Thousands of miles from their home country, four Pakistani students found a new home this semester at the University of Idaho.
Mirza Ahmad of Lahore, Faheem of Bajaur Agency, Sara Mehmood of Peshawar and Sehrish Abbasi of Rawalpindi came to UI in August. Ahmad, Mehmood, Faheem and Abbasi are part of a group of 100 “cultural ambassadors” studying at universities across the U.S. through IREX’s (formerly International Research and Exchange) Global Undergraduate Exchange program. The program partners with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
All four students are returning home to Pakistan at the end of this semester, bringing new experiences and lessons learned back with them.
Breaking down barriers
Faheem, who is studying electrical engineering, said he decided to be part of the program because he was curious about other cultures.
“We live in a global village where you have to know other’s culture, because if you want to live in a global village in every true sense of the word, you have to understand each other,” Faheem said. “That’s the only way we can promote understanding between people.”
One goal of the program is to promote cross-cultural understanding, Abbasi said.
“We want to abolish the stereotypical notions that people have about Pakistan and that the Pakistani people have about Americans,” she said.
Abbasi said she thought she would experience prejudice from Americans and that they would be arrogant toward her.
“We are staying in the dorms but we are still able to practice our religion and share our cultures with others,” Abbasi said. “We realized, ‘Oh, we were wrong too.'”
Mehmood said she and the other ambassadors found Moscow to be extremely friendly and open to other cultures.
“The best thing I like about American culture is that it absorbs a lot of other cultures,” Mehmood said.
Faheem said he was at home in Moscow and never felt like he was an outsider.
“People are so friendly,” Faheem said. “We are so far from our home but we never feel that because people are there for you. They help us out.”
Each student said conversations with other students often revolved around stereotypes in each other’s culture. Mehmood said one of her classmates asked her what it felt like to be living in a war zone.
“I was like no, the city I live in, it’s very peaceful. You know, occasionally things happen but he thought I lived in a war zone because of the media,” Mehmood said.
Culture shock
Thousands of miles from home in a brand new country, Ahmad, Mehmood, Abbasi and Faheem all said the hardest part of coming to the U.S. was the food.
“I was so excited to try the food because it all looked so good on TV,” Mehmood said. “But I tried it and it was so bad and it made me sick.”
Faheem said he and his fellow Pakistanis are used to hot and spicy food, and the meals here were bland in comparison.
“I felt prepared for U.S. culture after watching TV and listening to music, but you cannot taste food in media,” Ahmad said.
The ambassadors get together on weekends to cook traditional food, they said, and often invite other students and friends to join them.
Mehmood said she learned more about American culture by watching her roommates and how they interacted with friends and family. Even something like the perception of time and punctuality are different across cultures, Faheem said.
Stamping passports
Each of the Pakistani students carries a “cultural passport” where they receive stamps for completing different activities in Moscow. Categories include such things as daily life, arts and music, sports and a mandatory 20 hours of community service.
Community service was a great way to get involved and learn more about the community, Abbasi said. She and the others served in the community through the Muslim Community of the Palouse doing highway cleanup projects and volunteering in soup kitchens. They also helped out other international students as “English language partners.”
“We are not just exposed to American people but also to all other international students, so we get to learn about the world as well,” Abbasi said.
Mehmood said one of her favorite parts of Moscow were the outdoor activities. So far she and the other students have been rafting, paintballing and ice-skating, among other activities.
“We have so many opportunities to try new things here, so every weekend is booked,” Mehmood said.
The ambassadors also are required to give presentations on Pakistan culture to their classes at the university and to local high schools and elementary schools.
Abbasi said she gave a presentation to a class of third graders and brought her traditional clothes and Pakistan’s national flag.
“After the presentation I asked the students what they thought about Pakistan and they all yelled ‘We love Pakistan’ and I was so happy to hear that from them,” she said.
The ambassadors also gave a presentation at Moscow High School and were able to sit down and speak with local students in person, Faheem said.
“It was a good chance for us to clear up misconceptions from the media and stereotypes,” he said.
Education
Although the cultural ambassadors attend UI as non-degree seeking students, taking advantage of the American higher education system was a huge benefit of the program, Ahmad said.
Ahmad said one of the major differences between the Pakistani and American educational systems is that in Pakistan, once a student has chosen a field of study all of their courses are pre-assigned for the duration of their studies. This makes it very difficult to take courses outside of their individual fields, Ahmad said.
“The thing I love about the American educational system here is that you are not forced to select any kind of subject, it’s up to you to choose whatever you want,” he said.
The ambassadors are required to take at least one course in their field of study and one in American studies, but the rest of their credits may be filled with whatever courses they please. Ahmad is taking public speaking and Mehmood, who is studying business, is taking a foreign language.
“I never would have had the opportunity to take these classes in Pakistan, because they are outside of my school,” Mehmood said.
Faheem said he enjoyed the opportunity to work with engineering professors who had done research and had a lot of practical knowledge.
“At home we learn all the equations and mathematics, here you get a practical taste of everything and how it’s actually used,” Faheem said.
As cultural ambassadors, Ahmad said he and his fellow Pakistani students feel a huge amount of responsibility to represent the best side of their country and culture.
“I always think before doing anything, because if I do anything wrong people won’t blame me, they will blame my religion or my culture,” Ahmad said.
After six months in the U.S., their ultimate goal, they said, remains the same.
“The message we want to say is if people of America have the chance to have a first-hand experience in Pakistan or the culture there, that would be such a good thing because the media exaggerates everything,” Faheem said.
While IREX does not currently offer any program that brings U.S. students to Pakistan, Faheem said there is a program that brings teachers to the country for a week at a time to work in local schools.
Ahmad, Faheem, Mehmood and Abbasi said they are all hoping to return to the U.S. in the future to complete their master’s or doctorate degrees.