Many people can agree that moving to a foreign country is no easy feat, especially for a high school student. As for Edmond Memorial High School junior Mohana Karimi, moving from India to the United States has been a new experience and adventure.
After moving to America in November 2021 during her seventh-grade year, Mohana quickly felt the culture shock from the difference in school atmospheres. Schools in the United States felt less strict compared to the schools she attended in India. For Mohana, there is a sense of individualism in the U.S. that was new to her.
“Students in America act more independently and have a lot of personal choices,” Mohana said. “For me in India, I always did what my parents told me and never thought about being independent like the American students.”
Another difference Mohana noticed between schools in both countries was the relationships between students and teachers. Mohana describes the interactions as more casual compared to the more formal exchanges she had with teachers in India.
“Students in the United States call the teachers by their [last] names and are friend[ly] with them,” Mohana said. “In India, we had to call our teachers ma’am or sir.”
Prior to coming to the United States, Mohana managed to learn two languages fluently and understand five languages in total. India is home to approximately 1,400 different languages, with Hindi and English being the official languages
“I can speak two languages fluently, which are English and Telugu, but I can understand five languages,” Mohana said. “I can understand Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.”
The change in schools and interactions between students and teachers was not only recognized by Karimi but also by Karimi’s mother, Hemalatha Karimi. Hemalatha noticed a change in Karimi’s personality after moving to the United States, describing her as more extroverted and able to better adapt to her surroundings.
“Her confidence has increased, and she has become more individual,” Hemalatha said. “She is able to adapt more easily, too, and she is no longer confused on what to do and is not scared of what she will do in her future.”
After moving, many differences became apparent to Mohana, not just in school but in life overall. Even though the cultural differences could be difficult, Mohana will continue her journey, adjusting to her new environment.
Contact Erin Hamm at [email protected]
