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The flakes fluttered out of an overcast sky, stuck to the frozen ground, collecting in little piles that would scatter in a puff when a car zipped past. It was all new to her.
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Stephanie Cox, 10, laughs as Winona State University international students Su Jin Kang, right, and Hee Soo Lee, dress her in a traditional South Korean outfit Friday during International Day at Cochrane-Fountain City School.
(Melissa Carlo/Winona Daily News)
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Winter is a foreign concept to a girl growing up in Mali, a West African country about twice the size of Texas. So Toure got her first taste of the bone-chilling wind, bitter cold and — yes — the snow that mark Minnesota winters when she moved to the United States about a year and a half ago to study at Winona State University.
Though it is no longer a new experience, Toure hasn’t adjusted to the low temperatures.
“I’m always wishing it was summer,” she said with a laugh.
WSU international students face a wide variety of challenges when they move to Winona, whether it’s understanding changes in cultural norms, negotiating their way through a different lifestyle or simply adjusting to a new season. About 180 of those students gave Cochrane-Fountain City elementary students a sample of being immersed in foreign cultures Friday to celebrate Global Awareness Day. During the all-day event promoting cultural understanding, C-FC students learned a Bangladeshi greeting, tasted authentic Chinese food and sang a South Korean folk song. They delighted in the brief cultural immersion, and the event also reminded WSU students such as Toure of the challenges they grapple with as they make their home in Winona.
Muzi Tshisola arrived in Minnesota from Congo four years ago, unable to speak English. She attended a weeklong WSU orientation session with her sister, who translated for her, but Tshisola remembers almost nothing from the event.
“I was just overwhelmed,” she said.
The language hurdle is just one obstacle Tshisola and many other international students have to overcome.
Eji Atirie of Nigeria and Ramy Ndzegha of Cameroon point to the vast cultural differences as another difficulty.
They talk about social differences: The clubs aren’t open as late here; they’re used to dancing until 6 a.m. But at home, unmarried adults, regardless of their age, continue living with their parents. So in the United States they’ve had to adjust to being on their own, taking care of their own bills, expenses and schedules.
“You just have to balance everything, which is different,” Atirie said.
They also talk about the abundance of rules and laws in the United States, which they say is a vast difference from their home countries. There are no age limits for drinking alcohol, for example.
Ndzegha grew up in a big family, and she is quick to point out that “family” even has a somewhat different definition in Cameroon.
“We’re talking extended family,” Ndzegha said, spreading her arms wide. “Aunts, uncles, cousins — you grew up with them.”
“Neighbors, pets, cats, dogs,” Atirie chimes in, laughing. “The mailman, the guy who delivers the milk.”
C-FC students seemed amazed at some of the cultural differences they learned Friday. During a presentation in a classroom representing Taiwan, 22 students let out, nearly in unison, a cry of “Wow” that echoed down the nearby hall when they learned that Wisconsin is nearly five times larger than Taiwan and has five times fewer residents.
Teaching about these differences energized Toure, Tshisola, Atirie, Ndzegha and their fellow students. While they have had to make many adjustments — and they admit things haven’t always gone smoothly — they were quick to laud the experience they’ve had in Winona.
“It’s a journey that makes you understand and appreciate everything more,” Ndzegha said.
Dustin Kass may be reached at (507) 453-3513 or dustin.kass@lee.net.
