Exchange Students in USA (1958) | India, Nigeria, Malaya, Brazil, + others

Well, this discussion about the roots of prejudice has been going on for weeks and weeks, but just a few days ago, when we all got together to try to plan today's show, there was another surprise that we suddenly discovered we would stop talking about. the roots of prejudice and we are talking about the conquest of prejudice, so I have asked the four

students

from Thailand, Malaysia, Greece and Denmark to help us in this discussion and I will ask Susie from Brazil, could you start? the ball rolls susie I came to the United States three months ago with big reservations that I would be a Brazilian tourist in America and I was afraid of behaving the same way that American tourists do in Brazil I was also afraid of not being accepted by people because Americans in foreign countries very often keep to themselves in their own small communities, looking back I can see that all the delegates must have failed at the same problem and even more so than I imagine you were an Asian girl who You had been taught that modesty and silence are great virtues and suddenly you feel transported to a place where children are raised to claim the right out loud or imagine that an African or an Asian comes here for the first time in their lives and knows that Americans discriminate against blacks and Asians.

Because you have to realize how much these facts about America are published in the rest of the world, where almost all of our fears were unfounded. From the moment we set foot on American soil, we felt at home, first the week together at Sarah Lawrence College. and then the host. friendly families with a sense of humor, I guess they needed it to put up with us, we went to school every day, came home at 3 p.m. m., doing homework, eating dinner, watching TV, like real Americans, occasional parties, maybe babysitting, imagine, 50 cents an hour to do. nothing and of course the constant chatter with our hosts about any topic, yes, any topic, we have really gotten to know the Americans, a big-hearted people with an exceptional ability to laugh at themselves, what about their relationships with each other, susie?

What was amazing was the serendipitous miracle that made this have 34 nationalities, cultures and backgrounds in one big family. Of course, there were some shocks at first. I come from a very religious country and was horrified by the statement that people in Denmark just don't. I don't care too much about religion. Sami from Korea was shocked by John's rude interruptions to Mrs. Waller. Suwan from Malaysia was shocked to see American boys kissing girls in public. Ibrahim from Lebanon, on the other hand, I just can't understand how Sami is doing. get married if she's not allowed to date in Korea soon enough, all of this turned into fun memories and we became what we intend to remain for the rest of our lives, friends, it's not just a carefree, come what may come on. friendship or this opportunity we had to be able to talk to each other about the problems of the world and about our own problems, which of course are much more important in literature, art and about simple nonsense, being angry with each other and happy and sad makes us more than friends we are br

others

and sisters in three days we will return to our countries and the family will spread throughout the world then the feelings of hate are distrust or indifference if towards a certain country you have to compete with it The love we feel for a foreign family member living there.

Thank you very much Susie. Now just for fun I saved a copy of what each of you said three months ago when I asked you what your image of America was when you arrived. Swan Lay Hope.

malaya

swan, would you be a good sport and admit to us now some of the things you said then? Well, I thought America was a land of reckless, irresponsible, indifferent, ambitious and overly materialistic-minded people before I came. I think Americans drive great. cars going about 100 miles per hour on the busiest streets and they don't care if they hit someone or not they also thought that American teenagers had no worries or duties that they did what they wanted all day and had all the fun At that time too I thought they were pretty dizzy.

It was the impression I got from the films and that they gave in to their passions very easily. Do you think we were anything alike? Any resemblance between us and the British? Well I do not. I didn't really know any Americans, so I thought they were more or less like the English, the British, I mean, and therefore very snobbish. I thought they thought too much of themselves and that religion played no role in their daily lives. hard-hearted, self-centered and that whatever they did they had a very selfish reason for it. You see, I've never had any contact with American people before and what and the things I know, I really know now about the people here after three months. uh, so completely opposite to what I thought I knew when I first arrived, bless you and I have to admit I once said them.

Let's get a couple more trevos from Yugoslavia. What was your image of the United States when you arrived? Go to the microphone, I think that in Yugoslavia we have a correct image of the American way of life when I thought of America, I thought of Smith, the healthy law against theft, the law that changed labor policy in many important angles, the Smith law against the communists, they are. to the miller incident and about the attitude against red china uh yes, saraj from thailand what about you in my country teenagers showed their utmost respect towards their parents and teachers?

