Anthropology Interview Essay

Perhaps one of the most interesting things about the discipline of anthropology is that the subjects can share their thoughts and opinions in a clear articulate way. Interviews I had the opportunity to interview a young woman, my roommate, about her experiences migrating from China to the U.S. for her education. Whilst speaking with her, I came to two conclusions. Firstly, culture plays a significant role in how people view the value and the administration of education. Secondly, I came to the conclusion that although modern technology has allowed for the globalization of culture, actual immersion into one culture from another is still an extremely difficult transition.

The first interaction I had with my roommate was online, typical of a 21st century interaction. Stokke and I

seemed to be ideal, Stokke also explained to me that adapting to the culture had been very hard for her. English is widely regarded as one of the most difficult languages to learn, and for Stokke it was no different. When I interviewed her, I had to be cognizant of the way I worded things, and the speed at which I spoke. I often found myself rephrasing a question several ways along with explaining different words to her in order to make it easier for her to understand. Along with the language barrier, Stokke told me about how the culture of the United States was difficult to adjust to. She said one thing in particular that stood out to me. I asked, “Has it been hard adjusting to American life?” She responded, “Although I watch the cartoons and the TV shows about American lives, I think it’s still kind of different than actual life here.” Stokke found that american media, although similar, does not actually represent the very different cultural aspects of daily life. She had studied English and immersed herself in our culture as much as she could for years, but still experienced that feeling out being out of place when she finally came to