Cash & Book Prizes for Winners of “Cultural Encounters of the American Kind”

Culturelink Press will be awarding cash and book prizes for the best essays submitted by international visitors and immigrants in “Cultural Encounters of the American Kind,” a contest where participants write about a cultural clash or misunderstanding they experienced when they first came to the United States.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) April 27, 2006 -- International people will now get a chance to tell about their difficulties in adjusting to the U.S. in an essay contest called "Cultural Encounters of the American Kind." Winners will get cash and book prizes for the best essays submitted in the competition sponsored by Culturelink Press.

For the essay, international visitors and immigrants are asked to write about a cultural clash or misunderstanding they experienced when they first came to the United States, and explain how they resolved the cultural conflict.

The purpose of the “Cultural Encounters of the American Kind.” contest is to promote intercultural awareness and to deepen Americans’ understanding of the struggles newcomers face when they come to the U.S. from other countries and experience different cultural customs.

The contest encourages international newcomers to be really frank, and write what they honestly felt when they came to the U.S. The essay is a way to share perceptions of American behavior and customs in a descriptive and detailed way. By writing about their cultural challenges, international people will have the rare opportunity to share their personal views of life in the United States.

Essays must be typed, double-spaced, and the length of the essay should be 500-700 words. Submissions will be accepted from May 1- June 30, 2006. The contest is open to all foreign-born residents who have been living in the U.S. from one month to 2 years, and contestants must be at least 16 years old.

Essays will be judged by Diane Asitimbay, an ESL teacher, intercultural trainer and author of a popular guidebook on American culture called What’s Up America? A Foreigner’s Guide to Understanding Americans.

The Grand Prize winner will receive a $100 cash prize, a copy of What’s Up America? by Diane Asitimbay, and will also be featured on the Culturelink Press website. Two finalists will be listed on the Culturelink website, and each of the finalists will receive a copy of the popular cultural guide, What’s Up America?.

Complete details and entry forms can be found at www.culturelinkpress.com

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