In Southern California, we encounter many people of

different backgrounds. Be it race, ethnicity, religion, politics, ideals, or even just geographical location like a

city or a state, we have that moment where we see that we are different than others. To be more culturally

aware, your task is to enter into a culture that is completely different than yours. Are you proud of your

cultural heritage? Go to a club meeting of a different heritage and observe and talk to the members.

Hardcore in some area like maybe nerdism or fashion? Visit the opposite sanctuary and ask questions.

The purpose of this paper is to make you more culturally aware. We feel safe in what we know and love

and going anywhere outside of that can cause some discomfort. But you can learn so much by seeing it

from the other side. Some guiding questions to think about and possibly answer in your paper:

– Where did you go or what did you do that was different than your culture? What is your culture?

– How were the people in that culture like? (Friendly, rude, casual, strict, etc.)

– What did the environment look like? (Colors, decorations on the walls, scent, etc.)

– What did the people talk about or do? (Topics of discussion, rituals, etc.)

– Did they speak a different language or had shared code? If so, what was it?

– Did you interact with anyone and ask them questions? If so, what did you ask and what was their

response?

– Overall, what did you learn? What did you learn about this specific culture and what did you learn

about culture as a whole?