We can't show our root members. We cannot consider them. to be our playmates we can't stand them we can't start eating until they do and we can't touch their heads and when we enter a room where an elderly person is sitting we have to bend down a lot so that our heads are never higher than theirs. of them and we think that your way of dancing is quite rude not just rock and roll and most parents in my country do not allow their daughters to learn your way of dancing when they are still teenagers because they consider it wrong to let a man crush them.

Now, after these three months, I know much more about Americans and understand them much better than ever in my life and now I no longer think that teachers are very bad, very lazy and very rude and about rock and roll when I tried For the first time, I suddenly started to like it in my country, when we see someone walking with his head burning, we make fun of him saying that he just came from abroad, but now I realize that working here is like that because the climate It's so cold you have to hang your head.

I am sure that when I return home I will share so many things that my parents will be surprised. I won't be so shy anymore and maybe I will always like to have conversations with my friends. Oh you're not the only one Cyrus, I can imagine the look on my parents' faces when I come home in a big shirt and say have fun. It's really funny how we've all changed. I remember how convinced I was of some of my values ​​when I first came here and, for example, that intellectual values ​​were much higher than any of the

others

.

Now I can't even see how. we can sometimes classify values. I have seen that each assessment depends completely on the individual. The more I think about it, the more I get to the point where every idea seems to be a practice because therefore we can never know what is right and what is wrong. I came to the conclusion that all we have to do is stick to the golden mean and avoid extremes, but Moses, how can you say that? Don't you think that the golden mean is something very mediocre created for the masses and that everything great comes from oh I don't know a disturbance a breaking of rules an overcoming of mediocrity well I think all firm convictions are narrow-minded and biased I must realize anyway that I too am prejudiced against non-intellectuals.

Part of me does not want the prejudice, but my selfish sender is delighted to have the opportunity to feel superior and would therefore want to emphasize the prejudice as much as possible. possible. Yes, Krishna from India, go ahead, I think you are right. Mostly, this is also the way the educated man in India feels. It is our biggest social problem. Labor for all intents and purposes remains a social pariah only because it is uneducated and there is distinctive discrimination between those who can speak English and those who cannot, the British. I managed to establish the prejudice that no education is real or complete without the ability to speak English.

In fact, at this point I think I changed quite a bit. My whole shameful prejudice against people who do manual labor is changing very slowly because, well, rationally always. I knew that any kind of honest work honors the worker but I didn't feel that way and I don't even feel that way now and I'm ashamed of myself, but hey, maybe the roots of this prejudice are very deep, too deep, maybe. uh, however, I started to think that maybe one of the reasons my country is not as prosperous as it could be is this prejudice and I think we could give up some of our individuality for a while, well, the biggest prejudices.

What I had before I came to this country was that the world in general was in a very happy state, that everyone was happy and there was no reason to worry about anything, but now I am beginning to realize how unrealistic peace is. in my country. "I must laugh when I think about the fact that the biggest national problem we've had in Denmark for years was last year when we had to send a police force to Ferris Island in the North Atlantic to shoot down the native population," they protested. . because a doctor at one of the local hospitals had lost his job, yes, that trifle was the topic of conversation in Denmark for weeks.

I say I should laugh, but it is a laugh with tears when I consider the magnitude of the problems in other parts of the world. in korea in vietnam in algeria in germany even in the united states you mentioned the problems of the united states in the united states i wonder what would you say is the biggest problem in the united states or is it unfair yes yes i have seen that the biggest problem in the united states now is the segregation but When I return home I will tell my friends that it is not as bad as we thought before the Little Rock incident that made me hate all Americans because I thought they were all prejudiced against blacks.

Yes, Minou, what did he do? Do you think that when you came here on this subject of prejudice in the United States against black people you had a third of the idea that the government here appointed to kill black people? Sorry, appointed committees, appointed committees to kill blacks to kill blacks. I read about secret organization that wears masks and goes out to kill black people, now I have understood to what extent the stories about the ku klux klan are exaggerated and, um, there are only a few fanatic members, well, we are very glad that their preconception has changed.

