J-1 JourneysApril 2013 Vol 2 Issue 4

Share your culture

Exchange Visitor of the Month

Carla Parzianello In this issue:

It’s tax time!

Write your

travel story

Exchange

Carla Parzianello

This summer, Carla and a volunteer at her YMCA host site organized regular cultural events at the Snow Mountain Ranch. Exchange visitors gave 40 minute presentations on their home countries, with emphasis on tourist spots, food and cultural events. The events drew an audience of volunteers, retired people, host families, American staff and other guests. They also hosted a lively international fair with food and dancing! Read the interview to learn how to host fun cultural exchange events.

What  is  your  impression  of  US  culture?  

Everybody  is  really  friendly  here.  Brazilians  can  be  even  friendlier.  It’s  important  for  me  to  be  more  asser:ve  in  Anglo-­‐Saxon  culture.  South  Americans  tend  to  be  less  asser:ve.  In  my  training,  I’ve  learned  that  there  is  a  focus  on  paperwork  compliance.  We  have  that  in  Brazil  as  well,  especially  with  larger  companies.  

People  visit  here  in  Colorado  from  all  over  the  country,  so  I’ve  learned  about  some  of  the  cultural  differences  in  different  regions  of  the  US.  People  from  the  South  are  considered  more  laid  back,  people  from  the  East  Coast  are  more  

work-­‐driven.  You  see  those  kinds  of  differences  in  Brazil  as  well.  

Another  thing  that  I  no:ced  is  that  Americans  move  a  lot.  There’s  a  paKern  of  moving  from  the  West  Coast  or  East  Coast  to  Colorado  and  from  the  Midwestern  states  to  the  West  Coast.  

Here  there’s  not  much  access  to  public  transporta:on.  At  YMCA,  people  can  sign  up  for  trips  to  go  to  the  grocery  store,  Aspen,  Colorado  Springs  or  Denver,  which  is  two  hours  away.  In  Brazil  and  Ireland,  where  I  lived  for  one  year,  access  to  public  transporta:on  is  much  easier.

Carla Parzianello is a J-1 trainee in Human Resources Management from Brazil.

During her time at YMCA of the Rockies in Colorado, Carla has reached out to local

Americans to share her culture. She has organized events for adults and spoken to

kids in local schools. Check out her tips on how you can do the same!

(Continued on next page)

of the Month Visitor

Besides  organizing  events  at  your  host  site,  you  also  presented  at  an  elementary  school.  How  did  that  go?

It  was  a  jam-­‐packed  day  with  all  the  J-­‐1  trainees  from  my  host  site.  I  took  my  laptop  and  some  ac:vi:es.  The  school  organized  passports  with  ques:ons  that  they  would  have  to  answer  about  each  country  represented.  We  had  cartoon  characters,  pictures  and  posters.  The  best  method  is  having  the  kids  do  something.  I  had  a  memory  game.  The  Chinese  trainees  had  a  special  paper  for  prac:cing  calligraphy.  You  write  on  it  with  water  and  it  vanishes  from  the  paper.  The  kids  enjoyed  that  a  lot.    Now  another  school  contacted  us  about  hos:ng  a  similar  event.

What  was  the  most  common  ques@on  the  kids  asked  you?

The  food!  If  they  are  in  a  restaurant,  what  should  they  order?  Kids  were  very  interested  in  Brazilian  fruits.  I  searched  Google  images  and  showed  them  our  fruits  and  animals.  They  were  aware  of  how  big  Brazil  was.  They  normally  think  that  the  Amazon  crosses  the  whole  country,  but  it  doesn’t;  it’s  just  in  the  north  part  of  Brazil.  I’m  from  the  South.  They  all  asked  if  I  had  seen  the  Amazon  River.  They  also  asked  if  we  celebrated  Christmas  there.  They  always  want  to  double  check  which  language  we  speak,  because  a  lot  of  people  think  we  speak  

Spanish,  but  the  official  language  is  Portuguese.

I  was  surprised  by  how  much  the  kids  knew.  I  think  they  were  surprised  too.  At  the  beginning,  when  I  asked  “What  do  you  know  about  Brazil?”  they  looked  at  each  other  and  were  quiet.  But  during  the  presenta:on,  they  would  come  up  with  a  lot  of  informa:on,  so  they  really  knew  a  lot.

Carla’s hometown in Brazil--Porto Alegre.

Do  you  have  any  advice  for  J-­‐1  exchange  visitors  who  would  like  to  have  a  great  cultural  exchange  experience?

Having  a  presenta:on  where  you  can  have  interac:ons  with  the  audience  is  preKy  interes:ng.  If  there  is  a  neighborhood  or  community  event,  you  can  have  a  stand  there  and  talk  about  your  country.  Prepare  your  favorite  food  from  back  home  and  share  it.  It’s  about  sharing  our  cultures.

Sit  down  with  people  and  ask  as  much  as  you  can.  Ask  your  co-­‐workers  and  people  you  get  to  know.  Socialize  as  much  as  you  can.  Although  it’s  awkward  at  first,  socializing  as  much  as  you  can  is  important,  because  you’ll  learn  about  history  and  culture.  We  have  so  many  opportuni:es  here  to  sit  down  and  ask  ques:ons.

