Gatson CAPS Blog #4

CAPS Blog #4

I chose the article “Lincoln refugee finds empathy as strife hits the Congo” to focus on for this CAPS blog.  In this article Idex Kusukika briefly touches on how hard it is to be away from his family and see them struggle on T.V. and not be able to do anything about it.  He says his main struggles in Lincoln are integration and the English language.    Integration is defined as: A type of cultural adaption in which individuals maintain both their original culture and their daily interactions with other groups. (Martin & Nakayama, 2012, p. 238)  In the article Kusukika says, “The most difficult thing is to be integrated.  When people come, we have many problems.” (Smith, 2011) Not only is he talking about cultural differences but he is also talking about the English language.

This summer I met a girl from Germany named Patricia who was working in New Jersey as an au pair.  She speaks German, English and French.  She said the problems she kept running into when beginning to speak English was the accent.  That caught me off guard because when I think of American English I think we have a lack of accent.  She also told me that in French you have to make sounds in the back of your throat to make the words sound correct and when you are used to accenting words in a certain way its hard to pick up the accent of a different language, “And you have too many damn exceptions.”  Kusukika may be experiencing the same things as Patricia. 

The article mentions that Kusukika had dinner with other refugees, which acts as “social support”, which in theory reduces stress, clarifies uncertainty and increases a sense of identity.  Not only does he have the support of other refugees with similar life stories but he also can find support in his job at the BryanLGH Medical Center.  These two groups provide him support for his cultural beliefs from home and also new cultural norms in Lincoln, NE.

I found this video interesting because there are words people in other countries simply can't pronounce in American English.

Martin, N.J., & Nakayama, K.T. (2012) Intercultural communication in contexts 6^th edition.  NYC.: McGraw Hil

Smith, M. (2011, December 11) Lincoln refugee finds empathy as strife hits the Congo. Journal Starhttp://journalstar.com/news/local/lincoln-refugee-finds-empathy-as-strife-hits-congo/article_6f011d2a-fe13-5d11-bbee-b5de6f5aba59.html

Youtube: How to get an American Accent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=nwWs4tZYMoE

Adaptation and Language: Getting Tongue-tied

            We make a grave mistake when we assume jumping into American culture is easy for an immigrant or refugee. For many of us, this country is home and its cultures are quite familiar. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard peers and colleagues say in exasperation, “This is America! Why can’t they just speak English?!” The truth is that unless we venture into a foreign culture and face our own language barriers, it’s impossible for us to imagine migrants’ struggles with cultural adaptation.

            The Journal Star article about Suu Bweh and her children brought to mind the concept of cultural adaptation, and more specifically, the Transition model for adaptation. Martin and Nakayama define cultural adaptation as a “process by which individuals learn the rules and customs of new cultural contexts” (330). Adaptation may depend on how welcoming the host environment is and what types of language barriers exist in the given culture. The Transition model focuses on the fight or flight approaches taken in order to adapt or resist change. Fight approaches are more aggressive toward cultural participation, while flight approaches are more hesitant or withdrawn (334). 

Suu Bweh’s story shed light on one family’s intense struggle to grasp English as a foreign language. English competency affects the kids’ homework, communication with their parents, and their overall ability to integrate Lincoln’s culture with their own backgrounds. By partaking in extracurricular activities such as soccer, Suu Bweh’s children are actively transitioning into the new culture. The transition model posits “taking time out from the stresses of intercultural interaction (by speaking [one’s] native language) may be appropriate” (Martin and Nakayama 334).

            Similarly, Idex Kusukika (Lincoln Journal Star) and Moe Free (Net Nebraska) are working to integrate their individual cultures with their new Lincoln environment. Cultural adaptation is, by no means, a simple process for these refugees, but it is a necessary component to successful life abroad.

            As students of intercultural communication, we understand exactly why ‘just speaking English’ isn’t an easy answer for migrants. The interpretive approach to intercultural communication maintains that cultural contexts influence our communication (92). If communication itself is a problem because of a language barrier, we ought to encourage members of the host community, Lincolnites, to better embrace cultural differences so as to facilitate better communication. Moe Free’s world, for instance, is rather isolated at the moment due to an inability to speak English. To combat such communication struggles, we should continue to promote education in foreign languages while embracing cultural diversity, which is a topic we discussed in the previous CAPS blog. Foreign language, for me, has provided an outlet to understand cultural differences and enjoy communication. Here's an awesome photo of my Spanish family and me. Without English as a reference language, we communicated solely through Spanish, which ultimately improved my language capacity monumentally.

