--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I arrived in America, I experienced…" description: "\"When I arrived in America, I experienced serious culture shock. For someone with a religious upbringing, the 1960s were an extremely difficult time. Ev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/feisal-abdul-rauf-12036_1960s_when-i-arrived-in-america-i-experienced_1555048.png" --- # When I arrived in America, I experienced serious culture… ![“When I arrived in America, I experienced serious culture shock. For someone with a religious upbringing, the 1960s were an extremely difficult time. Even though religion was a big part of the civil rights and peace movements, in my college religion was treated as irrelevant, hopelessly stodgy, and…” quote by Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/feisal-abdul-rauf-12036_1960s_when-i-arrived-in-america-i-experienced_1555048.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/feisal-abdul-rauf-12036_1960s_when-i-arrived-in-america-i-experienced_1555048.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/feisal-abdul-rauf-12036_1960s_when-i-arrived-in-america-i-experienced_1555048.png) > “When I arrived in America, I experienced serious culture shock. For someone with a religious upbringing, the 1960s were an extremely difficult time. Even though religion was a big part of the civil rights and peace movements, in my college religion was treated as irrelevant, hopelessly stodgy, and behind the times.” [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adjusting to a new culture can clash with deeply held beliefs, especially when societal norms shift dramatically. **In simple terms:** Culture shock challenges faith and identity. Key Takeaway Seek community and dialogue to bridge gaps. Themes culture shock faith identity social change Mood reflective hopeful Type personal narrative inspirational When to use this quote - college life - civil rights activism - interfaith dialogue - personal growth Key Concepts religious tolerance personal resilience historical context Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain personal faith amid opposing cultural norms? - What role can community play in easing cultural transitions? A Different Perspective Adapting may require compromising core values, which can cause inner conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1960s](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-1960s-426/) [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Experienced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-experienced-2740430/) [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [College Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college-religion-5275054/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Culture shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture-shock/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-time/) [Difficult times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-times/) [Irrelevant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrelevant/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious Upbringing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-upbringing-821722/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious/) [Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shock/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Treated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treated/) [Upbringing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upbringing/) [Upbringing 1960S](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upbringing-1960s-5821778/) ## Related quotes > [I was taught in Bible college, religion and politics don't mix.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-falwell/i-was-taught-in-bible-college-religion-and-politics-don-t-mix/) [Jerry Falwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-falwell/) > [“America experienced its first victory against the Empire’s expansion at the Battle of Coral Sea on May 7, 1942. In early June 1942, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/america-experienced-its-first-victory-against-the-empire-s-expansion/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [My religious upbringing was comically strict — even the Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner was banned. In our house, no one was allowed to refer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-perry/my-religious-upbringing-was-comically-strict-even-the-dirt-devil/) [Katy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-perry/) > [I come from a missionary family - I grew up in China - and in my case, my religious upbringing was positive. Of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/i-come-from-a-missionary-family-i-grew-up-in-china-and-in-my-case-my/) [Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/) > [I'm a Tulsa Jew and I have a religious upbringing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-m-a-tulsa-jew-and-i-have-a-religious-upbringing/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [I became alienated from this religious upbringing, and started making music. I wanted to be a big star. All those things I saw in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/i-became-alienated-from-this-religious-upbringing-and-started-making/) [Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/) > [“When pursued it becomes clear that this separation between one's self and the Church usually stems from deep unresolved pain or dissatisfaction rooted in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-o-hagberg/when-pursued-it-becomes-clear-that-this-separation-between-one-s-self/) [Janet O. Hagberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-o-hagberg/) > [I definitely had a very religious upbringing. My father was just instilling good morals into us at a very young age, and it wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-paul/i-definitely-had-a-very-religious-upbringing-my-father-was-just/) [Aaron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-paul/) > [I really had no religious upbringing, which is unusual. But I think it saved me, because when I found the theory that I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/i-really-had-no-religious-upbringing-which-is-unusual-but-i-think-it/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [I had quite a religious upbringing. I gave my life over to Christ at 11. I took it back when I was about 14.