I’ve been encouraging a few Turkish art students to come and study in the U.S. One, in particular, has great work, and has spent time in Europe so his eyes are opened to the wider, wilder artworld. He’s interested in an institution in SoCal for grad school, but the process is tough. Applications full of acronyms, money problems, language tests, multiple options—the American system is just so different it’s like a heroic quest for this young idealistic Turk.
Two American students have also arrived for the Spring semester. In their late 20s, confident, art majors, these women will be in my classes and I’m anxious that they set a good example for my Turkish female students. But they are having troubles navigating the system here, in understanding roommates and friends and “The Turkish Guy.”
In a certain respect I feel vindicated—this is why it’s so hard for me in Turkey. Even students, with their uncomplicated lives and minimal needs, are confounded and hurt. This is why our policies fail in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, the cultural gap is present in almost every interaction. It takes time and patience we might not possess to understand.
Take care of yourselves. Kloe
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