Personal Narrative Essay
explanatory Essay
1149 words
Moving from a highly diverse community to a less diverse community has to be the weirdest yet interesting culture shock I ever had to deal with. As a young child, I did not know about the outside world. I thought everyone rides the bus or the metro, graffiti on the wall is normal and traffic wouldn’t matter as much since everything I needed was within walking distance sometimes. There were shocking things I learned once I moved to Nebraska. My role as a kid in California was pretty simple. But I knew that would change within time, what I didn’t know that the change would be in a dramatic way. In California, I would say my ascribed status was towards in the lower class. At this time, my parents were young, stressed and both unfortunately lost their jobs due to budgets cuts in the companies they were working for. During this time I thought to myself what if we eventually have to start hunting for our food such as those live in hunting-and-gathering societies (I watched a lot of television as a kid). I don’t blame my parents for not giving me everything I wanted as a kid, I now realize that when they would tell me they couldn’t afford something I wanted, those weren’t excuses but justifications. …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Explains that moving from a highly diverse community to less diverse communities was the weirdest yet interesting culture shock they ever had to deal with.
- Explains their role as a kid in california was pretty simple, but they didn't know that the change would be dramatic. their parents were young, stressed, and lost their jobs due to budget cuts in the companies they were working for.
- Explains that their role in nebraska was completely different. they were not used to talking english all the time, which was a major culture shock for them.
- Describes how they moved a couple of times as they were trying to settle in nebraska. they realized that god gave them life and that they would live it happily.
- Recalls how they rode the bus in nebraska because an old, homeless man started fighting with another old man. in nebraska, it's not as common to use buses as in california.
- Describes how they think about sociological concepts, such as labeling theory, society, peer groups, and culture shock, in high school and college.
- Describes how they felt at home at their high school, where they were in middle class, top ten percent in their academic class and comfortable in a society.
- Explains that they dealt with another major culture shock when they started to go to college. grace university is a hidden school hardly anyone in nebraska even knew about.
- Explains that grace's peer group at home consists of long-term friends who know them inside and out. they are influenced by them to love god unconditionally.
I was not used to talking English all the time, which was a major culture shock for me. I was so used to talking Spanish in school, in restaurants and in stores, that it never occurred to me that it would be the opposite here in Nebraska. Another thing was that nearly everyone was Caucasian. I was considered a minority in this new community. Which I was completely unaware that there was such a thing until I grew older. I was confused and nervous starting a new school because I thought I was going to be the only Mexican in the class. Turns out I wasn’t, I was
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- explanatory
- narrative
- comparative
- analytical
- Personal Narrative: River Cities High Schoolexplanatory essayAs a freshman in junior high school I experienced cultural shock when I transferred schools. It was halfway through my semester year when I got transferred from East Junior high to an alternative school called River Cities High school. The reason that I was transferred is because I missed approximately two weeks of school due to being in the hospital causing me to fall behind. The difference between these schools is like night and day. I went from being at a big school where over half the people there you did not know to a small alternative school where everyone knew everyone. I remember the differences in my classes specifically my classes at east could have up to thirty people, the class I was in at Rivercities had maybe eight people in it.
In this essay, the author
- Describes how they experienced cultural shock when they transferred from east junior high to river cities high school. the difference between these schools is like night and day.
190 wordsRead More - Arriving here, my surroundings were different; I was not used to seeing such clean streets, peaceful neighborhoods, and order between the citizens. It was culture shock at its finest. Not only with the surroundings was I surprised, but the experience of education was different as well. There was an array of diversity within the students in my class. Nonetheless, people were genuinely accepting. Within a couple of months I considered myself a fluent English speaker. The transition was like riding a bike, I quickly felt incorporated into the society that I feared would not accept me.
In this essay, the author
- Narrates how they remember the day they were separated from their mother when they left the dominican republic to live in canada.
- Narrates how they arrived in a new country, not knowing the language, culture, or lifestyle. they believed their father when he told them that canada was extremely cold and culturally diversed.
