Tips for Adapting to a New Culture

Adapting to a new culture can be emotionally and socially challenging. To help understand some challenges someone may face when trying to adapt to a new culture and for tips on adapting to a new culture, I have interviewed therapist Hoay Cheah, LMHC, MS.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
"I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Cambridge, MA . I grew up in Malaysia and have spent most of my adult life in the US. My grandparents immigrated to Malaysia from Southern China. I identify as a Chinese Malaysian living in the east coast of the US."

What are some challenges someone may face when trying to adapt to a
new culture?
"For the purpose of this interview I will define culture broadly as a collective behavioral, cognitive, and emotional patterns specific to a given group of individuals. I took the liberty of making the assumption that for this article, you are asking more specifically about culture based on geographical location. Aspects of culture include, but are not limited to, verbal and nonverbal languages, beliefs and values, spirituality, aesthetics, social norms, symbols and meanings , attitudes, morals, history etc. We begin to absorb and learn about our culture the minute we are born and in turn we understand and maneuver the world around us through this cultural lens. Our culture of origin is often internalized and become part of our self-concept.

When a person is transplanted from his or her culture of origin to another culture, the person faces several challenges:
1. The person has to learn about the new, unfamiliar culture in order to function effectively in it - meaning this person has to assimilate a tremendous amount of new information within a short period of time.

2. By being immersed in a new culture, the person will be compelled to examine his or her own culture and cultural identity . Our own culture or our 'way of life' is often invisible to us until we encounter a culture that is different from ours. Since our culture is part of our self concept '" as we learn about a new culture that is different from
ours, our very self concept will also be put in the spotlight and challenged.

Frequently, we refer the distress and dissonance a person experiences while facing these challenges as ' culture shock .'

3. The person may be subjected to overt and covert cultural insensitivity and ethnocentrism by the dominant culture . It is important to acknowledge that the distress the person experiences at times may not be merely a result of homesickness or culture shock but may be caused by such negative external factors."

What are some tips for adjusting to a new culture?
"Be cognizant that it is entirely normal to experience overwhelming feelings of excitement, exhilaration, frustration, loneliness, self-consciousness, disorientation, confusion, helplessness, anxiety, and sadness during the adjustment. Talk to your support system and/or someone with similar experience '" don't keep feelings inside. Be an anthropologist - listen, observe, inquire respectfully, and pay attention to social etiquette of those around you. Socialize with friends from your own culture, the new culture, and other cultures. Always remember that no one culture is inferior or superior to another. If you experience cultural insensitivity or ethnocentricism do not internalize such negativities and hostility."

What type of professional help is available for someone that is having a difficult time adapting to a new culture?
"Select culturally competent mental health professionals to help you adapt, enjoy, and continue to grow in to your new culture."

Thank you Hoay for doing the interview on adapting to a new culture. For more information on Hoay Cheah or her work you can check out her website on https://sites.google.com/site/hoaycheahcounseling/home.