Second in a Series on Cultural Diversity in our Schools

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Anna Shapovalova along with her mother, Julia, came to the United States from Krasnodar, Russia three years ago. And what brought them to Texas was "love." Anna's mother, after marrying an American in a Russian ceremony, made the trip to the U.S. where the family resided in Wylie for six months before moving to Murphy.

Anna, currently a 6th grader at Murphy Middle School, was initially disappointed by the void of skyscrapers and multiple cultural opportunities in their new Texas surroundings. "There were no theaters anywhere," she said. Culture shock was the most difficult thing for Anna to adjust to since many of her expectations had been based on media and movies giving the impression that all of the U.S. looks like New York City.

Since Anna has been in the States she has had the opportunity to visit Boston, Las Vegas, and Hawaii as well as Dallas where the cultural prospects are a bit more abundant than in Wylie and Murphy. And on the occasions she has returned to Russia for visits, she realizes that what she left behind was not as wonderful as she once thought it was. The quality of life in the States is a welcomed improvement and she has come to appreciate her newer surroundings.

Murphy Middle School is much different than the typical Russian school. Anna finds the atmosphere more relaxed here and likes the freedom of choosing some of her classes. In Russia there is no choice in course study. The Russian government mandates chemistry, physics, geometry, astronomy, English, etc. for all students beginning at a very early age. "I didn't want to get out of bed to go to school in Russia. It's like your job—your work—to go to school there. But here, I can't wait to get to school." Anna says.

Living in a region that once banned all religious expression, as a young girl, Anna's mother had to be secretly baptized. The family is Russian Orthodox and attends church in Dallas. Although the Dallas church can be readily identified by its gold dome, Anna finds that the churches in Russia are more ornate with walls and ceilings painted in intricate and colorful murals.

Shopping in the States is an adventure since the variety greater and the stores are much larger. And while there are now "American taste buds" to please, Anna's mom still makes many of the traditional soups she used to prepare in Russia. Anna's favorite foods however are spaghetti and pizza!

Anna has a strong interest in becoming a lawyer some day, but she also has a flair for design and enjoys arts and crafts and creating eye-catching ensembles. A student of the viola, Anna prefers to listen to classical music, although she enjoys jazz and some hip hop. Jim Carey and Orlando Bloom are a couple of her favorite movie stars.

And while once Anna might have thought she would be living in a town resembling New York City, we might stereotypically have assumed that Anna studied with the Bolshoi Ballet or once trained to become an Olympic ice skater. In actuality, Anna is really your typical teen making her way in the Western world, recognizing the cultural differences but embracing her new life with enthusiasm and gusto.