1) The document describes the experience of Maryann Adedapo, who was born in Texas to Nigerian immigrant parents. Though her parents are Nigerian, she was raised speaking English and does not know the Yoruba language well. 2) Maryann feels like an outsider among both African and African American groups. Africans see her as "too American" because she was raised in the US, while African Americans say she "sounds white." 3) These experiences of exclusion have been hurtful at times. However, Maryann has learned to accept herself and surround herself with diverse friends who will not judge her.

1. Name : Shanis Irsamayanti
NIM : 155110100111022
Class A – Mid-term of Cross Cultural Understanding
Project I - Personal Experience
A. Theory
Stereotype is any commonly public belief about a certain group or a type
of individual. It is a result of incomplete or distorted information accepted as fact
without question. These characteristics tend to be oversimplifications of the
groups involved. These thoughts or beliefs may or may not accurately reflect
reality. Stereotype can be complicated because the members of the same group
may be actually very different compared to the stereotype they received.
Stereotyping can be summed up as a product of culture, because people from the
same origin usually shared the same perception and point of view about
something, especially stereotypes that shared from generation to generation.
B. My Experience
Everyone who lives in Indonesia surely knows that there are a lot of
strange beliefs and stereotypes amongst us towards a certain group. One of that
happens to be a belief that natural science is better than social science. I don’t
understand when did it started, or why do people think about it that way, but it
happens. Especially older people, they are very much still caught up in this belief.
There was one time when I attended family gathering, the elder relatives would
ask my older cousins about whether they took natural or social science in high
school. If my cousin said they were taking natural science, they will answer
“Wow, you’re smart”. However, they didn’t say the same thing to my other
cousins who took social science in their high school. I was an elementary student
at that time so I don’t really understand about natural or social thingy, but I still
remember that moment until now. When I get older and went to high school, I
was caught up in this belief too. I took natural science as my high school major. It
was fun at first to learn about chemistry, physics, and biology. However, I started
to doubt my choice when I was in 12th grade. All of my friends seem to know

2. what they want and what major they will take in universities. Unlike me, I
realized that I never really liked natural science subjects in the first place. When I
told my parents that I wanted to take social science major later in the university,
they’re fine with it. They said that a lot of my relatives are from social science
and they’re successful. In contrast, there are others who came from natural
science but their job is not related to their field at all. They told me to go for it
and choose the university major that I liked the most because it will be easier
and better for my future. When I think about it, English is actually what I really
like. And that’s it, I started to learn social science for SBMPTN so that I can took
English Literature major. Luckily, I got accepted in English Literature Brawijaya
University which is a subject that I think suits me the most.
C. Comment
My experience above categorized into stereotype theory because some
people around me “judged” that natural science is better than social science. I
honestly used to caught up in that belief too until I realized that it is not true at
all. Any kind of science is good and worth to learn for. Stereotyping is not only
hurtful, it also wrong in many ways. Constantly putting someone down based on
your own judgment is a very wrong thing to do. Therefore, we should avoid
stereotyping anything before we know the truth. Some ways that we could do to
avoid stereotyping are by avoid judgments and learning to recognize other’s
behavior. You can also pausing in the moment before making a judgment and ask
yourself “can this possibly be true for all cases?” which is usually not true. Even if
a majority has something in common, it does not mean all of them do.
Project II – Foreign Experience
A. Theory
“A fish out of water” is an idiom used to refer to someone who feels like
they’re in unparticular or unfamiliar surroundings, or in a situation that makes
them feel uncomfortable. It is a quite old metaphor that has been used by
Geoffrey Chaucer (father of English literature) in his Canterbury Tales.
Meanwhile, judging is a condition when people make conclusions or form

3. opinion about something based on their own point of view and it is not
necessarily true. The term “judging” is usually associated with a negative and
incorrect opinion.
B. Foreign Experience
The foreign experience is attached in the last page and it is about an
African girl who lives in America but she gets a lot of incorrect judgment from
her African friends and also feels like a fish out of water from the African people
that surround her.
C. Comment
This person’s experience is categorized into the theory of “a fish out of
water” because she considered as “too American” by the African people around
her. It is confusing because her parents are both pure African but she was born
and raised in America. Thus, she has never come into Africa and never knows
about the culture, language, and African traits. However, she has been doing the
right thing to do by not really thinking about the judgments that she has
accepted. Even though it hurts her when she was younger, but she was able to
handle it pretty well. She also has made some friends from different backgrounds
and has made a “solid relationships” with the Africans who are considered
“too American” as well which is a good thing. Her experience can also be
categorized into incorrect judgment since she was judged by a lot of people. For
example, when her boyfriend’s family knew that she’s American, she
automatically judged as an American girl with no culture. Even though they
probably have no intention to hurt her, but it is still a wrong thing to do. Just like
stereotypes, it should be avoided at all cost. We as a human being should not
judge each other. However, if we’re the one who get judged, it is better for us to
not really thinking about it. We should just laugh it off and prove them that their
judgment is not true at all. Just like the old saying, “If they don’t know you
personally, don’t take it personal”.

