Intercultural Interview

     For my Intercultural Interview, I interviewed Nick Race who is an American citizen who is currently stationed in Germany. He is currently serving over twenty years in the Army National Guard and Army Reserves. Race has been stationed both in the United States and twice in Europe with a combat tour to Iraq. Race has lived in America for most of his life, so his perceptions of Germany were a little mixed. He was told before going over that most Germans were rude in their manner so he was fully ready to adjust for that, however once he was overseas he realized they were quite friendly. He went more into detail about once you are familiar with the customs and socialization process the people begin to open up more. During the interview, I brought up if he was anxious at all about having to go overseas far away from home. He said there was no anxiety whatsoever and that he looked forward to getting to go. The culture in Germany was something he was already used to, as his dad was stationed there for three years when he was a young kid. Another very interesting and cool point he brought up was that his first duty station was in Italy and that he traveled to Germany for training so there wasn't much difficulty in adapting to the German culture when he was stationed for this last tour. 

When it came to a language barrier, he said there was definitely one to get past, however a lot of Germans are taught English when they are in school, just like students in the United States are taught many different languages. Another good point he brought up was that if you learn or at least try to learn the German language they are very appreciative of that. Relating back to what we have learned in class with cultural adaption. Cultural adaption is the long term process of adjusting to and finally feeling comfortable in a new environment (Martin, 332). It definitely took him a long time getting used to his new surroundings and the language barrier, but if you go about it the right way depending on the host environment it is a good experience. In Germany, they have a low power distance which means the less hierarchy the better and it is shown in the culture. They want everyone to be treated equally and fairly which is why it is easier to get adjusted to the customs and it makes United States citizens more comfortable. One good example of this goes back to what Race said, many German students are taught English in school so that when the tourists or Army National Guard comes over they make them feel welcomed and like one of them. 

Going back to when he discussed when Germans can be rude in their manner, this relates back to our non-verbal cues chapter. I asked him what kind of cues he noticed while being there. The main one that was made evident was eye contact and facial expressions. He talked about the locals would obviously notice he is with the Army and either stare very confused at him or just in complete shock. This shows the relational messages (Martin, 277), or the messages about how we feel about others and it helped Race learn the nonverbal behaviors very quickly, what they meant and how to handle them. 

With this class, one important aspect that has stuck with me is that culture is performative, so when Germany is playing host to someone from the United States, they want to be on their best behavior. The way that they communicate will reinforce the culture and how it is represented not only for the locals but for the people who are unsure about visiting. It is the same way when foreigners come to visit the United States, we want to form the different cultural frames through conversations and show that we are diverse and willing to learn more. Everybody wants to put on their best face when they are getting travelers from far away to come visit or maybe even live. They want to make sure the guest is welcomed and feels like this is a second home for them so that they can tell their family and friends all about it. 

Identity negotiation is very important, especially when you are a United States resident in a foreign country. It is helpful to keep your identity but also learn new ones while overseas. I asked Race if the way he conceives himself and his self identity changed since he has arrived in Germany. He told me that he doesn’t think his self-identity has changed before, during, or after this tour. However, he does appreciate some of the customs they have there and would be nice to see it here in the states. I asked him about some of those customs, and brought up were no tipping, full wages and benefits. Also, on Sundays everything is closed except for churches and restaurants so that people can get a rest before the start of the next week. 

Race does not believe his social identities changed too drastically while overseas, however like he said before he respects the German culture and the way they handle things to make all people feel respected. He would like to stay true to his American values but at the same time, feel accomplished during his time overseas. Race believes he has learned many different things while in Germany, such as different lifestyles of individuals and how they carry themselves in their daily lives. He discussed how there is a misconception of understanding between Americans and their thought process of countries overseas, he talked about how they are very similar to us in many ways. However, if there is just a small difference between us and them, then we think we are life years apart when really that is incorrect.

Overall, my interview taught me so much that I did not know before, mostly things that when I think about this class and what we have learned. One major thing this interview taught me that ties into this class is the idea of identity development and minority identity (Martin, 177). Race is the minority in Germany because he is not aware of the culture, so that would be stage one, or unexamined identity. Stage two is conformity, where he starts to learn the values and start becoming aware of them. Stage three is resistance, where the individual starts to become willingly aware of the values and starts implementing them into their daily life. Finally stage four  is integration, where the values are completely a part of them and their lifestyle. For Race, I don’t believe he ever reached stage four of identity development as he wanted to stay true to his American values which is understandable. However, I believe he was strongly in stage two, where he was certainly aware of the values and treated them with the utmost respect. This class has taught me to think so much deeper than the surface level when it comes to intercultural interactions. 

Another good example that can relate back to this is the social science perspective (Martin, 51). It is the identity that is created by self and group memberships, and what comes with this is three different universal aspects of identity. First, is Individualized Identity, which is the sense of self as independent and self-reliant. Race can relate to this, especially being on his own during his time in Germany. I can also relate to this, especially being an athlete here at Augusta University, you have to make very important choices because you do not have your family over your shoulder anymore. The second is Familial Identity, this is the sense of self as always connected to family and others. Race said he is always trying to connect with his family back in the United States and he misses them everyday. I imagine it is extremely difficult to go overseas with a family that misses you everyday and constantly wants to hear from you and how the day is going. The final one is Spiritual Identity, this is the identification with feelings of connectedness to others and higher meanings in life. This one does not relate back to Race as much as the others do, however it can at the same time. Simply with all his relationships that he has built throughout the Army. I am extremely grateful for my interview with Nick Race and everything he explained to me and would absolutely love the chance to get to do this again.