Cultural Diversity

I am a native born American, but my parents are from Pakistan. I had the chance to visit the country with my family in the summer of 2003. It was a tremendous experience, where I learned a lot about my extended family, as well as the culture of Pakistan.

First off, I think that the concept of an extended family is put to great value. This is not to say that Americans don't value their extended family, just that Pakistanis seem to put a great amount of emphasis on it. For instance, when i was visiting, it wasn't unusual for one of my other relatives to stop by my aunt's house (where we were staying), unannounced. The spontaneity of these moments brought forth more joy. I just think that this concept is not foreseen as the norm in American Culture. Also, living arrangements seem to differ a bit as well. It is not unlikely, but rather appreciated if a guy still lives with his parents even after he gets married. Parents are of extreme importance in the Islamic world altogether, so it is definitely highly appreciated if a son does this for his parents. If he does choose to live separate, he must take some financial and social responsibility of his elders. This is not only subject to his parents, but his uncles and aunts, as well as his in-laws. Again, there are definite instances of this in America, but personally I don't think that it is regarded to that extent.


Islam is the dominant religion in the country of Pakistan. The religion forbids alcohol in all cases (drinking, profiting). Alcohol in the general western culture is seen as okay to say the least. Beer ads are the driving force of sports, as well as college life. This being said, every individual is entitled to their own opinion/beliefs. On a whole, since alcohol is forbidden in Islam, it is forbidden in Pakistan. This doesn't mean that 100% of people living in Pakistan don't drink (means of smuggling etc), but it is highly disapproved of. Having college students not drink seems a bit out of touch in the American culture. Students love talking about "getting hammered," and events like new years seem fitting for it. The fact of the matter is, the religious and cultural differences are very wide ranged between the two countries.


Personally, I try to follow my religious and cultural practices as much as possible. Even though I was born and raised in New York, I try to keep true to my religion and culture/family values. Learning about other cultures is vital in this age. Nearly every aspect of life involves a global relationship amongst many different countries. For instance, if executives from the World Bank in Dubai visit America, the Americans should know not to serve alcohol with dinner, or non halal meat for that matter. A small thing like that could sever ties for perhaps striking a deal. The conclusion to this post is that we all should be interested and aware of other cultures around us. It can, not only benefit us personally, but can make the world a better place altogether.

Introductory Blog

Hello Class. My name is Farhan Younas and I am looking forward to an interesting semester with you guys for this spring. I am currently a sophomore here, pursuing a degree in accounting. In addition to my intended major, I try to follow the business and financial sector on a regular basis. Baruch has definitely made me motivated to learn and comprehend the business world.

I have been living in Upstate New York for about 16 years now. I have been commuting throughout my college career, and intend to continue the commute until I graduate. It really is about time management and organization. It takes me about an hour and a half one way. I am a big sports fan as well, especially baseball and basketball. Michael Jordan was, and still is, my favorite basketball player. I am a huge Yankee fan, and was glad that they finally brought the championship back to New York where it belongs.

Although I was born in New York, I follow another game called cricket. For those of you who haven't heard of cricket, it is a game similar to baseball played in Asia and Europe. There are 11 players on each side, and two batsman on each side of the wicket. Perhaps I'll write out the details in another post.

For this summer, I am trying to find an internship in an accounting firm. I am eager to learn the work, and definitely want a change from all of the retail/food jobs out there. Hopefully, all of the networking pays off.

Management is definitely a VITAL part of any business. I am looking forward to learning management and its theories throughout the semester.