(The End)

I was surprised by how much

the kids knew about Brazil. I

think they were surprised too!

Make posters, use word of mouth and

have an email distribution list.

One of the organizers of our cultural events has a blog.

She posts feedback on the sessions and guests comment.

The J-1 program isn’t just for learning US culture--it’s also for teaching Americans about your home country. Consider yourself a cultural ambassador. Do you want to start cultural exchange events at your own host site? Here are some ideas from Carla on how to make it work!

Play music on Youtube

from your home country

and start dancing!

Food!The first contact Americans would like to have with

another culture is with the food. I never thought they would be willing to try food from other countries!

TriviaAdd a trivia question to the end

of a Powerpoint presentation with pictures from your home

country. Americans love trivia!

How to Plan a Cultural Exchange Event

-Carla

It’s about sharing our cultures!

Finish your taxes...so that you can get

back to the fun

stuff!

Let’s put the bad news first. You probably have to pay US taxes. As a J-1 exchange visitor, you are considered a non-resident for tax purposes, and if you earned more than $3,700 in the US during 2012, US tax law requires you to file a tax return. If you received remuneration from your U.S. host company in 2012, you should have received a form W-2 by the end of January. Banks should have sent form 1099 reporting any interest earned on U.S. accounts in 2012. The W-2 and 1099 forms indicate that income earned in the United States has been reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These forms are also a strong hint that you need to file a tax return by April 15, 2013. Most J-1 trainees and interns will be taxed as non-resident alien taxpayers. Most will be able to file the 1040NR-EZ form. Most will be limited to claiming they are single (even if they are married) and one allowance (even if they have children). Notice the word “most.” The U.S. government has entered into tax treaties that provide exceptions for trainee or interns from some countries. A summary of these treaties are found in IRS publication 519. This publication is available on the web at www.irs.gov/formspubs. Once you look at the publication, even trainees at law firms will realize that the IRS has a language all its own. So, you may wish to engage a tax service for help. Here’s where you need to be careful. Many of the well-known, and lesser known, tax services are not aware of the different tax laws that affect J-1 exchange visitors. (They may claim to know, so press them for details.) Many tax services use a computer program that does not contain the software for dealing with non-resident taxpayer calculations. So, be sure to ask for details on how they determine if you are taxed as a resident or a non-resident, if tax treaties apply, and which forms they expect to file on your behalf.

Another option is to find an online tax service that specializes in serving J-1 exchange visitors to the US. Google search “J-1 tax return” to find some options. What happens if you receive a W-2 form, but don’t file a tax return? The IRS creates a tax return for you and assumes that you have received unreported income. This will leave you owing back taxes and penalties. Any future employment in the United States could find your paycheck attached by the IRS in order to collect this tax debt. So, remember to file your tax return!

There’s some good news, though. If your host company has been withholding taxes from your stipend, you will be able to get a refund if you have overpaid. Finally, many trainees and interns ask us, “Do I really have to pay U.S. taxes?” In our multicultural, multiethnic, poly-religious, geographically diverse, politically split, economically varied country, paying taxes is the one thing of which you can be sure.

Photo by Paul Stumpr on Flickr.

(The End)

& & .

This month, we will post more clues on Facebook. If you can guess the name of the city, write a comment on Facebook for a chance to win a prize!

Can you guess what city this is?

Fact 1: This city was established in the same year that Albert Einstein published his Theory of Relativity.

Fact 2: The name of this city is also the name of the valley where the city is built.

It’s where you can find...

Check Facebook this month for more clues!

Are you keeping a journal on your J-1 experience in the US? Do you have any stories to share? Here are some questions to get you started:

Has your experience of US culture matched your expectations?

Who is the most interesting person you’ve met in the US?

Have you had opportunities to get involved in your community? How has that affected your perspective on the US?

How many states have you visited? What differences have you noticed between different regions of the US?

Submit your US travel story to j1program@immcouncil.org before May 1 to be published in the June issue of J-1 Journeys.

Write all about it!

Travel Essays in the Washington Post:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/21/LI2005042101662.html

Want to read great travel writing? Check out these sites:http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/10-online-literary-magazines-that-publish-great-travel-writing/

Travel Essay Books:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?category_id=914225

The art of the travel essay:http://www.writermag.com/en/Articles/2012/03/The%20art%20of%20the%20travel%20essay.aspx

Alexis De Tocqueville is a

Frenchman who travelled

the US in the 1800s and

wrote a book called

Democracy in America.

His impressions of early

America are still widely

studied today.

Here’s some more inspiration:

Contact us:

J1program@immcouncil.org

202-507-7500

www.internationalexchangecenter.org

Find us on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/internationalexchangecenterMailing Address:

THE INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE CENTERAMERICAN IMMIGRATION COUNCIL1331 G STREET NW, SUITE 200

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005USA

Thanks for reading J-1 Journeys!

The National Cherry Blossom Festival has been celebrated in Washington, DC

since 1935. Here’s Lady Bird Johnson, President Lyndon B. Johnson’s wife,

planting a cherry tree in 1965. Visit DC

this month to enjoy the blooms!