Analysis Of Catfish And Mandala By Andrew X

Culture shock was the first thing that blew my mind when I first arrived in America. Alot of people define culture as a way in which an individual choose lead or live their life, their beliefs, customs, traditions and way of life. Being that Kenyan and America are two different countries from different continents, they might be differences in cultures and customs. This cultures present may not only distinguish them from each other’s, but there are some things in which they share with other cultures. There are some several differences and similarities between Kenyan culture and the American culture. This differences will helps us understand why people act and behave the way they do, thus preventing culture shock. Culture revolves around the high cost of living, family and food.

A sudden change in one’s surroundings can result in culture shock. Culture shock refers to the anxiety and surprise a person feels when he or she is discontented with an unfamiliar setting. The majority of practices or customs are different from what a person is used to. One may experience withdrawal, homesickness, or a desire for old friends. For example, when a person goes to live in a different place with unfamiliar surroundings, they may experience culture shock. Sometimes it is the result of losing their identity. In the article “The Phases of Culture Shock”, Pamela J. Brink and Judith Saunders describe four phases of culture shock. They are: Honeymoon Phase, Disenchantment Phase, Beginning Resolution Phase, and Effective

Cultural shock is a common feeling a person experiences when transitioning into a completely different environment and living situation. Throughout the world, immigrants experience many difficulties when assimilating into a new culture.

When the topic of culture shock comes up, one may picture a hapless individual, unaware of other ways of life, in some kind of comedic scenario; it could be that they embarrass their boss in front of the local clientele; or, maybe they unwittingly cause a scene out in the city; or, even still, perhaps they simply get homesick and learn an important lesson along the way about what really matters in life. Who has not seen a movie like that? The reality of culture shock is, it takes work to adjust to a new environment and it just may not for everyone. Even more critical is the fact that the adjustment period can cause stress, confusion or even depression. As MacLachlan (2016) states, the anxiety of culture shock can

Coming to a different country and not knowing what to expect is quite the feat. In addition to being physically lost and not knowing where things are, one can be culturally lost by not understanding the norms and superstitions. This can lead to the concept that is known as culture shock; this is “feelings of alienation and helplessness that result from rapid immersion in a new and different culture” (Nanda & Warms, 2017). Culture shock is a common aspect of immigration.

Culture shock is the feelings of alienation, hostility, heightened ethnocentrism, sense of loss, depression and/or self doubt that may result from immersion in a new culture.

Eckermann (2010), defines culture shock as segregation of two communities, creating conflict, inequality of rights, and inhuman treatment. Due to the divide, and Aboriginals being the minor group, they lost their identities and experienced tremendous stress and anxiety due to culture shock.

People only focuses on where they are but forgets where they came from. In “The Trip Back”, Robert Olen Butler criticizes self and family importance on cultural perspective through the story of Khánh, a Vietnamese man living in Louisiana, who is on a way back of picking up his wife’s grandfather. Butler sets cultural difference viewpoint as the crucial aspect of the story through Khánh’s behavior.

Culture shock always occurs to people who migrated from a native country into a new country. In the novel, The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier, shows Honor the protagonist, an English Quaker living in Bridgport, England, migrated to the US with her sister, Grace. As Grace was supposed to engage with Adam Cox and had to join him in Ohio, Honor came with her to flee a broken engagement. However, as Honor and Grace arrived in the US and stayed about few weeks, Grace suffered an illness called, yellow fever and this illness killed her. As a result, Honor faces new struggles in life, where she had to overcome by herself, adapt into the difficult lifestyle in USA, and tell Adam about Grace’s death. The novel shows how Honor sees the differences between the US and England’s nature, homes and food.

1. Culture shock- The disorientation that people experience when they come in contact with a fundamentally different culture and can no longer depend on their taken for granted assumptions about life. Pg. 35

Culture is all about an individual knowledge based on belief ,art,morals customs.Therefore culture shock occurs when people have different values and beliefs and are not tolerant of each others differences(Eckermann,Dowd,Chong,Nixon,Gray and Johnson,2006.).The separation of important people in

In this essay “Adapting to a new culture”, Maria Abroad discusses, Adapting to a new culture is not easy because from childhood onwards everyone has own culture. However, we are born into the culture, we are not born with the culture. So adapting a new culture is possible. According to Maria, when people move to a new country or a new place, they often find the new environment is quite different to what they have been used to. It is the best, exciting, and unbearable experience of your life. Maria states that experience with abroad living is challenge and adventure, because you have become independent and adjust to the different culture, without the support of friends and family. Maria gives us three ways to adapting to a new culture, when we moved to a new environment.

Catfish and Mandala by Andrew X. Pham is about a Vietnamese young man who was raised in California. Pham's father was a Prisoner of War on the Vietcong side. In the middle of dealing with his past, Pham decides to abandon the life he knows and ride his bike for a year.

Nowadays, the idea of actually meaning what we say has lost its true value and interpretation. Therefore, I believe an action has a bolder effect and a reinforcement to your true meanings. As Jane Austen said, “It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.”

Culture shock is one of the most significant factors that influence foreigner who they typically cut between the issues in their own nations and the loose of the identity in a completely new country.