I can say with confidence that a year ago I did not know anything about international students. I knew that they were here, and had I been asked could have talked about how impressive it was that they were studying at the University level in a second language. But I had never really interacted with any of these students. I hesitate to write this because it groups international students together in one jumbled mythical idea, and my own desire to understand people as individuals reacts really negatively to this kind of language. Yet I think that this is how a lot of students at the university view international students, and I've come to understand that this is extremely problematic.
It wasn't until starting my work as a peer tutor in the writing center that I really began to understand how difficult it must be to be an international student. I read essays about missing home and the difficulty in being submersed in a completely different culture. I had conversations with frustrated students who felt dumb because they couldn't figure out a way to present their brilliant ideas on paper. And I began to understand that international students face very real struggles, and though it's very exciting for many of them to be here it's also very difficult.
That being said, being a conversation circle facilitator has only strengthened my desire to reach out to and learn from these peers. Almost every week in our conversation we bring up cultural differences between China, Mongolia, and America, discussing the nature of the cultures in general, the educational systems, drivers licenses, holidays, and much more. And through every one of these cultures my own ignorance is brought to my attention. They've told me about how difficult it is to come and not know anyone, and to feel isolated by university communities, feeling most comfortable when they are with students from their own country of origin. In one specific conversation we discussed the importance of identification in the US, and how difficult it is for them to get identification. Either they have to apply for a state ID, or they have to get some sort of drivers license, which can cost a lot because they would also have to take drivers ed. classes. Otherwise, they have to carry around their passports, even to go to clubs or bars. This was something that I hadn't even thought about before we talked about it. It seems like a small thing, but for the girls in my group it's a significant concern.
This, and other conversations, have led me really to realize my privilege in being American and being a native English speaker. Besides practical knowledge about cultural differences I think this is one of the most significant things I've been learning this semester through my conversations with my group. I've been reflecting on this a lot the last couple of days. Our conversation Monday was full of small moments when I realized how difficult it must be to be student in a foreign country. Yet throughout this conversation they talked about how much they liked it here, and how cool it was to be studying at an American university. Each week our conversation leaves me with a lot to think about, which has been really good for me to understand more about international students.
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