LETTER: Students aren’t stereotypes
To the editor:
As international students at USU, we are responding to “Hitting the Culture Barrier” in the Oct. 17 Statesman. From our perspectives, as international students in a foreign country, we indeed desire to rapidly integrate into this society and adapt to the new environment as soon as possible. We have to admit that there must be some language problems with us, and there are few awkward moments when everybody laughs except us, but our enthusiasm and eagerness to communicate with Americans cannot be denied. Actually, this must be the best way for us to improve our language. However, I have heard this kind of stereotype of international students more than once.
Last time I ate dinner at the Junction, a dining hall of USU, I chatted with a native and she said to me, “You are so special, I thought the Chinese students went everywhere in crowds.” From my experience I will say this is really just a phenomenon of this Chinese stereotype. My best friend, Morgan, a Tennessean, and I do everything together, except shower, of course. She always tells me to go around and make some new friends. She says not to worry about the “language barrier” and that others will help me to understand, just as she does.
-Wenbin Xu and two others