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Whenever I see a student walking to class speaking a language other than English, or when I meet a student who says they are from a country besides America—one question comes to my mind: How? How do you do it as an international student? I simply cannot comprehend how difficult, challenging and occasionally exasperating the journey of an international student must be. The idea of one getting up one morning and deciding, “Hey, screw China’s education. Let’s pack up and go to school in the U.S.!” is utterly incredible to me. To say goodbye to your mom and your dad, your best friend, your dog, your favorite restaurant—to say goodbye to your first language being the official language in the country you reside in, would be terrifying. I live just under an hour away from my hometown, yet homesickness still completely overwhelms me sometimes. With that said, it’s hard to imagine living thousands upon thousands of miles away from home. The courage and bravery that comes hand-in-hand with deserting the life that one knows best, in order to receive the most beneficial education and absorption of cultures, is tremendous. Â
I think a lot of domestic students seem to forget the hardships that international students endure coming and adjusting to this university. If that’s not mind bogglingly enough, it seems that this concept has not even crossed some students’ minds. I find this to be true when I am scrolling through social media, particularly MSU accounts, and see students making jabs at international students. For what reason? They are an easy target because they are a vulnerable population. This is an amazing school with incredible opportunities, a vast array of cultures and a boisterous sense of school pride; however, some students like to belittle and berate students that come from different cultures than they do (keyword: some). They speak different languages, drive different cars, dress in different kinds of clothes and behave differently. So what?! Why is that a negative thing? I will answer that for you: It isn’t.
These students are here for the same purpose as us: to get an excellent education that will allow us to economically prosper and to have amazing, eye opening, rich years as a college student. So if you think to criticize the zany attire of a student, the way they speak or the car they drive, think about how inexplicably difficult it would be if you were the student in a country across the world from your home. Offer them help. Seek friendships with them. I promise you, doing that will make you feel so much more whole than teasing students just because they don’t do things “the American way.”