            The video I’m attaching today is indirectly related to the topics above. I’m advocating the persistence of language education, so I thought it’d be fun to watch some public figures showing off their foreign language skills. The names on the list might surprise you!

Works Cited:

Image: http://csmp.ucop.edu/files/sites/icons/17.jpg

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2012). Intercultural communication in contexts(6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.
NEBLINE. (2004, June). Lincoln's refugees. Lincoln, NE: Yelena Mitrofanova.
Myers, E. (2011, December 05). Lincoln community home for refugees from around the world. Retrieved from http://www.newsnetnebraska.org/

Stefankiewicz, R. (2012, May 13). Lincoln's refugee students find language barriers when doing homework. Retrieved from http://journalstar.com/ 

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4S1d8bB9uQ 

Freeman CAPS #4

Communication is defined as “a symbolic process whereby reality is produced, maintained, repaired, and transformed.” (Martin & Nakayama, 2011, p. 94).  I find it very interesting that the main struggle that the immigrants have coming over to America is communication, the United States considers itself as a melting pot of cultures and being the land of oppertunity for immigrants, and since the United States has no offical language I one might think that this would be one of the easier adjusments for immigrants to make. 

However when reading the articles and based on my own struggles taking Spanish this semester I fully understand what a struggle learning another language in a different country would be.  The second article titled, Lincoln’s Refugee Students Find Language Barriers when Doing Homework was eyeopening to me.  The family was in a refugee camp for ten years and their mother did not speak any English, and a number of the children attened schools taught in English.  This became a big struggle for the students because they could'nt get any help from their parents with things like homework.  It reminded me on a small scale of taking Spanish in high school, if I got home and had homework I did'nt know how to do I couldnt ask for help meaning either I would'nt do it or I would do it wrong.

Being a tennis player I love watching pro matches on television.  Tennis is a sport that is very international with players from tons of countries some that I have never heard of playing matches on TV.  After each match the winner does an interview and it suprises me how many of the players are able to speak English.  Almost every player gives two interviews one in their native language and one in English, it has almost made me think that people everywhere grow up speaking their language and English as well.  I posted an example of Roger Federer in a post match interview, although he is from Switzerland he sounds almost perfect speaking English.

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2012). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.

Stefankiewicz, R. (2012, May 13). Lincoln's refugee students find language barriers when doing homework. Retrieved from http://journalstar.com/

Pieper CAPS #4 Blog

This past summer, I had the opportunity to live in Dresden, Germany, for 2 ½ months.  I believe saying that I lived in Germany is a far better description of my time there than saying I worked or studied there.  This is because I moved into an apartment with two native German men; I worked at a German research institution where I was surrounded by Germans on a daily basis.  I did not take a couple of classes with a bunch of American students, so in that sense I was far removed from the United States’ culture.  Because of my summer experience, I was able to relate with the refugees, to a certain extent obviously, that I read about in the three news articles.  I was not at all surprised that the biggest hurdle they needed to jump to adapt to the American culture was the language barrier.  I knew zero German upon embarking on my trip, so I know from experience that it is quite difficult getting around a city where your language is not the native tongue.

Refugees in an English class in Oakland, CA

Cultural adaptation is defined as the “process by which individuals learn the rules and customs of new cultural contexts.” (Martin & Nakayama, 2011, p. 320)  There are many factors that influence how well and how quickly an individual adapts to their new living situation.  Three common approaches to describe cultural adaptation are the social science approach, the interpretive approach, and the critical approach.  There are also multiple terms that describe the migrant-host relationships.  Martin and Nakayama use assimilation to describe an individual that does their best to drop their original cultural and adapt to the culture they are currently living in.(Martin & Nakayama, 2011)  Separation could be described as the opposite of assimilation.  Separation is where an individual keeps their old cultural and does not make any sort of attempt to adapt to the new one they are living in. (Martin & Nakayama, 2011) Finally, integration is “a type of cultural adaptation in which individuals maintain both their original culture and their daily interactions with other groups.” (Martin & Nakayama, 2011, p. 316)

In my mind, integration is the best method to achieve cultural adaptation.  It is important to attempt to learn the new culture when someone is permanently displaced from their home.  One must learn how to communicate effectively with the people around them or else they will certainly feel isolated and alone.  However, it is equally important to not forget who you are and where you came from.    Like the people in a recent Journal Star article, it is extremely helpful to meet with other refugees with similar backgrounds to swap stories about “troubles and triumph…[about] the persecution, fear, and fleeing” from one’s homeland.(Smith, 2011)  It reminds the individual they are not alone in figuring out how to fit in a new culture.  It must be a breath of fresh air for the individual who is usually surrounded by people with very different stories and backgrounds from their own. 

