Becoming an Au Pair in the US – What does cultural exchange really mean?

Part 2- getting to know the US culture

As we have learned from Part 1 of this blog post where we talked about sharing your own culture, cultural exchange is defined as the exchange of cultural knowledge, customs, ideas, social behavior and experiences between people from different backgrounds (heritage, ethnicity or religion). As the word ‘exchange’ suggests, cultural exchange is a two-way street and needs both sides to be open to learn, understand, question and accept other views, opinions and customs.

Cultural exchange requires people to be sensitive, open-minded, curious and to be willing to engage in a respectful dialogue.  Cultural exchange can help people to broaden horizons, build bridges between different culture, to foster understanding and to create lasting impacts and create deep relationships. Being culturally aware and being able to work and communicate with people from different cultures, will not only help you during your au pair year, but also in your personal and professional life, even once your au pair journey has ended.

We have already discussed ways of sharing your own culture but as we have learned, cultural exchange is a two-way street, so how can you experience the US culture better while on the program?

  • Living in the host’s home – the most obvious but yet the most overlooked! Simply by living in a US host family, you get to know their lifestyles, values, habits, customs and get to exposed to the language. You get to know the daily life of a US family, share their routines and get to know what is important to them, how they communicate and overall what life in the US is like. You get fully immersed in the culture just by becoming part of their lives and their family.
  • Language –  Just like you can share your language with your host family, you will also learn more about the English language from them. Learning the language does not just happen in the host’s home though- you will be living in the US for a year or two, and English will be all around you- when you go out and explore the area, when you go out to get food or a coffee, when you meet other au pairs or locals or when you attend your classes. The more you get out of your comfort zone and ‘put yourself out there’ and build new connections, the better you will be able to learn the language and with this get immersed in the culture.
  • Food– sharing meals with your host family, getting to know popular dishes or snack, going grocery shopping or eating out at different restaurants- you will get many opportunities to taste local and international food during your time in the US. Learning what your host kid’s favorite meals are and learning to prepare them or sharing a traditional Thanksgiving dinner will all help you to experience US culture.
  • Traditions and holidays– even if you might not have all holidays off, you will still get to experience them first hand- may it be with your host family, with friends or on your own. Sharing holidays like Thanksgiving, Halloween or Christmas with you host family or with friends can be an unforgettable experience. Seeing the Christmas lights being put up in your local city, watching a local parade, seeing all the Halloween decorations in your street or hearing all the holidays songs played on the radio are all ways to get immersed in the culture. When experiencing holidays or associated traditions, use the opportunity to ask questions, to fully participate and to learn about the history.
  • Friendships– Cultural exchange does not just happen with your host family! Create friendships with other au pairs and learn about their cultures and experience the US culture together. It is also a great idea to make American friends to get introduced to the US culture even more. Outside your host family there will be plenty of opportunities for you to learn even more about US and other cultures.
  • Local events– Visit local museums, attend festivals, visit fairs, attend sport games or join your host family for the kid’s school events. There will be many events happening all around you which you can attend (or even volunteer at) and where you can learn more about the culture.
  • Travel and exploring– this does not just include bigger trips for your 2 week vacation but also includes shorter trips to, for example, the next bigger city or even just exploring the city you live in some more. Every city and sometimes even different neighborhoods have different history or customs- try to visit some of them and learn more about their history, backgrounds and people.
  • Ask questions– be curious, yet respectful and open minded. There may be things that you find ‘strange’ or that you simply may not understand or are familiar with- do not judge but ask questions. Learn why things are different without categorizing differences in ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Be open to new ideas and views and try to learn as much as you can by asking questions.
  • Activities– Participating in activities, with your host family, the kids, friends or by yourself, can also help you to immerse into the culture more. This may be as simple as listening to music, attending sporting events (big or small), attending game nights with friends or to participating in local art or other activities.
  • School– As part of your 12m program you will have to complete 72h/6cr at an accredited, post-secondary, US institution. We strongly recommend for you to attend those courses locally to experience college/university live in the US, make local connections and get to know the US educational system more. Alternatively, you may also choose to attend au pair weekend courses in another city which can enable you to explore a new city while also connecting with other au pairs from around the world and complete your educational requirement. Attending school will help you to not just learn in the classroom but also to learn more about U.S. culture.

As you can see there are a lot of different ways for you to get to know the U.S. culture. It is important to understand that cultural exchange does not just happen within the host’s home but all around you.

Make sure to not expect and sole rely on your host family to help you to get to know US culture. Just by living with them and experiencing the day to day life and by communicating with them, you will already be immersed in the US culture through your host family. In addition, you should make sure to ‘extend your learning’ to outside of the host’s home as well- making friends, going to college, exploring new cities or states, volunteering or simply attending local events can help you to get immersed in the culture even more.

Be curious and proactive and most importantly, don’t wait– time flies and before you know it, your year (or two) will be over- so do not procrastinate but try and gather as many experiences as you can.

Cultural exchange is complex and powerful– being a part of it means you can impact a lot of people as well as gain a lot of new skills, information and experiences that can help you grow. So do your best and embrace the cultural exchange during your program as much as you can- even small activities or actions can have a great impact on not just your life, but also on others!

If you have not yet, also check out part 1 of this blog post on ways and benefits of sharing your culture while on the program!