Personal Reflection Essay - My Year I Became A Culture Shock For Me

My parents originate from an indian heritage so their ability to understand and speak English wasn’t very adequate. I often took the role as a translator in these situations at the hospital which gave me direct exposure to the grim reality of the situations my brother was in. This direct exposure gave me prestigious strength as a child to never lose hope and always contribute positively towards situations.

2016, the year of change. My life suddenly turned upside down, inside out, and thrown all around. Over the whole year, I went through a multitude of events which helped me define myself.

On May 11th 2013, my grandma passed away due to pancreatic cancer. A little later that year on September 25th, my mom received a call from my aunt in Guam that my dad had passed away in his sleep. Then on May 14th 2014, my grandpa passed from complications of an allergic reaction to a medication. So within a year, I was left to deal with three immediate family deaths, one right after another. Losing such important figures in one’s life could leave someone depressed and unmotivated to move on with their own life and to rise above those challenges is difficult, yet possible. During this time of hardship, I grew discouraged and saddened, but over time I became motivated to set aside these struggles and make a change.

My parents are from the Philippines and are foreign contract workers in Saipan and have lived there for more than 25 years. I am an only child. We were not the richest family but I feel like I was spoiled as a child. I was spoiled not in the sense of material objects but with love, attention, etc. In 2013, my father was diagnosed with cancer and underwent treatment in the Philippines. My parents did not have any health insurance as my mother was the only breadwinner of the family and her job paid just above the minimum wage, which was $5.05, and her job had no benefits. His absence was very hard for me but knowing that he was undergoing treatment made me accept it better. In August, 2015, Typhoon Soudelor (world’s strongest) hit Saipan. Houses, electric poles, buildings, and trees were damaged. There was no electricity, water, cable TV, and internet for several months. My mother and I had to line up in long lines for gas, ready to eat meals, and water. Our garage roof was damaged and our house was flooded. Then, my father was hospitalized. He passed away a month later, three days before my senior year of high school. The typhoon and the death of my father devastated me but I managed to stay strong and continued on with my schooling and activities. I am still grieving but I try to focus on the work at hand and not let my emotions deter me from accomplishing my

My dad left for work like any other morning, but he never came back that night. I don’t remember my birthday that year. I spent a lot of time in various hospitals, thinking my situation couldn’t get any worse and that no one could possible understand what I was going through. That is, until I finally looked around and saw people in positions exactly like mine or even worse. I let myself get so intertwined with my own problems, I didn’t take notice to my surroundings. It was during these times spent at the hospital that I really developed a compassion for others. Up until that point I was considerably self-absorbed, but during this period I was enlightened and was compelled with the need to care for others. This trying time for my family sparked a fire in me to not only notice the needs of others but fulfill

While I was growing up in Haiti with a happy family. I was a happy child, bad at home but I was a smart girl in school. My family was there for me when I need them, whether in a bad or good situation, they never let me go. Also, my family always found a way to keep a big smile in my face. They always knew what was wrong and right when I maked a bad decision. One day, all the happiness went away. My life became harder, I was scared, and sad. On March 20, 2005, I thought I was going to die. I became ill and had malaria symptoms. I missed school for two months. I could not sleep, eat or enjoy my childhood. The only thing I was able to do was stay in bed all day. It was good that I did not have to do my chores, but I realized it was boring and

Growing up as an American, you’re probably use to dinner being the biggest meal of the day. Fast food and restaurants being the main source of meals for you and your family.

The following months a winter, cold and gloomy, surrounded the house. My grandmother came to stay with us since my father had fallen into depression and needed help taking care of my sister and I. When my grandmother went grocery shopping my sister would struggle with homework without my grandmother’s help. One day when my grandmother left to go grocery shopping my sister approached me, which was unusual of her since its very rare for her to come to me. Her dark brown hair and big eyes reminded me of my self when I was younger. “I’m hungry” she complained, a question she’s never asked me. My father sleeping and my grandmother away, I was the only one left to take care of her and that terrified me. I had never cared for or known how to care for someone else. All I knew was how to evaluate whether or not someone was caring for another correctly.

