CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Cultural Diversity

Cultural Diversity

Introduction

Difference in cultures is not something that is considered damaging, since it is these cultures and values that set apart nations. Some cultures around the world are built around religion, while some are more secular and aim to build the nation around man-made laws. I, being a citizen of Saudi Arabia, travelled to the U.S and found that there were vast differences in culture and society, but for the sake of my future, learnt to adapt.

Discussion

For one to live away from their country is not only a personally interesting experience, but a culturally enlightening one. It has an effect on an individual's entire personality, the way that they perceive others and how open they are to new ways of thinking. Through a scholarly point of view, it is established that there are three major effects that may occur in an individual's life if they have lived away from their native land. Of course, the first one is obvious and is universally felt by all those who travel away, and is that of homesickness. There is not only a massive change in ones surroundings but a change in culture as well. One cannot help but miss the familiarity of home and will undoubtedly feel the pang of homesickness early on in their arrival to another country. For me, personally, the difference was immense as I was traveling to the U.S from Saudi Arabia, which is as different as can be from Western civilization. Not only this, the sense of familiarity was scarce in the street restaurants that would boast of Arabic food, or the sense of community that was in my native land was very much missing to me. Of course, these are small differences that did not affect me as much as those of American customs and how much they vary from my native society, which are based around very old methods and follows behavior patterns that may be considered very strange in the U.S. The Islamic customs and traditions are ingrained into every part of Arabic society, from the smallest tasks to bigger concepts such as banking. The value of freedom and development is what sets the two societies apart, the concepts are somewhat suppressed in one while the other depends on it. Although some believe Saudi society is very close minded, I know this to be untrue, since one may enjoy all aspects of life there in luxury. This is however, a small example of the kind of ignorance I was faced with from the students who realized my heritage. Their numbers were insignificant, but there has been a massive disconnect between the two nations, where one is completely obscured from the other hence people remain ignorant. This was one aspect that I faced here that made me realize the importance of ones own nation and heritage as being significant.

Homesickness doesn't mean that I was unhappy with my life, but the changes seemed drastic and in situations like these, one cannot help but be ...