There are not many people that would argue that the University of Oregon is a diverse campus. To be honest, the student body is not so much an example of the “melting pot” that describes the United States, but more closely associates with the filling you find in a Twinkie.
But the school does have a good number of international students, about 1,200 from 87 countries according to the university’s admissions site. This is not a terrible number, especially for a school like Oregon that is not as appealing to a variety of students from international backgrounds in the same way a school like UC Berkley is.
One common stereotype is that students from foreign countries do not speak English well and do not want to speak or interact with Americans because of the language barrier.
While it may be easy to claim that no students from other countries speak English well, that is very false. English is an extremely difficult second language to learn, and if you would take the time to talk to the students from China or India or the Middle East you would be surprised at how good they are with the language.
But here lies the problem; we aren’t communicating. That is both their loss and ours.
It is incredibly intimidating to be surrounded by people that you don’t know and cannot understand. Most students don’t understand just how much more comfortable you are when you can walk down the street behind a group of people and comprehend what they’re conversing about. Any UO student that has studied abroad in a non-English speaking country can testify to that. Even if you know how to speak the language reasonably well, which most international students here do, it can be very nerve-racking to try and explain something in a foreign language.
That is why you see them walking around in packs with people that speak their own language. It’s comfortable and refreshing to be able to relax and converse with confidence in a society you struggle to even order a meal in.
Senior Andy Zhou is from China and explains, “it’s difficult to talk to Americans sometimes. I’m usually just more comfortable speaking Chinese with my friends.”
However, they came to the US to be immersed in the culture and to, believe it or not, get better at speaking English. So while they have a great excuse to not want to, they really should be speaking more English.
But they are in no way solely to blame for not speaking more English. In many ways the responsibility lies more on the shoulders of the white, English speakers on campus to help the international students with the immersion process.
Chris Tiller is a University graduate student and studied Spanish this past summer in Queretaro, Mexico. He said “I was really nervous about speaking the language and not knowing enough when I first got there.” Tiller went on to say “the Mexican people and especially the Mexican students I went to school with were very welcoming and helped me with the language in a non-intimidating way. Having them changed the whole experience for me. I had a lot more fun and learned a lot more Spanish.”
American’s on campus have the opportunity to help international students improve their experience and feel welcomed by a society that, let’s face it, has a reputation for being close-minded and jerks to foreign people.
If you are one of those people that believe you shouldn’t be in the United States unless you can speak English, try closing your own mouth and listen to what someone from China or Syria has to say. Odds are they will say it in solid English, and they’ll make you feel stupid in the process. Maybe then you’ll get enough courage to leave your comfort zone and try to immerse yourself in a foreign culture and actually learn something in the process.
So reach out to an international student, offer to help them with homework or show them around town. Even ask to learn a bit of their language, just to make them feel comfortable. It could prove to be a valuable experience for them in America and for you as well.
Now that’s a conversation worth having.