Alex is a 23-year-old Caribbean native visiting Japan on a college exchange program for a semester. He has never left his home country before and is excited to experience Japanese culture but finds himself feeling overwhelmed and confused by the language barrier and unfamiliar customs. He contemplates returning to his home country two weeks after arriving in Japan.

Instructions: 

Step 1: Review

Review the required learning materials for this lesson.

Step 2: Respond 

Based on the case scenario above, prepare a 350-500 word written piece discussing cultural diversity, multiculturalism and assimilation. Your response should address the following key points: 

• Discuss some of the challenges that Alex might face as a result of the language barrier and unfamiliar customs in Japan.
• Explain how Alex's experience of cultural shock and homesickness is shaped by his identity as a Caribbean native. 
• Discuss ways Alex might balance the need for cultural preservation and respect with the need for cultural exchange and openness.
• How can we learn from Alex's experience and use it as a starting point for deeper discussions about cultural diversity and its impact on contemporary society?

Step 3: Share 

To share your work, click the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 4: Interact