Autoethnography Essay Examples

For the purposes of this class, I am in a subculture; I have always been in a subculture; I will always be in a subculture. I am child of America and Kuwait and I am Muslim. I grew up in both places and have fond memories of friends and family. As a child I lived in Philadelphia until I was seven before moving to Kuwait.
My father is Kuwaiti. He instilled in me the aspiration to gain the knowledge and the skills to become a person that can make a difference. Hence, I am pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree at Boise State University. This is one of the finest Mechanical Engineering programs in the world. It is my belief that a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Boise State University will enhance my life and the lives of those around me.
There is a significant Muslim community in the United States. That is not the only factor that encouraged me to seek an education in the United States. The educational opportunities generated from an education in the United States are far superior to those of an education grounded in Kuwait. There is a bias that many employers in Kuwait have that leans toward those who get their education outside of Kuwait. So, like many students from the Middle-East. I am here to get the advantages of being educated in the United States.
I received my primary education and my secondary education in Kuwait. The excellence of that education is giving me an advantage in the United States. Though the Middle-East countries are considered to be much more conservative than the United States and Europe, the education levels at the primary and secondary levels is much higher.
When I say that I am a member of a subculture everywhere I go, I am saying that I am one of those who is the product of two different cultures. That is not a liability. I find that having exposure to both cultures is a great asset. This is a concept easily grasped in Kuwait where many executives went to foreign schools. Each of those managers has experienced the shock of entering a new culture with a new language. These are barriers but they are not insurmountable. Kuwaitis have proven time and again the how resilient we are. I will do the same.
Kuwait is not as conservative as most of the Middle-East. It is a wealthy nation and each of us students have the right and the opportunity to a free education, almost anywhere in the world. That is another factor that, as far as most students in the United States are concerned, sets me apart from the regular student. My expenses are paid. I do not need to worry about student loans, I do not need to worry about working to survive from day to day. For some, that sets me up as different. I would ask that they remember that I am battling the language barrier in every class. My fellow students from the Middle-East understand this problem and sympathize with it.
Education is an opportunity that is offered to every Kuwaiti child. It is one of those things that we are provided. It is up to each of us to decide what to do with that opportunity. I have a gift and a passion for Mechanical Engineering. That is another subculture in which I am immersed. Mechanical Engineering calls for a given set of gifts, such as the gift of mathematics. I am good at math and enjoy it. I guess that is one of those places where I am part of a subculture too. I know from experience that there are those who do not share that gift and do not aspire to learn mathematics. I enjoy the numbers and the formulas. They never lie.
There are some factors of Kuwait that are important and set me into yet another subculture. When Iraq invaded Kuwait it was a devastating event. The whole social structure was upset. Not many in the United States can understand such an event. Imagine if someone invaded the United States and the United Sates had to depend on others to help them out. Kuwait is wealthy in much more than oil. The people of Kuwait worked hard to come back from that and the country that is today is the result of that incident. Kuwaitis believe in themselves and fight hard to maintain their existence.
In Kuwait, thanks to the excellent primary and secondary educations available to us, we learned how people used to be safe in all Middle-East countries. People are still safe in Kuwait. Just like in the United States, there are some who shout; there are some who talk a lot; there are some who just look angry; and there are many who smile.
Kuwait is pretty country. There is a lot to do in Kuwait. The food and the restaurants are superb. The streets are clean and the environment is kept up as much as possible. Good jobs in Kuwait demand a foreign education. It is not that the schools in Kuwait are inferior, it is that the schools in Kuwait do not have the mystique associated with those in foreign countries. Jobs come in many forms. Everything from the big hotel industry to the public industry that manages our roads and our water and our air demand a higher education if you want to get ahead. To so so you need the advantage of a foreign education. Kuwait is big place. There are a lot of job opportunities for those who pursue a foreign education. The decision on whether to get your education in Kuwait or in a foreign country will make the difference in how you live for the rest of your life. That is the reason I have come back to America to learn. Kuwait is just like America in many ways. There are those who do not want to seek a degree of any type. There are those who would never go to America for their education. There are those who wish to study, but only in Kuwait. That decision is up to the individual. We have the right to refuse, but then your opportunities in life minimize.
The students from the Middle-East sometimes talk about how America is different from our home countries and yet is so much the same. Just like anyone else, we are seen, heard, and either appreciated or not. We are not invisible. We are just students from different countries. We are, in a way, all Americans. We would not be here to learn if we did not like America. The culture in America is diverse, unlike what we have in Kuwait. There are lots of people in Kuwait that are from other countries, but not like the United States where almost everybody is either from another country or culture or are descended from people who are from another country or culture.
There are some Americans who think that because you are from another country you are not a true American. Though it is true that I spent most of my time growing up in Kuwait, there was always the memory in my head of America, of the streets and the houses of Philadelphia. I guess you could say that I am an American. My mother is American, that makes me an American citizen, I guess. If I go to Russia after I get my degree, they will see me as American because of my birth. If I go to Mexico, they will see me as American because of the same thing. Being a child of two countries and two cultures is sometimes a rough deal, but it is sure fun.
I know the laws and the circumstances regarding being an American. It is a privilege to be one, just like it is a privilege to be a Kuwaiti. There are distinct advantages to being from both places. I am taking advantage of all those advantages. It is important that you do so when you have the opportunity so that you can contribute and be appreciated when you go to work. I will be a major contributor to any employer in Kuwait. Not because I am from Kuwait, but because I am educated and I have received my education from one of the finest education facilities in the world.
The terrorist activities that have been going on in Europe and the United States have led to a darker and more suspicious environment for any Muslims who choose to get an education or who choose to live in those areas. I do not understand the Muslims who want to be violent. That is not the way I was taught. I do not understand someone taking a gun and shooting strangers. That is not the real Muslim way. The Muslim religion is one of peace. The Quran teaches us to be peaceful. Those who seek violent activity are rebels against everyone. I like my classes here at Boise State. I like immersing myself in the culture of the United States. I think it is important that we all get to know and understand each other. There are some physical differences between Idaho and Kuwait. Here the wind howls and carries snow and ice. In Kuwait, when the wind blows, it carries sand.
Sometimes I miss home, just like everyone else. Sometimes I hear the students from America talk about their home. They talk about going home for the Holidays or just to visit. Some of them come from New York; some of them come from Philadelphia; some of them come from Los Angeles; some of them come from Idaho. We all miss home sometimes.
One of the things I miss about home is the festival. This year Ramadan begins of June 7 and ends on July 7. It is not always at that time; it moves around depending on the cycles of the moon. In that way it is somewhat like the Christian holiday of Easter, though it does not move in such a drastic way. The think I miss about Ramadan in Kuwait is that it is a time to think that is shared by all. It is a time of cleansing for the whole community.
I do miss that, but there is so much fun in the education that I am getting in Boise, I am drawn back into the class activities quickly. Still, I will be very happy to get back to Kuwait when the time comes.
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