Blog #8&9

Argument:

I am exploring why international students are choosing to study in American universities and the cultural differences. I have looked at particular "struggles" faced by Chinese international students as they have to navigate in a new environment with different cultures.

Why study in America?

Second Chance

In China, they have to take a college entrance exam called the Gaokao. This test will determine whether you can attend college and where you can apply even what you are able to study. As this test is taken only once a year, there are no redos like the SAT, where if you don't get the desired score, you can try again. The Gaokao will test your knowledge from Chinese literature, mathematics, and even a foreign language.

The highly competitive education system

China's population is over 1 billion, while the US has only 1/3 of that amount making it nearly impossible to attend a top-tier college. The education system in China produces a lot of students who have above average intelligence as they are trained like test-taking machines. The Chinese education system will rank its students according to their overall test scores and place them on display. That is also how they place students in classes. You will have less than 1% chance to attend a top-tier university in China, while you have a 4%-7% chance in the US.

One-child Policy

From the 1980s till 2015, China had only allowed each family to have only one child per family. This placed all the parent's attention, aspiration, and hope on this child's shoulders. As each family has only one child, they will be able to financially support and provide them with better opportunities.

Stressors:

Language barrier

Chinese students are used to responding with standardized responses, but when they interact with American students, they realize the responses are different from what they were taught. For example, a student in Ma's book experienced this; they ask "how are you?" expecting the response to be "fine" but gets "good" instead catching them by surprise as that is considered wrong. As many Chinese are "perfectionists" and scared to make grammar mistakes as they stress being "book smart" means everything. Lack of cultural knowledge will further hinder them from interacting as most Asians have low self-esteem and are less confident. This is also apparent in class, where they spend up to triple the amount of time out of class preparing. 

Differences in Education systems

In America, students are encouraged to challenge authority and think critically, while the Chinese value obedience and hierarchy, leaving little room for students to form their own opinions. Chinese students who come to study in the US experience a culture shock as class participation/discussion are part of the curriculum. The concept of "collectivism v. individualism" is apparent in these two cultures, where it can influence the student's response to a new environment. Chinese students are envious that American students are able to speak their minds in and out of class because this is not allowed in China.

Possible Counter:

https://www.thenation.com/article/world/international-students/

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/08/888904522/i-couldn-t-believe-my-eyes-international-students-blindsided-by-ice-rule-change

1)Trump administration

The Trump administration has made it harder for international students to enter and apply for visas in the US. They have prevented students from taking online courses full time, and if they were to remain in the US, they would have to transfer to a university operating in person. Trump has also encouraged discrimination, and this can put off students and scare parents into not wanting to send their child to the US.

*2)Financial struggle (apparent in both cultures)

As my essay focused on cultural differences by showing commonality, Zaloom's concept of "nested silence" is apparent in both cultures, where parents shield their children from the family's finances. Counters why students study in the US as this can be a big reason why these students choose not to attend universities in China as they are cheaper. By showing there are similarities between these two different cultures can help us sympathize and find a different solution to fund our higher education institutions instead of being heavily reliant on international student tuition.