Twenty year old Xueting Zhao, is one of 123 Chinese exchange students in Beijing who are studying abroad at Northern State University. Her major is in business, but she also teaches informal Chinese dance classes at NSU. Most importantly, she is learning about the American Culture. She’s discovered a new love for pancakes but is puzzled by the abundant amounts of cheese Americans use. She’s also been pleasantly surprised by the cultural differences in friendliness and hospitality.

Reading about Zhao reminded me of an experience I had when I was in high school. I had a friend whose family often participated in foreign exchange student programs and there was one girl whom I will never forget. She was a Chinese student and was terrified by Americans. She thought Americans to be loud, boisterous and obnoxious. She couldn’t understand why my friend and I always had an opinion about everything and why we were so outspoken. After many awkward experiences, she finally got used to us and “Americans” in general.  She said she learned to be more outgoing, direct and assertive. She and my friend kept in touch over a couple years and she thanked us for helping her “understand” Americans.  To this day, I’m still not quite sure what my friend and I did other than be a friend to her.

Aside from associating America with cheese, pancakes and Wal-Mart, I hope Zhao’s experience in America will be as informative and helpful as the exchange student I once knew. Being Asian American, older and wiser(?), I wonder what I would tell Zhao or any other foreign exchange student. Perhaps I’d start with a socio-cultural analysis of StuffWhitePeopleLike.com…
*********
Violet is a guest blogger for GOProductionsLA.  She’s a twenty something, Asian American chick  livin’ up the party life in Los Angeles. Find her at Cabana club on Fridays  and the newest restaurants and bars every other day of the week. If you’d like a fresh perspective, have a topic you’d like to see discussed or just want to say “Lei Ho”, email Violet : Violet@GoProductionsLA.com