A programmer from India getting his master’s, a doctor from China going for post-doc, a biologist from Iran doing cancer research and a statistician from Bangladesh pursuing a doctorate — what do they all have in common? They all have to live and work with Americans despite vast cultural differences.
These differences may be difficult to overcome. Some internationals may have an accent or are not even fluent in English, but none of these factors will hinder them from getting a job. All of them will get a good paycheck from a good organization down the line if they work hard enough.
There are several types of barriers which are acknowledged globally — semantic, personal, touching, attitudinal and whatnot. There is one barrier, though, that is most prominent in America, especially for internationals who are new to this country. It is not often taught in classes, but is a major determining factor responsible for a lack of multicultural communication. My first handshake with this barrier did not happen until I started going to school here at USC. It has several names, but generally this barrier is called the "cultural barrier," and this is when difficulties begin to arise for us internationals.
Because, until now, the communication was restricted to study- or work-related contexts. There was little need to develop a personal relationship outside of our cultural bubble. This makes us culturally complacent and constrains us from even reaching out to other cultures to try to understand, or maybe even learn, something new.
This complacency develops over time and builds itself into a thick and impenetrable barrier.
In the course of my stay here, I have spoken to many international individuals who have been working in this country for the better part of the last decade. My conclusion from those conversations is that this barrier comes into play after our studies are done. When you start working in a new place with new people as an international, your cultural barrier is so thick that it makes it difficult for you to communicate and network efficiently.
Networking is a very important pillar of the American workforce. When I asked my uncle, who is at a high management position in a health insurance conglomerate, about networking, he told me to become a member of personal growth and development groups to mingle effectively and to further my self-interests.
My argument is, why wait until it's time to join the workforce? Why not start now, right here, in school?
Let’s take a look out of our bubble and break that barrier. Nudge ourselves out of our comfort zones and join some groups that we normally wouldn’t. This might improve our confidence in interacting with culturally different people, teach us about the do’s and don'ts of their culture, help us become versatile and help us become comfortable with any new cultural encounters at the same time. Student media, The Daily Gamecock, dance groups, music groups or anything that can help stimulate hobbies could be a great place to start.
I believe that if we start working on this right now, we can see ourselves become comfortable around different people in our professional life later. I have been doing this since last semester, and, believe me, it is worth a try.