Expats Biggest Culture Shocks Revealed

Ask any expat and they’ll tell you that relocating abroad can be an overwhelming experience. While there are undoubtedly many positive aspects that make the move worthwhile in the first instance, including career progression and lower living costs, there are also certain obstacles to overcome: such as dealing with a language barrier, having to get used to a whole new set of customs and traditions, or even, in some unfortunate circumstances, having to deal with microaggressions. It’s for these reasons and many others that a quarter of all expats are now returning to their home countries earlier than expected after suffering from extreme culture shock.

We at MoneyTransfers spoke to two expats who were coming to terms with their own culture shock. Viveca, like 17% of expats who move to the United States, struggled with the differences from her own native culture, and while 46% of expats cite a language barrier as the most significant culture shock factor, for Viveca it was the way that we show respect to our elders that proved the hardest to navigate:

Viveca Chow

Where did you move to and when?

I moved from Hong Kong to Pittsburgh when I was 18.

What was the reason for becoming an expat?

I got into university for a BFA Musical Theatre degree, as my dream was to be on Broadway.

What was the biggest culture shock you experienced on moving to the United States?

A lot of people here address their own or their friends' parents on a first name basis. I remember addressing my friend's mum as "Mrs. Fairman" and her response was "call me Jan, Mrs. Fairman is my mother." This was a HUGE shock because addressing someone's parents by their first name seems extremely disrespectful to me. In Hong Kong, we would call our friend's parents "Auntie" or "Uncle." If we wanted to use their first name, we would always have to say "Auntie Anna." I've been in the US for 11 years and this still makes me uncomfortable.

Were there any other culture shocks that you experienced upon moving?

There were several culture shocks when moving! Another culture shock was wearing shoes in the house. It made me feel SO confused when I found out a lot of people also wear shoes on their bed. I have never walked inside my own house with my shoes on. We would always leave them by the shoe cabinet. This never really made sense to me! For a long time, I just ignored it and would clean my floors afterwards because I was anxious that others would view me as a "non-conformist." When I finally started to gain the courage to ask them to take their shoes off at the door, I would feel embarrassed.

Were the local population welcoming to you as an expat?

There was the feeling of being "othered." I have never experienced micro-aggressions or blatant racism until I moved to the USA. Moving to a non-Asian dominant country and becoming a minority made me so aware of my cultural identity–in a way that I have never been before. I felt like I had to prove that I belonged.

How long did it take you to adjust?

I would say I finally found my footing five years later, when I finished university and transitioned into the professional world. I finally became comfortable and empowered.

While Viveca’s Asian upbringing was in stark contrast to her new American expat lifestyle, we might expect that our next expat, moving from America to Europe, would have an easier time of things. However, in Karalee’s case, liberal European views towards nudity took some getting used to. In certain European countries, nude saunas and topless beaches are a typical part of daily life and this can be difficult for expats from more conservative countries to fathom. In Karalee’s case, she found that this liberal attitude to nudity even extended to billboards on buses.

Karalee (@karaleeCupcake)

Where did you move to and when?

I moved to Denmark in 2016, after living my whole life in Texas.

What was the reason for becoming an expat?

My partner is Danish, and we’d just had our daughter, and thought Denmark would be a better country for her to grow up in.

What was the biggest culture shock you experienced on moving to Denmark?

The biggest culture shock I experienced is the openness to nudity in Denmark. In the US, any nudity on TV would be censored, and adult magazines in stores would be covered in plastic as well as on the top shelf out of reach for children. However, in Denmark, there are numerous TV shows that show plastic surgery mishaps or discuss women's bodies, and they will be topless or completely naked without any censorship. There are also advertisements on the side of buses with breasts for everyone walking around outside to see. Furthermore, there is the Ekstra Bladet magazine sold in stores that has a daily page nine woman who is completely nude in the photos.

Does this openness to nudity extend beyond the Danish media?

The openness to nudity extends further than the media. In the US, when you go to a public pool, there will be individual changing rooms and individual showers. However, in Denmark, women share a changing room, and men have their separate changing room. You will change in front of other women and there are women who will walk around and shower naked. At the beaches, it is generally allowed to bathe naked, but there are several beaches that prohibit it. Winter bathing is also popular here, and people will bathe naked during this time as well.

How long did it take you to adjust?

Even after living for years in Denmark, I am still uncomfortable showering in front of other women, and I have never bathed naked on the beach. However, I have become accustomed to nudity without censorship in the media.

In a 2021 GlobalHealth Service study of social workers who had relocated abroad, it was suggested that there are five layers of culture shock, with the stages after moving overseas being: honeymoon, frustration, adjustment, acceptance and reentry. A curvilinear relationship between lack of well-being (culture shock) and time was determined, with the lowest point of well-being on month six of the placement, and the reentry stage occurring at month 12.

This certainly seems to correlate with a recent Gitnux Market Data report which found that 60% of overseas employees need at least a year to adapt to a new working environment. Culture shock can affect anyone regardless of their age or level of employment, and in fact 30% of new CEOs in internationally acquired companies experience culture shock.

It is possible that youth could be considered a blessing, as 80% of international students report feeling happy and satisfied during their first semester despite the culture shock that comes with it. However, as a semester is usually between 14 and 21 weeks long, this would put them in the honeymoon stage of culture shock and yet to reach their lowest point of well-being, which would typically take place around week 26.

Jonathan Merry, travel expert at MoneyTransfers.com, has this advice for those who believe they are suffering from culture shock:

"One of the best ways of dealing with culture shock is for expats to fully immerse themselves in their new culture. This could be through learning the local language, engaging in cultural activities, or even meeting up with friends and fellow expatriates. Most importantly, give yourself time and keep an open mind and a positive attitude towards your new culture."

Jonathan Merry, travel expert at MoneyTransfers.com