HELEN CHUNG; Photographer; chunghh@plu.edu
Megan Muravez; Sophomore
“I’ve always been so determined to move to America. I wanted to experience something that was different from what I was used too. I am half-American and half-Norwegian, so coming here I expected not to feel like an international student. I said to myself, ‘Oh, I’m American. I’m moving to my own country.’ I was even determined that I wasn’t going to make any Norwegian friends, and I was really going to integrate myself into the American culture and community. I didn’t want people to know I was Norwegian, really. But when I got here, my comfort came from the other Norwegian students. I take pride in being a part of the international community now. It’s funny how you come here and all the different international groups seem to end up being together. I think the thing is, when you’ve grown up with a certain culture, you’ve been socialized in a particular way. That’s why you resonate with each other. You understand things in a way that not everyone else can. I’m glad that I’ve found my place here though. I came to America not wanting to be seen as Norwegian, and now, I am so proud of my culture and heritage.”