Somalian refugees being rescued off the coast of Italy after traveling across the Mediterranean Sea  

It is no surprise that refugees have an extremely difficult time picking up the English language.  Not only is the language complex, but a lot of refugees have never spoken or heard English prior to their arrival in the United States.  That is why I think it is so important for states to use their government to provide language-learning opportunities for these people.   I was happy to see that the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services gives “funding to provide English as a second language” courses.  (Myers, 2011)  One philanthropic program that works in a variety of cities across the U.S., including Los Angeles and New York City which are the two largest refugee destinations, is called the International Rescue Committee.  This program also provides English-language courses to refugees.  (“Resettling Refugees,” 2012)

Communication is defined as “a symbolic process whereby reality is produced, maintained, repaired, and transformed.” (Martin & Nakayama, 2011, p. 94)  I think the most difficult part of communication for refugee’s, besides learning the language, is understanding the lingo, symbolism, and the “many layers of meaning” for each word. (Martin & Nakayama, 2011, p. 94) In other words, I think refugees and people experiencing intercultural transition would get a grasp of the social science perspective of communication first.  In every culture, there is a sender, message, and receiver.  However, I think understanding the interpretive perspective to communication would be more difficult.  This is because we “use symbols to communicate, we assume that the other person shares our symbol system.” (Martin & Nakayama, 2011, p. 94)  The assumption aspect of communication is what is hard for someone unfamiliar with the culture to pick up on. 

Moving forward, I think more emphasis should be placed on teaching refugees English.  In every news story posted by Ms. Baker, the individuals speak about the difficulty of learning the English language.  It seems to the largest barrier they must break in order to become acclimated into the American culture.  This is not surprising, since it is extremely difficult to communicate with someone with whom you do not share a common language.  I think the state governments should seek refugees in their borders and let them know about any sort of English language courses they have to offer.

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2011) Intercultural communication in contexts(5^th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.

Smith, M. (2011, December 11). Lincoln refugee finds empathy as strife hits congo. Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved from http://journalstar.com/news/local/lincoln-refugee-finds-empathy-as-strife-hits-congo/article_6f011d2a-fe13-5d11-bbee-b5de6f5aba59.html

Myers, E. (2011, December 5). Lincoln community home to refugees from around the world.NewsNetNebraska. Retrieved from http://www.newsnetnebraska.org/news/lincoln-community-home-to-refugees-from-around-the-world/

Resettling refugees. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.rescue.org/our-work/resettling-refugees

Stiens Caps #4

            When I think about a refugee camp, I often feel like that is something of the past. But we as Americans are sort of sheltered to the fact that many other parts of the world aren’t as lucky as we are. There are many people who are forced into refugee camps because they are forced out of their own countries due to war, religion, politics or other issues. Many of the people who are in refugee camps leave and come to America. You might think that’s not so bad. America is a great place to come to. It is the land of the free. This is true the freedom for people is a draw but often times we don’t realize that just arriving in American is only part of the struggle. Once a foreign person is in America it starts a completely new challenge. This is where the idea of cultural adaptation comes in. Adapting to a culture is a way to adjust to a new way of life and feel comfortable in your own surroundings. There are so many things that change when you enter into a new culture. Adapting to all of these changes can be tough. You have to learn to adapt in virtually every aspect of your life. Just think about it. The type of clothes you wear, the type of food you eat, the way you style your hair, and maybe the most difficult change of all language.  

