The Wives of International Graduate Students: Session 3

Each week I await for this day. I wait to meet new women and listen to them talk about thier lives and thier children. I am particularly curious about what their experiences have been like in a new country. I have the feeling that when one comes to the US at a younger age, he or she is able to adapt to the new culture. Whereas if one come here after thier teenage years they are still very much grounded in thier own cultures and traditions. All of these women have husbands that work for the unversity. However becasue most of the women are on a depended visa tehy are not able to work nor go to school. When quesitoned about thier choice of actvities, many women showed a vast interest in reading. Some saif they enjoyed reading romance novels and I agreed with them. A women confessed she loved romantic tragedies because they were quite touching and some even made her cry. Sometime I wonder what it is that makes these women happy. Whenever asked about thier happiness, they usaully talk about thier husband and their families. They do not seem to identify themselves indivuadually but are more concerened with the greater good of everyone. Some mothers are not completely able to participate in the class due to the fact that they are paying a lot of attention to thier chidlrne. A women expressed her desire to travel, but later mentioned that she couldnt due to the fact that seh had a little boy. Sylvia, the instructor, repleid by saying that despite the fact that young children can be hard to handle in trips one should not travel becasue of it. She reflected on her own experiences of taking trips with her chidlren even when they were very little. She explained that children learn in these journies, and ,many places are geared towwards chidlrends activities.