When Cultures Collide: The Challenges of Raising African Children in a Foreign Country

It is our cultural heritage that determines how we interact with different people. Cultural heritage is learned through the techniques of our parents, peer groups, schools, religious institutions, government agencies, media, and/or the village community. This learning process also guides the way we speak, how we dress, our lifestyle, food, value system, beliefs, artifacts, and the environment in which we live in. In essence, cultural heritage reflects ones language, ones ways of thinking, art and laws, as well as religion. In addition, learned behavior is defined as being transmitted from one generation to another through the process of enculturation.

Furthermore, people have the urge to better themselves by becoming educated. In doing so they tend to move from one place of residence to another for a variety of reasons. Such as for greener pastures, a sense of adventure, and in the case of some African nations it is because of frustration, as a result of deliberating economy, and others just want to change their lifestyle. However, people tend to struggle when it comes to being culturally fit. Everyone wants to fit in and look the part when it comes to how we dress, look, act, talk and even walk. Culture defines us and defines who you are as a person. Those characteristics are the way people are perceived when it comes to their culture and personality.

Another difficulty cultures deal with is language and the way people speak. In some cases, people struggle to belong by making changes in the way they speak the English language just to be assimilated. They attempt to use words and letters, as well as body language that fit in the norm; all in an attempt to denounce their original intonation and style of pronunciation. One ...

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...es that some children are raised in different cultural settings.

In conclusion, this book gave me a whole new view on life and how we can interact better with different people. The book emphasized that culture is key to understanding people. Sometimes it is hard to connect with others because they are indicated as different but in due time we can adjust. Every culture has their own traditions when it comes to what they eat, what to wear, dating, various ceremonies, holidays and more. Reading this book helped me become more accepting of who I am and where I come from.

Work Cited Nwokeafor, Cosmas U. When Cultures Collide: The Challenges of Raising African Children in a Foreign Country