We’re Not… vs. Remembering My Childhood on the Continent of Africa
People adapt to cultural differences in many ways. Some find the culture they were born into and their new one so interesting that they embrace a combination of the two, while others envy the new culture they discover to the point that they leave behind their original roots and adopt the new culture as their own. In “We’re Not…” by Andrea Roman and “Remembering My Childhood on the Continent of Africa” by David Sedaris, both authors respond differently to cultural changes. They both learn about the differences between the American and, either Bolivian culture for Roman or the African culture for Sedaris, but the difference is how they respond. Roman feels a sense of acceptance …show more content…
Roman learns of the cultural differences between America and Bolivia through her experiences growing up. Roman finds that “the biggest obstacles were the small cultural differences” (226). She explains this through stories about her childhood including not being able to go to sleepovers because it is not accepted in Bolivian culture and being told not to wear someone else’s clothes because “it is seen as an insult to the family in saying that [they] cannot afford to take care of [their] family” (227). She is told both the American and Bolivian views and compares them to find their differences. She learns about them in a similar way to Sedaris, who learns the differences between the American and African culture. Sedaris’s partner Hugh tells him stories about his childhood in Africa and Sedaris compares these stories to his own while growing up in America. Sedaris uses the example of Hugh’s “field trip to an Ethiopian slaughterhouse” (232) compared to his field trips to historic towns to demonstrate the differences between the two cultures. When he hears about Hugh’s different field trips, he thinks about the differences between their childhoods. Sedaris compares the two cultures and provides the reader with both view points to better understand them. Sedaris has not personally experienced two cultures like Roman, but …show more content…
When Roman moves from Bolivia to America she has to adapt to the American culture. She discovers that in order to fit into the American culture, she does not need to lose her ties to Bolivia. After growing up in America and learning about the two cultures, she comes to the realization that “[she] had become comfortable enough with [her] identity and culture that showing pride in another country would not take away from [her] heritage” (Roman 229). She works on blending the two cultures to make her own; however, Sedaris envies Hugh’s different cultural experiences. Sedaris expresses his “feelings of jealousy” (233) towards the experiences Hugh had as a child. When comparing their two upbringings, Sedaris discovers that “rather than surrender to [his] bitterness, [he] has learned to take satisfaction in the life that Hugh has led” (236). Sedaris envies the experiences Hugh has growing up, which in turn decreases the value of his own experiences. Roman is accepting towards both of her cultural experiences, unlike Sedaris, who envies the cultures that are not his
People adapt to cultural differences in many ways. Some find the culture they were born into and their new one so interesting that they embrace a combination of the two, while others envy the new culture they discover to the point that they leave behind their original roots and adopt the new culture as their own. In “We’re Not…” by Andrea Roman and “Remembering My Childhood on the Continent of Africa” by David Sedaris, both authors respond differently to cultural changes. They both learn about the differences between the American and, either Bolivian culture for Roman or the African culture for Sedaris, but the difference is how they respond. Roman feels a sense of acceptance …show more content…
Roman learns of the cultural differences between America and Bolivia through her experiences growing up. Roman finds that “the biggest obstacles were the small cultural differences” (226). She explains this through stories about her childhood including not being able to go to sleepovers because it is not accepted in Bolivian culture and being told not to wear someone else’s clothes because “it is seen as an insult to the family in saying that [they] cannot afford to take care of [their] family” (227). She is told both the American and Bolivian views and compares them to find their differences. She learns about them in a similar way to Sedaris, who learns the differences between the American and African culture. Sedaris’s partner Hugh tells him stories about his childhood in Africa and Sedaris compares these stories to his own while growing up in America. Sedaris uses the example of Hugh’s “field trip to an Ethiopian slaughterhouse” (232) compared to his field trips to historic towns to demonstrate the differences between the two cultures. When he hears about Hugh’s different field trips, he thinks about the differences between their childhoods. Sedaris compares the two cultures and provides the reader with both view points to better understand them. Sedaris has not personally experienced two cultures like Roman, but …show more content…
When Roman moves from Bolivia to America she has to adapt to the American culture. She discovers that in order to fit into the American culture, she does not need to lose her ties to Bolivia. After growing up in America and learning about the two cultures, she comes to the realization that “[she] had become comfortable enough with [her] identity and culture that showing pride in another country would not take away from [her] heritage” (Roman 229). She works on blending the two cultures to make her own; however, Sedaris envies Hugh’s different cultural experiences. Sedaris expresses his “feelings of jealousy” (233) towards the experiences Hugh had as a child. When comparing their two upbringings, Sedaris discovers that “rather than surrender to [his] bitterness, [he] has learned to take satisfaction in the life that Hugh has led” (236). Sedaris envies the experiences Hugh has growing up, which in turn decreases the value of his own experiences. Roman is accepting towards both of her cultural experiences, unlike Sedaris, who envies the cultures that are not his