 In reading each of the three articles, the idea of cultural adaptation is one that really stood out to me.  All three of the news articles discuss how not knowing English is one of the biggest barriers and how challenging it was to adapt in a place where they could not understand the language nor could other people understand them. The second article titled, Lincoln’s Refugee Students Find Language Barriers when Doing Homework, was a perfect example of the affects cultural adaptation can have on a family. This article discusses a family, The Bweh’s, who came to America after spending ten years in a refugee camp. The mother and father do not speak English that well yet they have six children, three of which attend schools where English is taught. The children say English is their toughest class. The article discusses how the children struggle with English courses and it is difficult for them to find help because they are unable to turn to their parents with questions. This adaptation to a new language is a struggle that many people face when entering a new culture.

            Refugee resettlement can be tough for the people involved. It is a challenge because every person who is in need of this resettlement is different. It is hard because there isn’t an umbrella fix for refugee resettlement in general. The problems differ from case to case. However, there are ways that we can make it easier on those who are forced to resettle here in Lincoln. Often times you hear people say communication is key. I think this is very true. It is important for new refugees to communicate that they are having troubles understanding. I believe that especially here in Lincoln people will be understanding and helpful. I also think after school programs that focus on time to work on homework could be very beneficial to those younger refugee kids who are struggling to adapt. I think it is important that we take an interpretive approach when trying to help refugees in resettling. Meaning it is important to keep in mind that 1) human experience is subjective 2) human behavior is not easily predicted and 3) culture is created through communication (Martin & Nakayama p. 60). Keeping these things in mind can help us grow as individuals and hopefully make adaptation easier on those who are new to our culture.

Below is a video which touches on just a few things that would be difficult to adapt to when moving to a new culture. It may  be a little extreme but you get the idea.

Sources:

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2012). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill. 

Stefankiewicz, R. (2012, May 13). Lincoln's refugee students find language barriers when doing homework. Retrieved from http://journalstar.com/

Nurul CAPS Blog #4

There are four types of migrant groups: sojourners, immigrants, long-term refugees, and short-term refugees. These four types of migrant groups basically will experience a pattern of adaptation known as U-Curve Model. U-Curve Model is a theory of cultural adaptation positing that migrants first experience excitement and anticipation. followed by a period of shock and disorientation; then gradually adapt to the new cultural context (Martin & Nakayama, 2012, p. 327). U-Curve Model is the most common theory which is based on interpretive approach and all the phases described in this theory are predictable. 

U-Curve Model

The story of a refugee, Moe Free is a perfect example of the U-Curve Model. At first, Free and his family were excited as they managed to leave their home country because of war. This event indicates the first stage of U-Curve Model which is anticipation. When a migrant first enters a new cultural context, he or she may be excited to be in the new situation and only a little apprehensive. Later, he started to face difficulties as the culture and lifestyle in the United States is not the same as the culture and lifestyle in the Burma.   At  this period, Free experienced the second stage of U-Curve Model, culture shock. Free says, the most challenging part of coming to America as a refugee was learning to speak English (Myers, 2011). But, he did not give up easily to master in English in order to provide a better life for his family. While improving his English, he also helped other refugees to learn English so that they could find job much easier in the United States. According to Free, the most important part to getting a job is learning the language (Myers, 2011). Khu Say and Khu Too, refugees from Thailand also experienced the same problem as Moe Free. For them, English is the most difficult subject to learn at school compared to science and history classes. “When I don’t understand something,” Khu Htoo said, “I will stay after class and ask the teacher” (Smith, 2011). After certain period, all of them finally could adjust themselves to the new environment. This phase is known as adjustment in which migrants learn the rules and customs of the new cultural context (Martin & Nakayam, 2012, p. 329).

English is very important for refugees in the United States.

Communication is very important to help the process of refugee resettlement in Nebraska succeed. Communication may be understood as a "symbolic process whereby reality is produced, maintained, repaired, and transformed" (Martin & Nakayama, 2012, p. 94). Most refugees who come to the United States like Free, Khu Say, and Khu Too, did not know how to speak English at all. In order to adapt to new place, they learn English and work hard to master the language. This is because learning English is important to improve their life. They also need to speak English with people around them especially at workplace, school, and health center. A dialetical perspective assumes that culture and communication are interrelated and reciprocal (Martin & Nakayama, 2012, p. 95). A lot of migrants are struggling to improve their language and communication so that the people around them could accept them without prejudice and discrimination. 

The video above is about culture shock experienced by Sudanese refugees who come to the United States. One of the differences highlighted in this video is the number of wives allowed in the United States. "In the United States, we heard that there is only one wife. These things going to affect us," said one of the Sudanese.

