S1) "English....because Nigeria was colonized by the British."
S2) "Igbo. Language is important because so many are spokent...the one language that holds everyone together is English or Pidgin English."
What are the gender roles in your culture?
S1) "There is much male dominance but it is more accepted that it is here in the U.S."
S2) "I believe that the Nigerian society...is still a male dominated society. The men rule the home."
What is the health status of Nigerians and how is health care taken care of?
S1) "Privately or by the company you work for. Government doesn't help with health issues."
S2) "...I do know that AIDS has become a problem that has to be delt with."
Can you describe the family structure?
S1) "Family structure is more like Hispanic. "We believe in the extended family..."
S2) "It resembles...Hispanic, Asian, etc where there is more emphasis on the extended family."
What are some customs that Nigeria posseses?
S1) "...parent's blessing is still required in order for weddings to take place."
S2) "...polygamy is practiced. it is not as common because of the economic situations."
How are foreigners seen by your country?
S1) "Americans are not seen as the enemy like the British...So most Nigerians tend to be very friendly to Americans"
S2) "I believe that people, in general, are friendly toward foreigners."
Are there any practices in your culture that may looked down upon by Americans?
S1) "Some cultures still practice female circumcision. I know most Americans don't really approve of it"
S2) "The subservient roles that I play to my parents. The fact that I am not supposed to date."
Is there a large amount of poverty in Nigeria? If so, why do you think this is?
S1) "Yup. I think it's largely due to corrupt leadership...we have been extorted of several billions of dollars by corrupt leaders so we continue to be poor."
S2) "Bad economic situations due to rampant corruption from the President to the blind man on the street."
How much is education valued in Nigeria?
S1) "High value is placed on education. I had to convince my parents that I really didn't need a PhD to succeed in America.
S2) "Education, I believe, is nowadays very valued. It is the one road to success. For example, you can be poor as dirt and have a law degree, yet look down on a rich person who does not have a degree."
Is there any tension among the different ethinc groups? Is it a really big problem?
S1) "Lots! It's mostly religious tension though. Most of the northerners are Muslims and southerners are mostly Christians. So when people from the South move up North, there tends to be tension between the zealots of each side, which leads to riots and mass murder."
S2) "There are racial issues among the different ethnic groups."
How did you end up at Rice Univerisity? What obstacles have you encountered being of a different background?
S1) "Pop was working on a project here for his company. Loved the Houston weather and did some research on Houston schools. [He} heard that Rice is really respected so he recommended it. I applied. I got in. Not really faced any obstacles, but I wish there was more finacial aid for foreign students.
S2) "I applied. I did not get into the school I wanted to go to out of state. You can't apply for scholarships because you are a permanent resident, not a US citizen."
