My Story

I’m from Korea. I have grown in an East Asian country where people have very different culture. I think religion has influenced many parts of culture, ever since Confucianism and Buddhism have spread to Eastern countries. As a Korean, this kind of spirit had an effect on me. There are some good cultural behaviors that I like to adopt from Americans. But there are some things that I don’t want to follow.

American clothing is very informal. My first housing was a small first floor apartment. In the spring, there was a real sunny day and some people came out and lay down on the grass around the apartment complex. The men didn’t wear their top clothes and some ladies wore little tiny bikinis. I could hardly go out and I didn’t know where I should keep my eyes to see. When I went to the supermarket, senior ladies came around wearing curling rolls on their heads. That brought me a smile. I guessed most American didn’t care about other people’s thought. They just wore whatever they felt comfortable.

Some manners are not easy to understand. For instance, at the bank, people lined up in a very long line with patience. It seemed like they were enjoying those moments. I used to be hurry in my life. I didn’t like waiting in a long line. But I had to endure that. There was a proverb, which said, “ If you go to Rome, you should be a Roman.

Most American respects other people’s privacy well. In my country we usually don’t call before we visit friends. It looks like a proper manner. On the other hand, I feel like it’s too official between friends. There is one thing I do reluctantly. I still don’t like to shake hands with men. I tried to be nice to whom I met someone at first. Unfortunately my hands didn’t move at all.

Some different customs causes trouble. I heard about a miserable episode, which happened in the Los Angeles area. A Korean man kicked his own puppy because that dog didn’t listen to him. The result became very serious. He had to go to jail. It was very ridiculous behavior as an American. But most Korean don’t make sense why he should be arrested kicking for his own dog.

Adopting Western culture is the stressful for most immigrants. So many immigrants make mistakes learning American lifestyle. There will be a lot more cultural experiences that immigrants have to overcome. My conclusion is just don’t panic and accept what you think it is good. If you think it is not necessary to follow American customs, then don’t do it.