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-molko/i-had-quite-a-religious-upbringing-i-gave-my-life-over-to-christ-at/) [Brian Molko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-molko/) > [I didn't really have a religious upbringing in my life, which was tough at times because I was searching for some kind of meaning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-roberts/i-didn-t-really-have-a-religious-upbringing-in-my-life-which-was/) [Ashley Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-roberts/) > [The faith I was born into formed me. I come from a missionary family - I grew up in China - and in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/the-faith-i-was-born-into-formed-me-i-come-from-a-missionary-family-i/) [Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/) > [There are students whose religious upbringing is going to make them feel uncomfortable in a class where certain kinds of secular ideas are presented.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-wallach-scott/there-are-students-whose-religious-upbringing-is-going-to-make-them/) [Joan Wallach Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-wallach-scott/) > [I had a somewhat religious upbringing. Not strict, but it was there, and I'm kind of thankful for that. If you grow up just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/win-butler/i-had-a-somewhat-religious-upbringing-not-strict-but-it-was-there-and/) [Win Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/win-butler/) > [“Jill had described this kind of religious upbringing as a form of mental abuse, and I returned to the point, as follows: ‘You use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/jill-had-described-this-kind-of-religious-upbringing-as-a-form-of/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## More by Feisal Abdul Rauf > [“...Religious wars have never produced the downfall of any religion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/religious-wars-have-never-produced-the-downfall-of-any-religion/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [Staying chaste until marriage, a commandment of my faith, was one of the most difficult challenges of my young life. I had a powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/staying-chaste-until-marriage-a-commandment-of-my-faith-was-one-of/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [Sufis teach that we first must battle and destroy the evil within ourselves by shining upon it the good within, and then we learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/sufis-teach-that-we-first-must-battle-and-destroy-the-evil-within/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [In spite of the polls, the fact is that American Muslims are very happy and they thrive in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/in-spite-of-the-polls-the-fact-is-that-american-muslims-are-very/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [I have never made a threat. I've never made a threat, never expressed a threat, never - I've never - I would never threaten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/i-have-never-made-a-threat-i-ve-never-made-a-threat-never-expressed-a/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [Any organization or any individual that targets civilians and kills them for political agenda is a terrorist organization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/any-organization-or-any-individual-that-targets-civilians-and-kills/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [We are Americans. We - we - we are - we are doctors. We are investment bankers. We are taxi drivers. We are store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/we-are-americans-we-we-we-are-we-are-doctors-we-are-investment/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [One of the misperceptions that exists in the Muslim world, which needs to be fixed, is the perception that Muslims in America are -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/one-of-the-misperceptions-that-exists-in-the-muslim-world-which-needs/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [There are individuals who are working very hard to promote fear and antagonism towards Islam and Muslims in this country. It's fueled, in part,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/there-are-individuals-who-are-working-very-hard-to-promote-fear-and/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [We've got to be fair. You can't say a place that has strip joints is sacred ground. We've got to be just. We've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/we-ve-got-to-be-fair-you-can-t-say-a-place-that-has-strip-joints-is/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [Yusuf Qaradawi is probably the most well-known legal authority in the whole Muslim world today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/yusuf-qaradawi-is-probably-the-most-well-known-legal-authority-in-the/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [The world wants to like America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/the-world-wants-to-like-america/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [I as a Muslim want you, as a Christian, to really be a perfect Christian. I want my Jewish friends to be perfect Jews,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/i-as-a-muslim-want-you-as-a-christian-to-really-be-a-perfect/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [I am a supporter of the state of Israel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/i-am-a-supporter-of-the-state-of-israel/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) > [Fanaticism and terrorism have no place in Islam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/fanaticism-and-terrorism-have-no-place-in-islam/) [Feisal Abdul Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) [Explore all 56 Feisal Abdul Rauf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/) ## More 1960s quotes > [We do need different types of propulsion to get to Mars. I wrote one of the first Ph.D. theses on that in the 1960s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/we-do-need-different-types-of-propulsion-to-get-to-mars-i-wrote-one/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [Each year more than 100,000 high school graduates, with proved ability, do not enter college because they cannot afford it. And if we cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/each-year-more-than-100-000-high-school-graduates-with-proved-ability/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Nearly all the writing of our time is likely to disappear in a hundred years. Certainly most readers - and nearly all critics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/nearly-all-the-writing-of-our-time-is-likely-to-disappear-in-a/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [Sometimes a party must sail against the wind. We cannot heed the call of those who say it is time to furl the sail.