My life is surrounded by grief. Since I was a little, my mother diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. At the time, she was the only woman in Thailand who had it. Various years passed, she finally found a hospital that could treat her symptom accordingly. Going in and out of the hospital like it was another house, as well as seeing my mother in deep pain, making me physically and mentally unhealthy. Three months later, my father diagnosed with Liver Cirrhosis and a development of a cancer cell in his liver. Both of my parents remain extremely anemic as a result of taking medicines such as steroid for years. Wistfully, I have to live with the nightmare of losing them one day while I am abroad.

My grandpa died of Cardiac Arrest, where a sudden stop of blood flow fails due to the heart. At that time that I received the news from my family in Guatemala, I didn’t know how to react. Whether I should be sad and cry or stay quiet and give my condolences. All I knew is that it really hurt my family and they wanted to be with him. My grandma thought of something, booking a flight to Guatemala as soon as possible for his funeral. She decided to take me, my aunt and cousin. They were the only ones who really wanted to go in my family living in Los Angeles.

Born in Haiti to Mr. & Mrs. Lormeus Frederick, my lifestyle as a child was very modest, humble, and supportive. We weren’t rich, nor were we poor; my parents provided food on the table every day and enrolled us in the most prestigious school in the country. Our home was very peaceful and fun. My father had five children from previous relationships while my mother only had two. Being the youngest child, I was always well protected and spoiled by everyone; it got annoying sometimes always being babied as if I couldn’t do things on my own. My siblings and I got along very well, of course we had our misunderstandings at times, but we always stuck together and had each other’s back. I sometimes wish I could go back to that life again.

On January 5, 2009 my father pasted away. He and I did not have the typical father-son relationship; we did not have a relationship at all. I presumed that it would have a little if any affect on me. However, as the semester continued, it seemed to get worse. Besides my father’s passing, several weeks later my grandmother was diagnosed with dementia. It was difficult for me to deal with, but it was more difficult for my mother to handle.

In 2010, as my sisters-in-law and their families prepared to immigrate to the United States (U.S.), my husband and I did all we can to advise and assist them in getting ready for their long journey from Nigeria to the U.S. To our surprise, contrary to every advice we gave them, in preparation for life in the US, they started out with trying American fast foods of different kinds. Culture shock is expected for anyone who immigrates to the US, regardless of where they come from. The type(s) of help the person(s) gets on how to overcome it and their adherence, most often, determines the future outcome of life in their new country of residence.

Culture Shock has played a tremendous role in the growth of cultural ecology because it is an issue that is constantly growing all over the world. In the United States, it may not seem like things are changing involving culture shock, but it is not any different then the changes in places like Africa and China for example. It is developing equally across the world because there are now more ways to travel. So, what exactly is culture shock anyways? Well, it is known as going to a foreign or unfamiliar territory that one is not used to, so they may feel symptoms of anxiety such as nervousness or shock because the customs, actions, beliefs, etc of those people may not seem familiar to them, so one may feel ill-prepared for the changing environment. Also, for example, if one was to go to school in the U.S. but came from China, they would feel culture shock because the rules in China are not the same as rules in the U.S. and so it may make one feel uneasy about the situation because they are not use to change and maybe the move was to quick for them to adjust properly. The United States is very different from foreign areas because the culture is very different. Where have people of Africa seen movie productions, music, sports, universities, iPhones, computers, etc? The answer is not where they live but in the United States if they traveled there before. This is exactly the issue with culture shock in ecology. Culture is what people behave like, feel, and do. Shock is a symptom

Culture defines people’s values, beliefs, and personal interests. Culture is important because it allows people to maintain a unique identity society. Many cultures have common interests, while others may have customs that differ greatly from that of another. Technology has had a huge impact on present day cultures. Many culture have been altered including my own, and some have been created due to the rise of technology. Cultures differ so greatly that someone belonging to one culture may not agree with the values of another, which then causes social and ethical issues. My culture shares many similarities with others around the world; most of which have connected more people in recent years than ever before. Cultural gaps, and lack of