As I was preparing to leave for Cambodia, my mom kept saying that this year away would teach me to appreciate America more. I always assumed she was referring to appreciating the creature comforts of prosperity in the U.S. And it is true, I do miss some of the comforts of home. However, living in Phnom Penh, I can find almost any Western thing I'm craving. Everything else, I've already gotten used to. However, I am learning to appreciate America in a totally different way.
As I live here in another culture, I'm discovering that American culture truly is ingrained in me. Culture is the sum of how a people live - all the little things that make up a life- traditions, values, communication style, relationships- things obvious on the surface like clothing style and things way beneath the surface like how you think about what success is. In sum, all the little and big things that are foreign to me here and totally natural at home. We learn our own culture from birth. I'm realizing that despite how cynical I can be about American politics, foreign policy, materialism, etc I am completely and fully an American. There are American values that I innately believe are absolutes. I believe this even though I know that all cultures are different, but none are wrong. I believe this even though I want to fight against my own ethnocentrism. Here are a few uniquely American values that I'm noticing more in this context:
1) Equality- the belief that all people everywhere are equal and deserve the same rights, opportunities, and access to resources
2) Gender equality
3) Individualism- valuing independence and individual's opinions and voices
4) Efficiency - in work, in relationships, in life
5) Valuing linear thought, critical thinking, and rationality
You can't escape your culture, I just hope I learn to be bi-cultural. Everything that is a part of Cambodian culture has a reason behind it. I'll spend this year trying to discover those reasons.
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