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/sometimes-a-party-must-sail-against-the-wind-we-cannot-heed-the-call/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [ \[In the 1960s\]...you could take LSD but you couldn't wear a pantsuit. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsey-johnson/in-the-1960s-you-could-take-lsd-but-you-couldn-t-wear-a-pantsuit/) [Betsey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsey-johnson/) > [Is it a coincidence that stories from the private life became more popular just as the grand hope for public redemption through revolution was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-griffin/is-it-a-coincidence-that-stories-from-the-private-life-became-more/) [Susan Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-griffin/) > [I think the general anxiety of the 1960s - '70s spawned our interest in the living dead. When people worry about the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-brooks/i-think-the-general-anxiety-of-the-1960s-70s-spawned-our-interest-in/) [Max Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-brooks/) > [“A friend once told me a story about a former Black Panther leader in a Midwest community who in the 1960s had his phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-j-rodr-guez/a-friend-once-told-me-a-story-about-a-former-black-panther-leader-in/) [Luis J. Rodríguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-j-rodr-guez/) > [I was never bothered about my position in the industry. If I had believed in it, I wouldn't have allowed anyone to get ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharmendra/i-was-never-bothered-about-my-position-in-the-industry-if-i-had/) [Dharmendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharmendra/) > [Under the system that we now have to nominate presidential candidates, for instance, I would prefer that we have a system that is closer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beschloss/under-the-system-that-we-now-have-to-nominate-presidential-candidates/) [Michael Beschloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beschloss/) > [My son Bill, who came to me in 1960-he was 14 then, quoted the old parable to me: "It is not by their words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/my-son-bill-who-came-to-me-in-1960-he-was-14-then-quoted-the-old/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [There is a book called San Francisco Tape Music Centre:1960s Counterculture and the Avant-Garde and this book describes everything that you want to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-oliveros/there-is-a-book-called-san-francisco-tape-music-centre-1960s/) [Pauline Oliveros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-oliveros/) > [Much of the art of the 1960s, from body art to video and direct performance, was concerned with similar issues. And then there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valie-export/much-of-the-art-of-the-1960s-from-body-art-to-video-and-direct/) [Valie Export](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valie-export/) > [I went through college in the 1960s without having any idea that I was going to have to make a living. When I graduated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-went-through-college-in-the-1960s-without-having-any-idea-that-i/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“At the beginning of a decade when everything was beginning to seem possible, nothing seemed impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/at-the-beginning-of-a-decade-when-everything-was-beginning-to-seem/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) [Browse all 486 1960s quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-1960s-426/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I arrived in America, I experienced serious culture shock. For someone with a religious upbringing, the 1960s were an extremely difficult time. Even though religion was a big part of the civil rights and peace movements, in my college religion was treated as irrelevant, hopelessly stodgy, and behind the times.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Feisal Abdul Rauf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/when-i-arrived-in-america-i-experienced-serious-culture-shock-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "1960s" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/when-i-arrived-in-america-i-experienced-serious-culture-shock-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/feisal-abdul-rauf-12036_1960s_when-i-arrived-in-america-i-experienced_1555048.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/feisal-abdul-rauf-12036_1960s_when-i-arrived-in-america-i-experienced_1555048.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/feisal-abdul-rauf-12036_1960s_when-i-arrived-in-america-i-experienced_1555048.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I arrived in America, I experienced serious culture shock. For someone with a religious upbringing, the…” — Feisal Abdul Rauf", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Feisal Abdul Rauf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feisal-abdul-rauf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I arrived in America, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/when-i-arrived-in-america-i-experienced-serious-culture-shock-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feisal-abdul-rauf/when-i-arrived-in-america-i-experienced-serious-culture-shock-for/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```