- Narrates how they met their stepmom, who introduced them to their new baby sister for the first time. a new country, new parents, and a new sister overwhelmed their young mind.
- Describes the dominican republic as the opposite of canada, with dirty streets, loud people, and chaos between the citizens and the government. the transition was like riding a bike.
- Narrates how they grew accustomed to coming home to the constant fighting between their father, stepmom, and themselves for reasons they cannot recall.
- Narrates how they were on their way home from school when they received a text message from their father reading, "we need to talk." they prolonged facing by father by picking up the last minute shift from work.
- Describes how they were worried about a confrontation on the bus ride home. they walked down the hill slowly to make sure they wasted as much time as possible.
- Narrates how they tossed and turned, contemplating what decision they were going to make. the other option was to stay in canada and attempt to build a life for themselves, even though it was at the expense of their happiness.
- Explains that they have learned to manipulate their emotional state by thinking positively and not allowing themselves to be haunted by the dark feelings they experience when their father, stepmom and i argue.
- Opines that staying in canada has altered their future for the better. the relationship between their father, stepmother, and i has improved tremendously.
1188 wordsRead More - Culture Shock Case Studyexplanatory essayMy experience with culture shock is far different than what one would expect from a freshman in college. My experience does not fit the mold of what someone would normally think of as culture shock. I have never struggled with the idea of adapting to a new environment, simply because moving place to place has been a constant factor in my life. My culture shock revolved around the idea of being subjected to a set of ideas that I had never been subjected to. My culture shock was experiencing the death of my father, and my mother being diagnosed with cancer in a span of two years. These events required me to grow up faster than I imagined I would ever have to.
In this essay, the author
- Describes their experience with culture shock, which is far different from what one would expect from a freshman in college.
- Describes how they have never had a hard time adapting to new environments. they grew used to the constant change in environment, which was not something that they liked.
- Narrates how they grew up without their father in their life and felt as if they lost out on an opportunity, rather than losing him himself.
- Recounts how their father's death took a huge emotional toll on them. they were worried about their emotional well-being during this crucial time in their life.
- Explains that the journal family violence touched on the subject of children experiencing trauma, and the coping mechanisms that they have witnessed these children develop.
- Explains that many of the children in their case study were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, a debilitating disorder characterized by symptoms of avoidance and re-experiencing.
- Narrates how their mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer and had no idea how to care for herself or her ill mother. physical, mental, and emotional deterioration may compromise their ability to reach out to children
- Narrates how they became lonely when their mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer. they were the youngest of three children raised by a single mother.
- Narrates how their mother, diagnosed with cancer, decided it was time for them to have a fresh start. they were taunted by their classmates because they could not partake in the same activities as them.
- Opines that their actions in the past have led them to become the person they are today. losing my father and mother fell ill within a span of two years shook their courage and forced him to grow up far too early.
1354 wordsRead More - My Social Deviancecomparative essayCulture shock is a feeling of isolation, rejection, experienced when one culture is brought into sudden contact with another. Meeting a different way of living after moving to a new location, uncomfortable feeling of unfamiliar people, culture, etc. I’ve experienced a culture shock when I moved into United States from Russia. Everything felt so different here. At first, I was really quite, and didn 't talk to anyone. A lot of my time I spent watching “strange” people to try to adapt to my new country. People’s actions and views on life confused me a lot when I moved to the US. It was hard for me to find friends. The first thing I did was natural, I would look for people my kind, from Russia. That way I could communicate with them in Russian and find out more about the country I had just moved into. Then, I made a lot of American friends and that helped me to adapt faster. It took me a good three years to adapt to the country, people, different cultures, attitudes and a lot more. Having lived here for five years I 've gotten used to the country, and I really enjoy living here
In this essay, the author
- Explains that values are abstract and standards of goodness, and beliefs are particular matters that people accept as true or false. deviance is the recognized violation of cultural norms.
- Explains that social interaction is the process by which people act and react in relation to others. it is a fundamental feature of social life.
- Describes how they experienced a culture shock when they moved to the us from russia.
