CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Reflection Paper - Differences & Similarities between Iranian & America Cultures



Reflection Paper - Differences & Similarities between Iranian & American Cultures

Introduction

After the revolution in my country, Iran, in 1978, my husband and I decided to move to the U.S.A to have a better future for our family. After going through a difficulty getting a visa to the U.S. and overcoming many problems, we finally arrived to California in March of 1979. At the beginning, it was very difficult for me to adjust to a new culture, language and people. From that day onwards, my time in the western hemisphere has resulted in my exposure to a perspective in which I am able to distinguish the cultural line that separates American and Iranian culture. In the following paragraphs, I will compare and contrast the differences and similarities between Iranian and America cultures using the ODIS (Observe, Describe, Interpretations, and Suspend) technique.

Discussion & Analysis

As I was walking off the plane, the language seemed confusing and I was so baffled I thought we had made the wrong decision and that we should not have left the country. I had to adjust myself to the new culture. I came from a large close-knit family but here I had to accustom myself to being alone while my husband would go to work and stay late. I felt very lonely and homesick during that time and as I learnt more English I came across opportunities to meet and make friends with new people from different countries. English was a second language in my High School curriculum and I had rarely come across any opportunities to polish my English afterwards.

The ESL course I took after arriving in America helped a little, but they also helped me realize that American society bases its foundation on ...