Pre-Departure Orientation Manual - US Agency for International ...

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06/14/2012 New Edition in the U.S. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistical Abstract of the United States 2010, the selfdescribed religious identification of the adult population is as follows: Affiliation / Identification Christian 75 % Jewish 2.0% Muslim 0.59% Buddhist 0.52% Unitarian/Universalist 0.26% Hindu 0.26% Other religions 1.05% No religion specified 14.97% Refused to reply to question 5.18% Percent of Adult Population While Americans generally embrace the varied cultural and religious practices that reflect the nation's diversity, they also value religion as a largely personal matter. Therefore, Americans are not likely to discuss their religious beliefs and practices with strangers or with people whom they do not know very well. One exception to this is during times of major religious holidays and festivals, when people like to share their practices and celebrate in unity. These are opportune times to learn about other religious and cultural practices and share your own heritage with others. If an individual invites you to join a particular religious organization, service, or religious activity and you do not wish to attend, you may simply say, "No, thank you." You should not feel pressured by anyone to join such a group or event against your wishes. If you do encounter this situation and do feel pressured, you should discuss your feelings with your program implementer and/or your international students’ office. On the other hand, you may see this as an opportunity to learn more about the many varied religions found in the U.S. FRIENDSHIP Many people in the United States have a number of friends with whom they share something in common. A U.S. student may consider you a friend, but he or she may invite you to do something only infrequently. This is not because he or she does not like you. It simply means that life in the United States is very busy and U.S. students tend to have many more commitments (work and family, for instance, in addition to their studies) than students in many other countries. DATING When you first start interacting with Americans, it may seem a little awkward in the way they joke with each other and socialize. Someone you meet may find an interest in you, or you may find an interest in him or her. If you like someone: Tell him or her that you are interested and ask him or her to have dinner or coffee with you sometime. It is all right to be direct in these cases. Don’t worry—even most Americans find the dating process to be difficult. Do not go out alone with someone you’ve just 16
06/14/2012 New Edition met. If someone asks you on a date and you wish to accept, agree to meet in a public area with other people around. If you don’t like someone: When he or she asks to see you sometime, simply say, “Probably not, but thank you.” If you want to break things off or if you are not interested in someone who is pressuring you: Tell him or her directly what you want. Don’t be afraid to state your mind or else he or she may assume you are still interested. If someone behaves aggressively or threateningly, end the relationship. You do not need to be polite if someone makes you feel pressured or scared. DIVERSITY IN AMERICA Many people in the United States like to think that all people are equal—race, color, religion, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexual orientation are unimportant to our value as human beings. Words like “tolerance” and “appreciation” are words that we may use to describe our relationship with people different from ourselves. For this reason, racist and sexist jokes and comments are not tolerated in many social and business settings. In fact, people who make such comments could lose their jobs. Despite these principles, many inequalities still exist in the United States. You may hear people make negative comments about other groups. You may even experience discrimination because you are an international student. If this happens to you and you wish to talk about it, go to your training provider or academic advisor, or contact the police if you feel threatened. An advisor who is familiar with these issues will try to understand the situation and make some suggestions for dealing with it. The population of the United States is made up of people from diverse "races," cultures, and places. For Americans, it is important to be aware of attitudes, perceptions, and feelings about various aspects of diversity. Often, different terms can be used to refer to people who are of a certain race or ethnicity. Many American citizens and residents have specific terms that they prefer to use when referring to their race or ethnicity. For example, some Americans of Spanish or Latin-American descent use the term Hispanic when referring to their ethnicity; others from Latin American prefer the terms Latino or Latina. Many citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in Africa prefer to use the term African American. Similarly, some people with origins in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent prefer the term Asian, Asian American, the appropriate sub-sect of Asian. By recognizing that differences should be valued and appreciated, individuals can be proud of their cultural heritage and uniqueness instead of being ashamed of their differences. Your experience will be enriched by respecting and celebrating the diverse origins of Americans. The push for gender equality in the United States has resulted in a great upheaval and revision of its traditional gender roles. Gender and sex discrimination in employment, housing, education, and other areas is against the law. While the legal progress in ensuring gender equality has been impressive, there are still many areas, such as income and political representation, in which equity has not yet been attained. American men and women have the right to an equal opportunity to pursue their life goals. Some international students are surprised to hear men and women in the Unites States say they are gay, lesbian, or bisexual. There is a growing community of Americans who openly identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender and do not believe that it is necessary to keep this a secret. This community has become more visible and accepted, and people who are part of this population form a respected part of U.S. society. You will most likely have a professor or training provider, classmate, roommate, or friend who is gay, lesbian or bisexual. Remember to treat the people you meet with the same respect and openness that you would expect of them. 17
Page 1 and 2: Pre-Departure Guide for U.S.-Based
Page 3 and 4: October 2010 06/14/2012 New Edition
Page 5 and 6: CONGRATULATIONS INTRODUCTION 06/14/
Page 7 and 8: PARTICIPANT TRAINING 06/14/2012 New
Page 9 and 10: RETURN-TO-HOME POLICY AND TWO-YEAR
Page 11 and 12: USAID-PROVIDED MONETARY ALLOWANCES
Page 13 and 14: PROGRAM COSTS FUNDED BY USAID 06/14
Page 15: SUPERFICIAL? 06/14/2012 New Edition
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Page 23 and 24: ILLEGAL DRUGS 06/14/2012 New Editio
Page 25 and 26: GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE OF THE UNITED
Page 27 and 28: City 06/14/2012 New Edition Average
Page 29 and 30: U.S. Coin Denominations and Approxi
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Page 33 and 34: INDEPENDENCE DAY - JULY 4 06/14/201
Page 35 and 36: 06/14/2012 New Edition The teaching
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Page 47 and 48: ARRIVAL BY LAND OR SEA 06/14/2012 N

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