Wait a minute, I want to go back to Saraj from Thailand, at least I expected to see the white nickel chest from the bus or and I really didn't expect to see a white guy dancing with the black guy, but now I have seen it. and I was very impressed by marcella from italy yes, I quite agree with you saraj I think you only saw the good side of the problem because, great, but my roommate was from the south and we discussed the black problem a lot and Now I think it's not only a problem for white people, sometimes even the black people of the south themselves do not want to integrate and well, I think it is quite natural that some of them are afraid and without pride, would they work for integration if that means? that they could burn down his house and then, in other things, I think that the black, the first black student who went to the west, a white school must be very brave, really outstanding.

I wonder if the situation were reversed, would you white people be the First I attended a black school and then I discovered that even here in the north, where everyone is for integration, there is still separation. I have seen him saraj in most of the schools I visited and at parties, except in our foreign school. parties of course because it wouldn't be possible in our parties forum, right? Oh yeah, susie susie from

brazil

, do you want to come here? I just don't understand why color is so important. I guess it's because I come from Brazil, but we don't have two colors but about 20 as a result of mixed marriages.

I'm told that here in the United States, if an ego tries to move to a white community, they make it very difficult for them. Because? Because society is against it. Society is just a set of stubborn, narrow-minded little rules that no one dares to change until people start breaking these rules wholeheartedly. Full integration will not be possible. Yes, Saraj from Thailand, but people here are facing the problem and doing their best to solve it. what I saw yes bashir bashir from Sudan no sorry I don't agree with you at least I don't agree with your choice of words Americans don't face theproblem they are aware of it but while the majority are happy to say that time will solve it they are taking a negative approach if Americans face the problem believe me they will solve it they have all the facilities all communication and education in general they have all the means for the solution by favor is not a It is easy for me, as a foreigner, to accept the courtesy, kindness and hospitable hospitality that I have received throughout the time I have been here and say anything critical, but I ask you, as an African deeply concerned about the reputation of democracy in the world, be concerned about the way in which Communists insist on this weakness to strengthen their position around the world.

I believe that Americans have to solve this problem and the generation that will solve it will be you after a three-month experience. That there is a deep spirit that arises from the hearts of the people and this spirit will destroy the old feelings and prejudices and this spirit will demonstrate to the entire world that the United States remains a democratic country. Thanks for saying yes, Ritva from Finland, I don't. I don't think it's fair to only talk about prejudice in the United States when there are so many in our own countries that are very similar. Oh yeah, for Luca from Nigeria, I was just going to say that that prejudice shows up in different forms all over the world. everyone, but I think it is not a good thing because it ruins a country, for example in my country, where there are three different parties, three different tribes, there is a feeling of distrust which, of course, is slowing down the movement towards a free federation of Nigeria.

In fact, one thing I discovered about prejudice is that it is never based on logical facts, therefore, it cannot be solved with reasons but by educating the people involved. It's true for Luke, yes, who will be next. I can't see around the corner, Yilma from Ethiopia, yeah, well. Sorry to interrupt, but from my own personal experience I have found that reasons are not always related to facts. I have always been told, as an Ethiopian, that I am not black. They teach us that we, Ethiopians, are descendants of one of the lost tribes of Israel and therefore Ethiopians are rather Semitic rather black because I learned this fact when I came here I had the idea of ​​isolating myself from the other African delegates because I I felt superior and quite different from them but now I began to see how much we have in common if not in repose at least in our ideas and in our color, after all we are all Africans, but now I see how much I was deceiving myself, well, excuse me, Rita , What are they? are you going to say I was going to say that when I came here my only prejudice was against Finns who speak Swedish my cousin my cousin is engaged to a Swedish boy and my relatives don't like it at all here in America you always ask if you would like your daughter to marry a black man in Finland we say: would you like your daughter to marry a Swede here?

I don't talk much because I think I should know the facts and not rush to harsh judgments, but I really think I have overcome my prejudices against Swedes and this is something. Yes Swan from Malaysia, thank you Rita. This is something I really wanted to say when I first came to the U.S. My prejudices weren't just against Americans. You see, I was very prejudiced and In some discussions on television in Washington and during the time before, I was very proud to be Chinese, but now I have changed and I thank the other delegates who are responsible for this.

You see, they more or less taught me that I should be Malay and not Chinese and I exposed some of these prejudices in some of my schools and I am very glad to have this opportunity to clarify myself now. The same is true for me too. In fact, it seems to me that I can hardly criticize anyone anymore, isn't that a wonderful thing that can be earned in three months? However, I am still concerned about something I have noticed here that seems like a prejudice to me: the supernationalism of Americans. I was quite surprised. I met an old man who had come from Germany and he said to me: You know you're almost as good as an American, why don't you come live here?

