Lit Review #2--MSU International Students Struggle to Fit In (Youtube Video).

1. Works Cited

"MSU international students struggle to fit in"
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpLnplJBnxQ&feature=em-share_video_user


2. Summary of the video

One of my high school classmates who is currently a junior at Michigan State University shared this video with me after viewing my blog. The recorders of the video are from a student organization of MSU called the Focal Point and they interviewed several MSU international students in terms of how they define their relationships with their American peers. Most of the people who were interviewed indicated that they found it difficult to build relationships with American students. Their elaboration reflects that there are some severe ramifications of the current trend of aggressively recruiting international students, especially Chinese students.


3. Quotes from students


At the beginning of the video, the recorder points out that "It's no secrets that MSU is home to thousands of international students. In the past year, the international student population grows by 8%, more than 6000 students" and the international program coordinator admits that "It really is around one country and one group and that is Chinese Undergraduates". It is therefore reasonable for us to suspect that some of these Chinese Undergraduates will encounter adaption problems in terms of social skills.


One Chinese students says: "I kinda feel like a long distance between me and them". Here, it is no doubt that "them" refers to his American peers caused by "cultural" and "language" barriers.


However, there is one girl who successfully integrated herself into American culture and she suggests that: "I felt Americans are really really like the top friendly..."


4. Conclusion

I personally believe that it is not easy to build a bridge between the cultural difference gap and there are only very few Chinese students who would have the courage to date an American. Surely we have to be open-minded but I do not see the necessity to become an American. However, international students, especially Chinese students definitely need to jump out of the circle of collectivism and interact with their peers from different countries. This is the only way that can help prevent "racial isolation" by creating positive images. We have to actively adapt into a different culture instead of hiding behind the group and speak Mandarin every single day.