On Friday at 4 p.m., Pakistan Student Association President Zubair Khalid addressed a room full of Auburn students from all around the globe while they chowed down on a popular Pakistani dish.
He was preparing to give a presentation to educate others on Pakistani culture at the International Student Organization’s weekly social hour event. This event features a different country each week – including a popular dish from that country and a presentation on the country from a student who comes from there – creating a room where students of different cultures mesh.
Events like these give international students a platform and create a welcoming environment for them at Auburn University, according to Khalid.
“I think it all comes down to exposure,” Khalid, a veterinary medication graduate student, said. “The more interaction there is [between international and domestic students], the more you tend to know about them, and then you tend to find similarities rather than differences. That’s how you come together.”
Even with Auburn's required diversity and multicultural training, interacting and working directly with students with unfamiliar backgrounds can be perplexing. Comfort zones are challenged and awkward situations are often in play when international and domestic students interact because of all the unknowns and differences.
Most international students that I interviewed reported that they were pleased with their experience at Auburn and with the student body in general, but they did acknowledge some areas where change is necessary.
I sat down with several different international student groups at Auburn to get a better understanding of international students' experience on campus. Here are some tips I compiled from those conversations on how to improve etiquette toward international students on campus.
Be understanding of imperfect English
I think most people know how difficult it is to learn a new language. Remember what it was like learning Spanish? French? German? It's tough, but now picture everyone around you speaking it fluently.
English is taught in many other countries like how a secondary language is offered in high schools in America. However, several international students said the quality of English they were taught was inadequate for living here. Many of them said they were taught overly formal, “robotic” English, and Southern jargon and accents were not taken into account. Words like "y'all," "for sure," "bet" and "slay" were puzzling the first time they heard them.
“The fact that we’re not fluent in English doesn’t mean we’re not trying, and it doesn’t mean we’re not intelligent compared to domestic students,” said Mason Nyew, an Auburn student from Malaysia. “I feel like because of the lack of communication skills, people sometimes take us less seriously, but we have the same capabilities as domestic students.”
ISO President Hannah Hong said because international students' imperfect English and accents might create misunderstandings, they're often hesitant to get out of their comfort zone and interact with domestic students. This communication barrier can lead to misconceptions because these topics aren't talked about.
Breaking this communication barrier is a learning curve that simply requires understanding and patience from domestic students. Empathy is a big part of that.
While some international students might not be fully accustomed to Southern small talk or jargon, it still helps for domestic students to initiate interaction. Even small, positive interactions to start out helps break the ice and open a line of communication with international students.
Don’t assume wealth status
A common assumption that several international students mentioned is that people think international students are wealthy since it takes a lot of money to come here from overseas and because some international students buy cars or expensive housing. Similarly, some of them also noted experiences where domestic students assumed they were poor because of the lack of those things.
While some come from wealthy backgrounds, international students as a whole come from many different countries and circumstances. Insos Mayor, a business analytics student from Indonesia, said she and many other international students she knows have on-campus jobs to help provide financially.
“The financial burden definitely puts more pressure on us to do better in school because of the investment that our parents, or, like, the institution, has put into us,” said Jeevalraj Aulakh, an Auburn student from Indonesia. “If [Auburn] would provide better opportunity for scholarship for us, that would be great... Like for me, I do pay with my parents’ money, but they’ve actually worked so hard and put aside a certain amount of money just for school."
Instead of assuming, showing interest in the needs of others is key in building a positive relationship. Whether an international student is rich or poor or somewhere in the middle, it feels good to know that other students care and are willing to step in and offer a hand wherever needed.
This is something people are known for in the South, and most international students agree that "Southern hospitality" is a real thing. Aulakh and others expressed their gratitude toward domestic students’ for their generosity with their resources: offering to give rides, welcoming them into their homes, cooking for them, etc.
That type of kindness is being noticed and is improving relationships among domestic and international students.
Pursue practical activity
ISO’s social hours each Friday are helping promote diversity and bringing students of different cultures together, but the bridge between domestic and international students can’t be closed without involvement from domestic students.
Even domestic students are welcomed and encouraged to attend ISO’s events.
“A lot of people think, because of our name, International Student Organization is only for international students,” Hong said. “But we are part of student government, so we consider everyone a part of ISO. Our events are open to every student.”
ISO Vice President of Communications and Marketing, Bren Wells, is an American student, but she said being a part of ISO has been one of the best parts of her time at Auburn.
“I think it’s so important for [domestic students] to get involved and learn about all these different experiences at Auburn,” Wells said. “Meeting international students has been one of my greatest honors and privileges here. I’ve learned so much and gained so much perspective, and my empathy has only grown for other people.”
Breaking the barrier between international and domestic students means both parties shifting their comfort zones to the side. The ice takes time to melt, but take it from Wells: Auburn and beyond will be better places because of it.
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