He was so dumbfounded that he could barely speak, how would you feel if you came to Athens? and someone said: you know you're almost as good as a Greek, why don't you give up your American citizenship and come live here? Well, many of us in the forum group have wondered about that point, but there must be a reason for it. Do not you believe it? Well, of course there must be a reason for it, but behind that national pride that seemed to me like intolerance and memory I could see that these people did not like the European society that had rejected them. and I had the feeling of gratitude towards America because they had been given the opportunity to do something with themselves even to feel aristocratic and I think I am quite ashamed because many of the Greek immigrants in America must feel the same and in fact I don't see how we can endure creating such an atmosphere for a large part of our population.

I am sure, now more than ever, that we have great responsibilities towards the people we almost have to rely on to get promoted. A big change in you, aiki, the intellectual defender of the elite who arrived here, but that is still only half the answer to the question. The moans raise the question of why this supernationalism of Americans exists. Do you think there is some reason for this same feeling and Americans who are not recent immigrants who have been here for a long time well wait a minute francoise francoise from france well I hadn't thought about this until very recently and it's kind of difficult to understand for most of us. that belong to lands that, I should say, are as old as history.

When you learn your history, you learn about these people who came from all over to be Americans because they found opportunities here that they didn't find in Europe, for example, when we. we learn our national histories in our schools these people who came here because they wanted to be free and who preferred to be american citizens are mostly not mentioned at all i had an ikea like experience at a high school in the bronx i met a girl who she had just fled Hungary and she told me how wonderful it was to be truly free and here she was really able to make what she had always wanted come true and I think these are the people who are more American than Americans. themselves because they feel what American freedom is and these are the ones who made me understand what American freedom was.

It all depends on what you understand by real freedom. I don't know, freedom can become a burden if you get too used to it. and the same goes for the acquisition of any other right without constant research into it when one is happy and satisfied with oneself what is the path to progress and it has always seemed to me that one must be very unhappy and dissatisfied in order to achieve it and try it first than anything and achieve something great there is another thing that worries me: here religion has become so much a part of everyday life that it is taken too much for granted here people do not seem to rediscover religion constantly at every moment but only to reconcile it with all the other social activities and the great problems of humanity, the problem of the existence of God, of the creation of the universe, of the true purpose of our life, does not seem to worry people so much, I remember once. having talked to a girl a college girl about these things and she told me she had never thought about it before I will think about it tonight and tell you tomorrow how unlikely it seemed to me it seems like she had missed out on a lot of the fun of life, but then He didn't realize it, so maybe he didn't miss it.

However, I think that some of us Europeans, degenerate and decanted, as they call us, are still much more concerned with the philosophy of religion than me and the people here. I am glad for the mystical attitude and the great concern for the important problems of human beings. Oh, it seems to me that it still exists and burns in us in Europe and Asia. The objections speak for themselves. I think we are done with these old medieval problems. I'm sure there are many more atheists in Europe than in the United States, well, but there is one thing that has been very similar in Denmark and the United States and I have to protest about it.

I feel so part of it. There is so much home in all of my families and communities that I haven't had the opportunity to feel like I was in a foreign country. Well, in short, I would say that it has been extremely important for me and I suppose for many of us to realize it once. Again, how values ​​change in different social and historical environments. I have been thinking more and differently about this idea of ​​freedom of the individual and for the first time in my life I realize that some people can find freedom in society.

Just because I felt the responsibilities towards others and not the madness that they thought before, I had also not realized the importance of the United States as a new country, a new world where human evolution can be seen and where new wonderful things can happen, but it can also bring decline. Well, I hadn't seen how our civilization in southern Europe is declining and how much better the Americans are in some ways. I think your Americans are so full of strength that they prefer to live instead of playing intellectual games like we and I do too. I have seen some of the disadvantages of democracy, the danger of a leveling of all people, but the most important thing for me was that I saw that there are so many beautiful things to see, hear and discover in life that for the first time in my life Now I am very sure that I want to live and in this way I have gained an affirmative position in life that I have never had before and I think it is the greatest gift for which I have to thank America and thank you for saying that to us yes