Study Abroad Experience

So what?

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While being a student in the US, I have realized some differences between the local culture and my own. For example, in the US, there is no uniform in public schools and universities, and I grew up in a country where school and university students must wear formal uniforms. In my secondary school, I had to wear black pants and a white shirt, while I wore a dark-blue suit in high school. In Uzbekistan, if you see people wearing formal clothes, you are highly likely looking at a student. However, in the US, if local people see you in formal clothing, they usually ask if I have an interview and special occasion. In addition to this, the absence of physical contact was a big surprise for me in the US because I grew up in a society where I could put my arm on my friend's shoulder, shoulder tap, or hug them. However, in the US, physical contact is not part of the culture because people are conscious about their personal space. While working as a Resident Assistant, I was putting my arm to my friends’/coworkers' shoulders of the same gender as a sign of friendship, and some of them clearly were surprised, while others were comfortable with it. A close friend of mine, who is my coworker born in the US, was accused of sexual harassment because of putting his arm on his coworker's shoulder. As a result, my friend had to resign from his job; however The Office of Affirmative Action - "Title 9" determined he was not guilty because he did it as a sign of close friendship and did not have any questionable intentions. I was shocked because of this situation because physical contact was widely practiced and permissible where I grew up. After this situation, I am more conscious about my actions and make sure that the person I am shoulder tapping and warmly greeting is someone who grew up in a society/community where such greetings are practiced and viewed as a sign of friendship.

 

Corruptions and Unfairness in Caribbean Islands, Mexico, and Brazil.

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Moreover, I have met many people from diverse backgrounds, heard many stories, and learned a lot about their culture throughout my academic journey. My friends and I brought up the topic of corruption many times because it is a substantial problem in many countries, including mine. I learned a lot from talking to my international friends about it. For example, my former roommate from Caribbean Islands shared his story about how he wanted to grow chickens and sell eggs. However, his government kept delaying the process and did not approve his business idea because they wanted him to pay them to get approval. So, he changed his goals and decided to come to the US to become a pilot. This story shows how the government is corrupted. Also, a friend of mine from Mexico and Brazil shared that police and government officials take bribes, and to start a business project or avoid criminal accusations, people can bribe the formal workers. Especially in Brazil, I learned that there was an anti-corruption organization called the "operation carwash" that prevented many issues related to bribery. They worked with businesses to catch corrupted government officials. As a result, they caught governors taking bribes, including former president Lula. There is a documentary movie about this organization and how they started and operated. However, after some time, the CEO of "Operation Carwash" accepted an offer from the government to become a governor. As a result, the organizations died, and people lost trust in him. 

 

Compared to the US, I observed that the US is more regulated and controlled regarding corruption. Many official organizations like the FBI investigate and prevent any illegal activities. Also, the US institutions prepare and inform students about ethical decision-making in a professional environment. Therefore, most employees in the US are aware of the consequences of any unethical activity and strictly respect and follow the rules. However, the US might not be the epicenter of corruption, but it is a place for the "smart rich individuals" who pay almost no taxes legally. This year, we have observed new laws regarding tax payments and seen "tax the rich" hashtags which had a mild impact. The rich still find loopholes and legally manage to avoid taxes. Considering all of this, we can say that every country has its challenges, and the US is taking some actions to overcome them, unlike some other countries.

 

Brazil culture and lifestyle

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Additionally, I had a  lovely conversation with my friend from Brazil about his life back home. He said that people are not punctual in Brazil For example, when there is a non-formal party at 8 pm, people show up at 10 pm. Also, he noted that Brazilians of different genders kiss each other cheeks while greeting. However, guys do not kiss guys' cheeks; instead, guys tap each other's back for an informal greeting. Also, I learned that Brazil has free healthcare so that anyone can access a local hospital at no cost. Moreover, Brazil has a very outgoing and drinking culture because drinking is legal at 18. My friend talked about how his high school committee organized a party with the presence of alcohol off school to collect money for the graduation party. The school committee was selling tickets for the party and alcohol during the party and giving the collected funds to the school. According to my friend, many high schools organize those types of parties every week so students from different schools can attend them.

 

I have observed in the US that drinking culture is widely adopted by youth and adults. Students in the US consider partying as something "cool," and every party is associated with mainly alcohol and music. Therefore, many students start drinking illegally before 21 while they are school students. At this point, it even seems like the underage drinking law is not valid anymore because many local students hold fake IDs or ask older friends to buy them alcohol. In addition to this, we all have seen bars being packed by students even during COVID19. Finally, according to the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, from March to September 2020, there were 41.9 billion dollars in liquor store sales, representing an increase of 20 percent and 18 percent compared to the same period in 2019 and the previous seven-month period, August to February 2020, respectively. We can see that alcohol culture is widely-spread among students in the US, especially during recent years.

 

Japan Culture

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Furthermore, my friend from Japan talked about social expectations and the education system. He shared that in Japan, most parents tell their kids that they must study hard to become successful in life. So many students spend a lot of time studying to get good grades and get into the best schools. For many students failing a class or not getting into the university is a huge tragedy, so because of this reason suicide rates are high in Japan. In addition to this, public schools in Japan require a school uniform. Moreover, Japanese people are very punctual in informal settings. They come to work early, and being late might result in lowered employment status. Finally, I learned that in Japan, students and employees make collective decisions. Everyone's opinion matters and is valued in schools and Japan. 

 

Now what?

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These interactions and experiences allowed me to expose myself to different cultures and learn about them. By interacting with numerous students, I learned differences in cultures and their perspectives on certain things. However, I understand that generalizing individuals and expecting them to have the same culture and have the same views as people I met before may be wrong. Every individual is different, so it is crucial to get to know them individually without making assumptions regardless of their backgrounds. Therefore, down the road, I will keep expanding my cultural knowledge and use it in my professional career. As a future financial advisor, I plan to work with diverse clients, so understanding their values and culture will allow me to better connect with them on a personal level.