Beyond the Culture Shock: An International Students Perspective on Life in Southern California

There is no better way of getting perceptions of a place than by talking to the people that are new to that environment. The people in this case are international students studying at Cal State University, Dominguez Hills through a program named SEED.

Current SEED students with  their Conflict Resolution
 and Leadership  Professor, Richard Harris.
 Photo by Jocelyn Arana.

SEED is a nonprofit funded USAID Grants. The acronym stands for Scholarships for Education and Economic Development. Although the grant sponsors many students from countries in Central and Latin America, this particular group is made up of 17 primary and middle school teachers from different parts of El Salvador. The SEED students were open to discussing many of the experiences they have had they have had while in their short time here, as well as their impressions of people, culture, and life in Southern California.

The Effects of Culture Shock

Ana Mancia, the president elected amongst the students, says that to her, the high cost of living was part of the culture shock. She says, “Although some things are less expensive in the U.S., there are other things such as food and housing that cost less in El Salvador. I don’t know if it’s just California or the country as a whole, but I would not be able to survive here with my salary back home.” High cost of living is nothing new for Californians, who are used to paying high process for homes, cars, and gas. Ana also mentioned that it was helpful to live in an environment where many people spoke her native language, Spanish. “I thought the language barrier would be a big problem at first, because my English isn’t as fluent as I’d like it to be, but people here are generally open to helping us understand something or giving us directions, if they can. It helped with the adjustment process to be in a place of highly concentrated Spanish speakers.” Because most of the SEED students come from rural parts of El Salvador, many of them did not learn English until their adult life, which can make it difficult to master the language. Many of them mention struggling with communicating with American students and people here in general, but that it is all part of the learning process.

SEED at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown  Los Angeles.
The students have also visited the California Science center, the LA festival of Books,
the Long Beach Aquarium and attended an LA Galaxy game.
Photo by Jocelyn Arana. 

Another student, Armando Elias, says that he missed home the moment he arrived, but says he has tried to remain busy.  “There is so much to do here, there are beaches, the outdoors, museums, shopping centers, great restaurants with every type of food imaginable, and so many cities within Los Angeles County, I want to see as much as I can while I am here.”

These effects the students describe  may be part of what is called the culture shock curve. People who leave their country of origin for an extended amount of time experience a culture shock curve, which expresses the highs and lows of living in a new country.

This chart shows the different stages of cultural adaptation. Many students living abroad  identify similar feelings towards their adoptive country. Image provided by Lilia Sarmiento, Academic Coordinator for the SEED students, who teaches a class on culture shock and adjustment for the students upon their arrival at CSUDH. 

In comparison to life back home, the biggest differences the students see between The United States and El Salvador is the sense of time and the sense of community. They mentioned that life back home, even in big cities like San Salvador, people take it easier than here, take long lunch breaks, and do not usually work as long hours as they do here in America. Jose Lopez, a fourth grade math teacher says, “What surprises me is how fast people live here in their daily lives. They spend a lot of time in their cars, and on their phones. It’s as if they always have somewhere to go or somewhere to be, and punctuality is very important. That concept of time is not the same back home.” He mentioned the fact that many people in his town of Santa Ana, El Salvador are home by dinnertime, or at least by the time it is dark outside. 

Just as they learn about our culture, the students share their culture as well.  Here they are are  the International Student Showcase at CSUDH, performing a traditional Salvadorian dance. Photo by Jocelyn Arana. 

The concept of time is an interesting dynamic that fluctuates in different parts of the world. While some countries, usually individualistic societies, have a strict notion of time and punctuality, collectivistic societies, like Jose’s town in El Salvador focus more on the group rather than the self. They like to eat meals together, are more likely to carpool or ride share to work or school, and have a sense of community where they live.

The SEED group is taking courses in teaching techniques for at risk youth at CSUDH, and they arrived this January and leave mid-June. Although most of them are eager to return home to their families, they all say they are happy to have been able to live this experience and hope to visit Southern California again someday.