experience for both natives and non-native alike. This practice of coming together and sharing
tradition is not phenomenon. It has been
occurring ever since the Pilgrims landed the Mayflower. We live in a pluralist culture. Nearly all of us have a hyphen before the
word “American” because virtually all of us come from immigrant ancestors.
Sharing culture, as well as socializing and interacting with those who have
common traditions, goals, and races make the college experience more fulfilling
as well as prepares us for the world ahead.
Cross-cultural skills are developed as well as tradition and cultural
heritage is preserved by natives providing educational and social opportunities
for college students. Culture adaptation
is a process of learning, self identity, and the balance between preserving
culture and adopting new cultures.
Lewthwaite said, “Through the points of passage various problems and
crises are met and resolved, working out new identities embracing both old and
new selves.”
Works Cited
Antonio, Anthony Lising, "Racial Diversity
and Friendship Groups in College: What The Research Tells Us," Diversity
Digest, Summer, 1999, (Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and
Universities, 1999): 6-7.
Duster, Troy. "Understanding
Self-Segregation on the Campus. " The Chronicle of Higher
Education 25 Sep. 1991: Research
Library, ProQuest. Web. Feb. 2011.
Fenner, Louise. "International Enrollment in
U.S. Colleges Reaches All-Time High." America.gov Press Release. 15
Nov 2010: n.p. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. Feb 2011.
Gilliard, M. D., "Racial Climate and Institutional Support Factors
Affecting Success in Predominantly White Institutions: An Examination of
African American and White Student Experiences," unpublished Ph.D.
dissertation, University of Michigan, 1996; Hurtado, S., Dey, E., and TreviËo,
J., "Exclusion or Self-Segregation? Interaction Across Racial/Ethnic
Groups on College Campuses," paper presented at American Educational
Research Association Conference, New Orleans, LA, 1994
Hacker, Andrew, and Claudia Dreifus. "The
Trouble with Going Global." Newsweek. 20 Sep 2010: n.p. SIRS
Researcher. Web. Feb 2011.
Hurtado, S., and D.F. Carter, "Latino Students’ Sense of Belonging in
the College Community: Rethinking the Concept of Integration on Campus,"
paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research
Association, New Orleans, LA, 1994.
Kitsantas, Anastasia. "Studying
Abroad: The role of College Students’ Goals on the Development of
Cross-cultural Skills and Global Understanding. " College Student
Journal 38.3 (2004): 441-452. Professional Development Collection.
EBSCO. Web. Feb. 2011.
Leonce, Kacey. "International enrollment
increases by 82." Scroll 21 Jan 2011, Print.
LEWTHWAITE, MALCOLM. "A study of international
students' perspectives on." International Journal for the Advancement
of" Counselling (1996): 167-185. Web. Feb 2011.
Niose, David A. "Identity
Politics: Humanists and Cultural Christians." Humanist 66.6 (2006):
35-36. MAS Ultra--Public Library Edition. EBSCO. Web. Feb. 2011.
Trippi, J., and H.E. Cheatham, "Effects of Special Counseling Programs
for Black Freshman on a Predominantly White Campus," Journal of College
Student Development 30, (1989): 35-40.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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