Old Interview

The media did help in my process of acculturation in several ways. I actually learned English by watching TV shows and cartoons and such. I learned to find ways to communicate with those around me without coming off as "weird" and I learned contemporary information that helped me blend in with Americans. Music also was a great way for me to find a way to become acquainted with those around me. Because of the media, involving my cultural values within the values of Americans, it became easier for me to be myself also. Due to the mixtures of cultures and large amount of immigrants coming to the U.S, media has become the main source of information for everyone. Also, due to the news about "War on Terror," Americans are becoming aware of the fact that there ARE people with variety of ethnic backgrounds present on the same Earth. This leads Americans to become curious and seek more knowledge about other ethnicities, including Pakistanis like me. The media has helped me Americanize my way, and yet at the same time, helped Americans increase their knowledge about worldly matters and other cultural values.


To be honest, I was only 6-7 year old and I barely knew anything about America. All my family told me was that America is the "best place to live in" and that you can do whatever you want in it. My mom constantly told me that it's a place where people go to college and become great doctors with lots of money. I basically thought, America was the place where everyone wanted to be at, but not everyone received the same opportunity. Now after so many years, I've realized that it's technically true.


Well, if you haven't noticed, there's always an actor/actress in almost every movie that is either Pakistani, Bangladeshi, or Indian (Desis). Sure, they take on the role of who else but taxi drivers, convenient store workers, and gas station owners, but the fact that they are present in so many movies and tv shows, reveals the fact that they ARE catching attention. There's a large population of Desis in the U.S. and even though the Media doesn't always portray the right information, it does show a little bit of everything. For example, after my friends watched "Bendin' like Beckham" .. all they could do was ask me questions regarding the food and the clothing and also the music that took place in the movie. It helped me become "more open" towards my friends and I actually got the chance to explain what REALLY my cultural values are about and how they differ from one ethnicity to another.