ANTH 23 Response Paper 1

Response Paper #1: God Grew Tired of Us In God Grew Tired of Us, three Sudanese refugees, Panther, John, and Daniel, had the opportunity to explore a new world through a fresh set of eyes in hope of bettering their lives and bettering the lives' of their friends and family left back in Sudan. Unfortunately, adapting to a new lifestyle and learning new customs in the United States was very disorientating to them. However, by keeping many of their cultural traditions and having each other during this new process, some comfort was brought to the "Lost Boys." When the "Lost Boys" first stepped into the United States, as a viewer, I was surprised on their reactions' to the accustomed American lifestyle. They had to learn how to take a shower and how to adjust its temperature, how to not throw trash out of the window, how to use an escalator, etc. The most surprising of all was their unfamiliarity with the light switch. The light switch, I believe, is such a basic and essential part of our everyday living that I would think it is universally used. I would not think twice of any person to be unfamiliar with it, but, unfortunately, I took the light switch for granted. I am so accustomed to what I believe is the norm, that I forget there are particular groups out there that do not have the same lifestyle as me, who do not have the same customs as me, who do not use the same everyday objects as me, who might not believe what I think is the norm is really the "norm." The idea of what is the "norm," also brings in the idea of "cultural clashes." For example, in Sudan it is normal for a complete stranger to randomly show up in someone's house. This shows that the "Lost Boys" were accustomed to such actions because of their culture and did not think it would be unusual to show up at a stranger's house in America. Then they realized in America the same beliefs are not practiced; that it was actually more normal for the police to be called in such situations. This