„Let's improve Romania's image“ is a Facebook cause, which I found via A business-edu.ro article (Romanian). I first joined the cause because I was curious, and intrigued:

Because Romania's image is deteriorating day after day and because we really believe that each and one of us loving this country can do something to improve its image.

Here's my selection of 5 tips to consider if you are a foreigner trying to integrate in another culture:

Control what goes on into your head:
Something confirmed by my personal experience is that what the voice in your head is saying very much determines who you are. So, if you are always rumbling inside and criticizing and keep having negative thoughts, the problem is within yourself, not others.

Disregard and avoid the stereotypes:
Identify the excuses and justifications (clichés) which everyone is using. Then avoid using them. For example, „Romanians are not Gypsies, who are actually the ones responsible for all the bad deeds attributed to Romanians“. If we are ourselves discriminatory, how can we expect others to treat us in a more favorable way?

Tell a unique story:
Do your best to make people understand the good parts of your country. Try telling a unique story. In Romania, Stephen III of Moldavia was a great country manager and succeeded keeping its independence despite the tendencies of the time. Michael the Brave defended the region from the Ottomans and tried the unification of the then-split Romania. This isn't just History text-book propaganda, it's the glass half full which we should make sure others understand. The image of your country becomes your image.

Knowledge is power:
You are not the first person who tries to integrate into a foreign culture, and it's something well studied over the years. Read all the literature you can! The Intercultural competence Wikipedia article for example is a great place to start.

Expect open-mindedness from others:
In all fairness, let's give some credit to the western civilization for the virtues of being open minded in general, and for the optimistic and positive attitude found in most of the countries representative for it. Isn't that one of the reasons why you wanted to be part of it in the first place? Remember that people with high self-esteem consider themselves fair (citation needed, but makes sense doesn't it?), which makes it likely that they will take into consideration your personality and not your nationality.

POST#0067 2009-MAR-30

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