4. Reflections on Being African but not African “Enough”
by Maryann Adedapo
My first name is Maryann, a name that is almost exclusively given
to white girls. It was the most popular female Anglo name in the 1900s.
My mom wanted to give me a Yoruba name, but my dad was already
thinking about the benefits an Anglo name would provide me in the
workplace. My name, paired with my supposed ability to speak
“properly” has kind of put me in an awkward position with other African -
Americans who have always told me that I “sounded white.” And with my
fellow Nigerians and Africans, who consider me to be “too American,” my
upbringing has somehow deemed me unworthy of the clique per se.
(“Africans” meaning those who directly immigrated from or are the
children of African immigrants; and “African-Americans meaning those
whose ancestors have lived in America for many generations.)
From as early as middle school, it’s been difficult for me to fit in
with other Africans in the places I’ve lived because I’m considered “not
really African.” I was born and raised in Texas by two Nigerian
immigrants. My parents were born in Lagos and are of the Yoruba tribe.
Though I understand bits and pieces of my native language, I am unable
to speak it. This has always singled me out amongst Africans who are
more “in tune” with their culture. Many love to goof off and joke around
with each other in their language. Or discuss their adventures back
home, listen to African music, and hilariously bond over how their
parents are disciplinarians. But for me, I only speak English. I haven’t
been to Nigeria. I listen mostly to Toro y Moi and Little Dragon. And my
parents are super “Americanized” after having obtained American
degrees. To me, these differences shouldn’t stop me from having viable
relationships with other Africans, but somehow, it has affected their
perception of me in many instances.
In school I would join African student organizations on campus,
thinking I could meet more Nigerians, but I would stop going after being
questioned about my first name or asked what my African name is, or
being told I didn’t look or sound African. It got tiresome, being asked,
“Have you even been to Nigeria?” before finally being dismissed with the
usual, “Eh, this American girl.”
At almost 21, these things don’t hurt my feelings anymore. But
when I was younger, being excluded made me resent my parents for not
ensuring that I learned my language or ever taking me to visit Nigeria.

5. My boyfriend is Nigerian and lovingly tries to teach me. But I can’t
help but feel like a piece of me is missing when it comes to familial
language barriers. His family members and close friends accept me for
who I am, but initially, they had doubts because they too thought I was
just some “American girl” with no culture. Even though I was born
directly from Nigerian immigrants, I was viewed with pity and reluctance.
I still remember when one of his friends asked me if I knew what fu -fu
was, to which I remarked, “Just because I was raised here doesn’t mean I
only eat hot dogs and fries.”
I’ve witnessed a great deal of “us vs. them” from my African family
and friends who felt that African-Americans were wayward and
cultureless. Africans feel they are more religious, prayerful, traditional,
and respectful than African-Americans. It can feel like Africans and
African-Americans are two different species and I do not belong to
either. Although I have clear African heritage, somehow I am not “African
enough.”
I’ve been too white for Blacks, too Black for whites, and too
American for Africans. Thus, all of my closest friends over the years have
been from a variety of backgrounds: White, Black, Asian, Latino, and so
forth. I love my diverse friendships. I’ve also made solid relationships
with other Africans who are considered “too American” as well, as this is
one of our commonalities.
I accept that no group of people is the same. I cannot and will not
put the “us vs. them” mentality on all Africans. But I’m happy with who I
am and I will only improve with age. I like egusi (Nigerian traditional
soup), but some days, I also prefer a gourmet sandwich. People just to
have to accept it.
In the meantime, I seek out folks that won’t judge me and know
that I am enough as I am.
Source: http://www.forharriet.com/2015/07/reflections-on-being-african-
but-not.html#ixzz4OElvo4bc