- Explains that nonverbal communication includes facial expressions, gesture, eye contact, posture, tone of voice, and body language study.
- Concludes that sociology 1 class was very useful because the lectures were great and not boring which is awesome. sociology helps us look more objectively at our society and other societies.
994 wordsRead More - Personal Narrative: El Salvadorexplanatory essayLiving in Virginia was extremely difficult to adjust to, and it was made even harder due to my inability to converse with the people in my community. With both of my parents being unable to speak English, the task of learning a completely new language was something that I had to deal with myself at the tender age of four. I quickly grew tired of the isolation
In this essay, the author
- Describes how el salvador was all they had ever known. the lush green forest, oppressive heat, and large ravine that stretched on forever were what their sense of identity rooted in.
- Explains that living in virginia was difficult due to their inability to converse with the people in their community. they grew tired of the isolation brought on by lack of communication, so they began reading books, watching tv shows, and studying the interactions between people speaking english.
- Describes how their biological father ran off with another woman and left their baby sister, pregnant mother, and me to pull ourselves out of the financial hole he dug us into.
- Describes how years of extreme fear and anxiety stretched their mental health to its limit, until it snapped. they were diagnosed with major depression, generalized anxiety, bulimia, and body dysmorphia.
- Describes how they regained control of their life through medication, talk therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. although they still suffer with mental illness, it is nowhere near as bad as it was three years ago.
672 wordsRead More - Personal Narrative Essayexplanatory essayIt was cold, so cold my fingers stung under the three pairs of gloves I wore in preparation for the journey I made everyday. It began as always I wake up to the noise of my four sisters preparing for
In this essay, the author
- Describes how their fingers stung under the three pairs of gloves they wore in preparation for the journey they made everyday.
- Describes how the only male in the above average four bedroom home had the luxury of a basement room. they wore black jeans, sweatpants, sweaters, and timberland boots to fight the cold.
- Narrates how they made a ten-minute walk every day for the past four months. they asked omar if he had thought about the assignment our social studies teacher had given them.
- Describes how mr. lungsford explained that politicians are asked questions on important issues and are expected to give honest feedback that appeals to people or their personal political views.
- Describes how they were uninterested in mr. lungsford's idea of a presidential election, but they understood that not everyone could be president.
- Recounts how the class frantically told their overwhelmed teacher their idea and he agreed to it. the process began simple, mr. lungsford wrote down five holidays of his choice.
- Recounts how mr. lungsford declared he'd be the deciding vote and voted for halloween. he praised them for being able to make an individual decision without being lured by the populous.
- Describes how they have been detoured and walked away from groups of people that fall into the same category as their former classmates.
1678 wordsRead More - Personal Narrative Essaynarrative essayI didn’t have the easiest childhood, I grew up in a small town on the south shore of Nova Scotia with a population of around ten thousand people. I went to a small French school up until grade six. The school went from primary to grade 12, but it only had just over one hundred people. I made the decision to transfer to a bigger school about half through grade six. I wasn’t really sure what to expect because I had only ever had small classes before. I missed the orientation day that happens in June for some reason so I went in a few days before school started and I got a tour of the school from the secretary. On the first day of school I didn’t really know anyone. There was this one girl that I knew from before, but she transferred from the French school a year before me and had already made a group of friends. The first few weeks were a lot to get used to, but I managed to do fine.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that they grew up in a small town on the south shore of nova scotia with around ten thousand people. they had only ever had small classes before.
- Narrates how they met a lot of people in the first year, but they didn't call many of them friends — they were nerdy and liked sports and stuff.
- Narrates how they didn't think things would get worse after grade eight. they decided to make some changes that year, like getting contacts instead of glasses and bulking up a bit.