References

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2012). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill. 

Meyers, E. M. (2011, December 5). Lincoln community home to refugees from around the world. NewsNetNebraska. Retrieved from http://www.newsnetnebraska.org/news/lincoln-community-home-to-refugees-from-around-the-world/

Smith, M. S. (2011, December 11). Lincoln refugee finds empathy as strife hits Congo. Lincoln journal star. Retrieved from http://journalstar.com/news/local/lincoln-refugee-finds-empathy-as-strife-hits-congo/article_6f011d2a-fe13-5d11-bbee-b5de6f5aba59.html

Stefankiewicz, R. S. (2012, May 13). Lincoln's refugee students find language barriers when doing homework. Lincoln journal star. Retrieved from http://journalstar.com/lifestyles/family/lincoln-s-refugee-students-find-language-barriers-when-doing-homework/article_4fbd65f1-c12e-5702-90cd-1321dfda5257.html

Hilgemann - CAPS Blog 4

Hilgemann – Caps Blog #4

As a member of UNL’s student community, I am fortunate to be part of a diverse group of students and educators. About 4.2% of the student body is made up of international students from 92 different countries (College Profile, 2012). The transitional experience, sometimes referred to as the U-curve, of these students likely does not compare with that of a long term refugee. The students and teachers are almost entirely sojourners or immigrants. Put another way, they voluntarily chose to come to Nebraska and are likely prepared for the experience. On the other hand, refugees are forced to move from their country largely because of war, famine, or oppression (Martin 2012).  Almost everyone will experience some form of the U-curve, but specifics vary widely based on the individual and their situation.

                According to Martin, the U-curve theory posits that migrants go through three phases of cultural transition: excitement, shock, and adjustment. Upon analysis, the U-curve can be made to fit most migration situations. In the case of voluntary migration, excitement is certainly a factor. The cultural move is something that likely has been planned for some time. Thus, the individual would be anxious anxious to go through with it and excited after it occurs. The excitement factor doesn’t always fit so well with forced migration. Although a migrant may be happy to leave behind whatever form of strife is uprooting them, they are much more likely to regret having to leave their homeland behind. This is especially true if family and other close relatives are left behind. The second stage, culture shock, is felt by everyone in one form or another. Relatively speaking, culture shock is a short term phenomenon with significant impact. Generally, the more immersed one becomes in another culture the more likely that person is to experience culture shock. Martin uses the example of military personal on US bases in other countries. They are not very likely to feel culture shock because they have limited contact with indigenous cultures. The third stage is adjustment. Adjustment occurs when migrants learn the rules and customs of the new cultures. According to the referenced articles, this stage can become difficult when migrants are not familiar with the local languages. This is particularly true when refugees are relocated and need to find jobs. For example, Moe Free, a refugee from Burma, has described his issues in adapting to the American culture and finding work because of language issues (Myers, 2011). Conversely, sometimes people are forced to adjust as in the case where a student learns language and cultural norms by attending classes every day. This case is epitomized by Khu Say, a 14 year old student who has become more proficient in English than his parents (Stefankiewicz, 2012).

                According to Martin, intercultural conflicts are often caused by differences in values (2012). Thus, the most effective tool to assist intercultural transitions is simply knowledge. For example, Scandinavian countries have less gender specific roles and countries like Great Britain dislike rules and are less formal in their dealings. Refugees cannot be expected to know all of these cultural nuances. Thus, it is important to provide them with background information on their adopted cultures. By informing migrants about what to expect once they are introduced to a new culture, they are more likely to become comfortable in their new setting.  This can lead to increased intercultural communication between the migrants and those indigenous to the area, thus accelerating the U-curve and providing for a more comfortable transitional experience.

                On a less serious note, following is one of David Letterman’s infamous Top Ten lists. This one parodies differences between Americans and Brits. Oftentimes, satire is the best way to approach a difficult situation and can be a good way to learn about another culture in general. 

College Profile: University of Nebraska - Lincoln. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.collegedata.com

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2012). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.

Myers, E. (2011, December 05). Lincoln community home for refugees from around the world. Retrieved from http://www.newsnetnebraska.org/

Stefankiewicz, R. (2012, May 13). Lincoln's refugee students find language barriers when doing homework. Retrieved from http://journalstar.com/