Outsiders
The author likens herself as that of an outsider, partially because of being in college at her age, so she finds herself drawn to other partial outsiders and them to her. As mentioned in my previous blog post, students were drawn to others like them. Students the author found herself drawn to included the transfer student on her hall, the lone African American student in her freshman seminar, and international students in her dorm and classes. Thus, according to the world of anthropology, as stated by the author, they have come to know that culture is often invisible to its natives, so much so, that it is often not worthy of comment. Statements taken from interviews with students from other countries included, “nobody even responded or asked us to be in their groups, so the international students had to make their own group.” Again, where is the sense of community? The author states that the international students learned quickly that being a student, being a dorm mate, being a classmate—none of it automatically qualified one as a “member of the community (Nathan, 2005, pg. 69). From her interviews and observations, some of the international students felt like the American students didn’t care about them—they didn’t ask them about their lives in their countries. The American students who did ask them usually were well traveled or had been exchange students. One international student explained that her boyfriend (another international student) had no trouble making friends with the American students. He liked playing the drums and other students would come into his room (the students usually kept their dorm room doors open when they were awake). The student said that it was her boyfriend’s interests that allowed him to make friends easier than some of the other international students. Isn’t this true to most anyone? Aren’t people drawn to each other with similar interests?
My son was a international student in Argentina and he felt the same way as the international students in your book felt. He believed the Argentine students were not interested in being friends with American students.It makes me think that this situation is common whenever you are the "visitng student."
ReplyDeleteThis brought back flashbacks of my college days since I happened to become friends with one international student who I worked at the student newspaper with and, because of that connection, ended up socially becoming part of the international student group. While the international students certainly were social and hung out with native students, there was definitely a distinct group of students who everyone knew were international. I don't remember thinking anything of it except for occassionally feeling like the boring American, the one person not from a far-off country.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, when I read the comment about the international students feeling left out because no one asked them to be in their group, I thought how it may be just as uncomfortable for native-born college kids to approach the international students as it is the other way around. Of course, it is hard to be in a foreign country and have to make new friends, especially when other students already may have known each before the international students arrived. This would probably be an appropriate time for the university to hold some kind of an event that may make it easier for the international and native students to meet one another. It's great that the one student used his drum playing to form bonds but other students may need some more help.
Your most recent blog made me flash back to high school and all the little groups that form based on your interests such as drugs, sports, drama, math club, etc…. I was raised to be friends with everyone, and because I had attended private school from K-8, public high school was a huge shock for me because I naturally wanted to be friends with everyone and that didn't go over so well. Basically you have to choose a group of friends to hang with or spend lots of lonely days at a lunch table for one. I finally figured it out half way through my freshman year, but I found a way to float from group to group without cemented ties to any particular cliche. Your blog is spot on in that people do gravitate to to those that have similar interests as their own. I also wonder if we're hard wired for that to some extent as there's unity in numbers?
ReplyDeleteI wonder why American students don't ask international students about their countries and lifestlyes? I've noticed even in groups of adults (at work or a social event) I'm usually the only one who asks about one's life in another country. Do Americans think it's rude to ask such things? I guess we don't go up to an American from another region and ask how their life might be different from ours....
ReplyDeleteI can see where some of the students may be shy about approaching the students from other countries. This could be seen by the international student that the American student doesn't care, or vice versa. Someone should bring the two groups together so they can at least attempt to connect and learn from one another.
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