“In school, you get more help here than you do in Mexico,” said supply chain management junior Paul Sarrapy from Monterrey, Mexico.
“Language is one of the last tools where people can be present obstacles in a way that is socially acceptable,” said French senior Bianca Salinas, who’s originally from Texas but has spent time in France, Germany and Mexico. “There’s still a lot of stereotypes, specifically with different cultures.” Salinas believes free English tutoring would benefit international students.
“The biggest difference I’ve found in my own culture and American culture is that we greet people differently,” said Shu-Yuan Yang, a computer science sophomore from Yunlin, Taiwan. “For example, we’ll probably give another person an embrace or a very warm greeting here in America, whereas in Taiwan, you’d probably just say, ‘Good morning’ or ‘Hi.'”
“In Egypt five years ago, we had a revolution, and since then, the majority of people think Egypt is not safe anymore,” said Omar Ali, an electrical engineering sophomore from Alexandria, Egypt. “It’s safe now. It’s not in chaos anymore.”
As one of the most diverse universities in the nation, the University of Houston is home to students from across the globe.
According to the University, international students made up 9.1 percent of its diverse student population in fall 2016.
The Cougar interviewed students with international backgrounds to talk about their home countries and how the University can improve when it comes to supporting the international population on campus.
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It is most important for American students to understand how they can support their fellow students from afar because simply being an international student away from home is difficult, compounded by our complex culture and language. Welcoming and assimilation assistance must come from numerous sources to aid these young people embarking on life’s journey.
Most struggle in their efforts and need guidance from schools’ international departments, immigration protection, host families, concerned neighbors and fellow students, and even informative books to extend a cultural helping hand so we all have a win-win situation.
Something that might help anyone coming to the US is the award-winning worldwide book/ebook “What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A To Z: How to Understand Crazy American Culture, People, Government, Business, Language and More.” Used in foreign Fulbright student programs and endorsed worldwide by ambassadors, educators, and editors, it identifies how “foreigners” have become successful in the US, including students.
A chapter on education explains how to cope with a confusing new culture and friendship process, and daunting classroom differences. It explains how US businesses operate and how to get a job (which differs from most countries), a must for those who want to work with/for an American firm here or overseas.
It also identifies the most common English grammar and speech problems foreigners have and tips for easily overcoming them, the number one stumbling block they say they have to succeeding here.
Good luck to all at UH or wherever you study or wherever you come from, because that is the TRUE spirit of the American PEOPLE, not a few in government who shout the loudest!