721 wordsRead More - Four Stages of Culture Shock Faced By Immigrantsanalytical essayA 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 Function Phase. These phases denote some of the stages that exemplify culture shock. The four phases are illustrated in the articles “New Immigrants: Portraits in Passage” by Thomas Bentz, “Immigrant America: A Portrait” by Alejandro Portes and Ruben G. Rumbaut, “When I Was Puerto Rican” by Esmeralda Santiago, “Today’s Immigrants, Their Stories” by Thomas Kessner and Betty Boyd Caroli, and lastly, “The New Americans: Immigrant Life in Southern California” by Ulli Steltzer, and are about the experiences of some immigrants. This essay will examine the four phases of culture shock and classify the experiences of these immigrants by the different phases of culture shock identified.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that sudden change in one's surroundings can result in culture shock, which is the anxiety and surprise a person feels when he or she is discontented with an unfamiliar setting.
- Explains the honeymoon phase and the disenchantment phase.
- Describes how alex bushinsky, a russian jew, experiences the honeymoon phase during his transition into his new culture in the united states.
- Analyzes how wood chuen kwong's experience of culture shock begins in the disenchantment phase because he is disenchanted with the america culture because it favors advanced job skills.
- Explains that the beginning resolution phase is when the person works on behavior patterns appropriate to his new culture in order to function more appropriately and smoothly in it.
- Explains that the effective function phase is characterized by the person feeling comfortable in his new culture and setting. negi, alex bushinsky, amitar ray, and haroutioun yeretzian are examples.
- Explains kiniry, malcolm, and mike rose, eds. critical strategies, 3rd ed. boston, ma: st. martin’s, 1998.
- States steltzer, ulli, "the new americans: immigrant life in southern california." kiniry and rose.
- Analyzes how ray experiences the effective function phase because the united states is now the culture that he and his family live their lives in.
- Cites brink, pamela j. and judith saunders, “the phases of culture shock.” kiniry and rose 332-333.
1688 wordsRead More - Personal Narrative: Grandparents In Latin Americanarrative essayThere have been numerous times that I have been put in to a culture that I have no or little idea about. One of these many times I have experienced a different culture was when I went to spend time with my Spanish speaking grandparents in Virginia. I chose this expierence because it was my most memerable and influential trip that I have had over my life. They were from the country Bolivia in South America. They both grew up there were married there and then had children and then moved to New York and then later to Centerville, Virginia. Then they rasied a family there from the ground up.I went there over the past summer for an unforgettable expierence. Almost everybody on my Dad’s side of the family lived there (including my cousins, aunts,
In this essay, the author
- Narrates how they experienced a different culture when they visited their spanish-speaking grandparents in virginia. they travled to an underground cavern dubbed "luray cavern".
- Explains that the language, food, priorities, dress style, and houses were different from what they were used to at home in the district of colombia.
- Narrates how they were left out of many things during their time in virginia. their grandparents taught them a little bit of spanish, which prepared them for their spanish one class at rmhs.
- Opines that they plan on returning to the east coast for an extended visit next summer. if they had the chance to learn spanish in a foreign country such as bolivia or spain, they would most definitely take the opportunity.
740 wordsRead More - Culture Shock In America Essaycomparative essayWhen one first moves to a completely new and unfamiliar cultural environment, assuredly he or she will experience cultural shock and disorientation. Culture shock can be from many different aspects, for examples, climate, foods, language, custom, social etiquette, environment and etc. Culture shock might cause depression, homesickness, confusion, sadness, frustration, in which one has to overcome when arrived in a new country. Personally, I had experienced culture shock when I first arrived in America from FuZhou, China; I felt lost and confused. Similarly, Tanya, who is from Kharkiv, Ukraine had experienced cultural shock and had felt unsuitable because of foods, school, and living habits when she came to America one and a half years ago.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that when one first moves to a completely new and unfamiliar cultural environment, one will experience cultural shock and disorientation.
- Explains that tanya's first impression of new york city is similar to that of kharkiv, but she feels dissatisfied with the food in the city.
- Compares the schools and education system between ukraine and new york since they are the major concern for students.
- Compares their first impression of new york city and that of tanya, who is from an urban city, whereas she's from a suburban part of fuzhou.
- Concludes that culture shock is universal in the case of moving to a new country, and the simplest and easiest is to get used to it, watch others, ask questions and adapt.
942 wordsRead More