MAJOR: English

PROGRAM: FLP – The Cultured Personality, Italy

EMAIL: sophia.diaz@sjsu.edu

BIO: My name is Sophia Diaz. I’m a fourth-year English major, Legal Studies minor and President of the SJSU Mock Trial Program. I wanted to go on the Italy study abroad trip because I wanted to see how the Italian personality directly influenced, over decades of immigration, Argentinean culture; this question was relevant to me because my entire family is from Argentina, and I’ve noticed that Argentinean customs (significant foods, fashion & beauty standards, body language, comfort in social situations, etc.) have their origins in Italy. This trip was an opportunity for me to connect with my roots and visit the country where my ancestors are from.

LEADER, VOLUNTEER, OR JOB EXPERIENCES: I am the current President and one of the co-captains for the SJSU Mock Trial Program. I have been competing in Mock Trial for seven years, and have been in leadership for five of them, both in high school and at San Jose State. For the SJSU Mock Trial Team, I have also been a Director of Public Relations and a Director of Events & Competition in the last two years.

GOALS: My goals for this trip were largely personal. As I mentioned before, I wanted to form a deeper connection with my Italian heritage by linking my Argentinean cultural traits to the Italian personality, which was related to the study abroad course, PSYC 139, Personality in Culture. Throughout my trip, I also noticed I was asking larger, cultural questions, such as how mass tourism impacts and forces changes within the local culture— something that was unique to both smaller communities, like the island our group stayed in, Ischia, and in larger cities, like Naples or Rome.

I also wanted to use this trip as an opportunity to overcome my anxiety. This trip presented a lot of firsts for me: my first time flying internationally alone (which was daunting considering my fear of flying), my first time rooming with complete strangers, my first time taking a psychology course at the university level, my first time in Italy, amongst other things. The pandemic exacerbated my anxiety and discomfort in new situations, so taking the plunge by signing up for the study abroad course was my way of finally facing my fears and grow in the process.

ACADEMICS: I took PSYC 139, the Cultured Personality, a class that examines cultural-personality research over the past few decades and discusses how the field has evolved over time. Cultural personality research tries to see whether the cultural context of one’s upbringing has a significant effect on their personality; for example, whether growing up in America versus growing up in Japan would drastically change your personality traits, like extroversion, adaptability, openness, and the like. Since this was an upper division course for a major I’m not in, I had to put in a lot of work to understand the academic papers I was reading and answer the homework assignments in a comprehensive, detailed, and informed way. Our cohort would often get together to do the homework and read through the papers together, taking notes and discussing as a group. I would take the time to reread the paper until I understood it, and ask the professor questions about the things I didn’t understand. Being able to tackle subjects that were foreign to me confidently, and developing the courage to speak up about my ideas in class, has translated nicely to life back at SJSU, where I can comfortably participate in class, raise my hand, and sign up for courses that I know I might struggle in, because I’m confident I’ll be able to reach out for the resources I need without feeling awkward or insecure.

On the beach in Mallorca.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The cultural immersion I experienced last summer didn’t just start or stop in Ischia. It wasn’t just the experience in bonding with and learning from Italian locals, but also from students coming from different parts of the U.S., like Boise, Idaho, or Omaha, Nebraska. In such a politically divisive time in our country, it was really valuable being able to form friendships and bond over our similarities with students who live in communities much different from ours in San Jose. So to start with my perspective on a domestic level, it was really eye-opening for me to meet people who have radically different local customs, beliefs and ideologies, ambitions, and backgrounds, but call themselves American just as I do.

On an international level, I was really happy to immerse myself in Italian culture because it felt almost nostalgic for me, being in the place that Buenos Aires so clearly was inspired by. The elderly Italian locals who invited us into their homes and taught us about their way of life felt like my Argentinean grandparents, with similar ways of displaying their comfort around you and their affection. The immersion made the issues of globalization, commercialization, and capitalism a lot more important to me because I had the opportunity to see firsthand how, for example, American corporate influences like chains such as McDonalds and Starbucks took away the power from local businesses who had to compete with these giant brands, and who felt that their cultural identity was being erased.

CAREER: One of the skills that studying abroad helped me improve was my ability to empathize with others from backgrounds that are different than mine. Its one thing to sympathize with the struggles, ambitions, or needs of a community you aren’t a part of, but it is another thing entirely to truly empathize with them. Being able to witness firsthand how local Italians are affected by regional politics, the economy, and the tourism industry helped me truly visualize how their lives are impacted, instead of feeling detached from their issues, like I might’ve been had I only heard about it in a book or on the news. Growing your ability to truly empathize with others is extremely valuable in law, which is what I want to go into. I would like to go into law school to being a labor law attorney, helping workers protect themselves in hostile environments and stand up for their rights. Being able to empathize with Italian employees whose lives are dependent on the tourism industry, which might not always treat them favorably, and figure out solutions when they were being mistreated, was an emotional and poignant learning opportunity for myself and for my classmates.

PERSONAL GROWTH: My study abroad experience challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone. I get so anxious when confronted with new things that I tense up and retreat into myself. Being surrounded by my classmates who were unapologetically themselves, and threw themselves into the beauty of new experiences, new smells, sights, sounds, and adventures, was really inspiring and helped my personal growth. I learned so much from being around students that had already finished their undergrad and were well into their adult lives, who told me about their college journeys and made me feel more confident about where I was at. I learned from them just as much as I did with my guides abroad, who showed me the joys of human connection and braving the unknown. Will a new experience always be perfect or pleasant? No. But the mantra we were taught by the tour guides, “Life isn’t perfect at home, so why would it be perfect here?”, while on a surface level somewhat negative, really helped me get over my fears and the “what-ifs”. I understood that life always has a potential to go wrong or take you in an unexpected direction, whether you’re at home or abroad, so why not take the chance and try something new anyway? That mantra stuck with me through the entirety of the summer and I think I’m a much more confident person having learned it.

IDENTITIES: I feel that my Latina identity become more prominent over the course of my trip as I became more comfortable and familiar with a culture that embraced the Latin personality. Italians are very similar to Argentineans in mannerisms, slang, body language, outlook on the world, even down to things such as aesthetics, interior design, flora and fauna, and food. It was empowering to be around a culture that felt like it celebrated the things that are so personal to me back home, especially when in my own life, I feel like my Argentine identity isn’t always accepted or understood— particularly in the way that I see my parents get treated, and how they sometimes face judgment for their accents, their slipups speaking in English, their lack of familiarity with American customs. I also felt empowered because of the many Latinx students in our cohort, some of my classmates being Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Colombian, to name a few, with whom I get to bond with over our shared cultural heritage.

FUTURE:  Italy Abroad and my summer overseas help me develop into a more confident and proactive individual. I was a very anxious person before I left for my trip, unsure if I would be able to survive the discomfort and confusion that comes with the unknown. But now, I’m ready to tackle new experiences and uncomfortable situations by successfully managing my anxiety.

TIPS: Look out for your mental health and learn to rely on your friends! Traveling abroad can be really overwhelming, but its important to remember to be kind to yourself as you’re trying new things and putting yourself out there, and to remember to support your classmates just as they support you, because you’re all experiencing these new things together.  Get a good amount of sleep the night before an excursion or activity. Traveling is really fun, but some times the days can be quite busy, so practicing good time management so you can finish your homework, take care of your personal needs, and get a good amount of sleep is crucial.