A social problem is defined as a social condition that a segment of society views as harmful to members of society and in need of remedy. The online dictionary defines a foreigner as "a person not native to or naturalized in the country under consideration." This describes me perfectly in this situation. The social problem I face is the fact that I am a foreigner. I moved to San Diego in the spring of 2015 from Auckland, New Zealand. Moving 7000 miles away from home and being in an entirely new country was very hard for me. Even though the United States and New Zealand both speak the same language, the cultures are significantly different.
Although I may not stand out in a crowd, as my complexion is similar to most Americans, and I don't have any physical features that distinguish me as a foreigner, as soon as my mouth opens anyone within earshot has no doubt that I am from a country beyond the ocean. PJ Francis is an Irish truck driving who has lived in the US several years says, "There is always a reaction. The most professional person serving customers invariably reveals a slight change of stance. They cannot resist a glance to see what you look like. Sometimes it even elicits a smile. The curious will ask where you are from" (Francis). I to experience this, however most people do not ask where I am from; they merely guess I am Australian as how accents are apparently very similar. My friends wonder why I am so quiet, especially when we are in public. I try not let too many people know I am not American because until my mouth opens, I am 100% American.
A huge difference in the culture is that Americans seem friendlier but don't all at the same time. Walking down the road or into stores, you hear "How are you?" as more of greeting and rhetorical question rather than a question that you answer. Lulu Zhou, an international student at Harvard says, "Everyone in America asks 'how are you?' but they don't really mean it and you feel that if you started explaining, no one really wants you to explain it" (Zhou). I have also experienced and have felt embarrassed when answering the question and the person is not even listening. She adds, "Adapting to American culture and our educational system is stressful" (Zhou). Adapting has been stressful for me, however being on the Men's Soccer team, I have been fortunate enough to have coaches who I can discuss my problems with and look after me very well. Sometimes I just feel like I am in the wrong place. Cars are on the other side of the road. I see miles, not kilometers, I see Fahrenheit, not Celsius. Zhou also faced this at Harvard. She states, "you can't always put your finger on what exactly is different about being here, but you can sense it" (Zhou).
School is a lot different here than it is back home. Never before had I written in MLA or APA or had to turn in a paper electronically. I had to pick these skills up relatively quickly, as they are needed for pretty much every class. Another differe...
