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    William Nguyen

    Instructor Sara Alvarez

    WRD 110-011

    15 December 2013

    Chinese International Student Community at UK

    Introduction

    The Chinese international student community at UK brings diversity to UK. The students

    come from a different culture and speak a different language. I developed an interest in the

    Chinese community because I have deep ties with this group. The Chinese take their academic

    success seriously, but other students view them as outsiders. They suffer with many issues within

    their community such as social loneliness and homesickness. They often do not feel welcome in

    their host country. In order to understand more about this community, I developed an

    ethnography about Chinese international students at UK with the goal of proposing solutions to

    help this community.

    Community Overview

    Every year, more and more Chinese students come to America because they believe the

    United States offers the best education. According to an article in the Washington Post, 157,558

    Chinese students currently study at American universities (Johnson). International students spend

    more than $21 billion on tuition, books, and living expenses (Johnson). Seventy percent of

    international studentsprimary funding comes from their family, personal funds, and their

    governments (Johnson). International students do not take many university resources and

    usually pay more significant amount than regular students. UK actively recruits students

    overseas. International students provide significant amounts of money to the university. By

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    Picture 1: Chinese students usually flock

    together. They usually do activities

    together, or with Chinese community in

    Lexington. (UK Chinese Student and

    Scholar Fellowship)

    contrast, according to many international students, the university does not provide service up to

    par with the money international students pay.

    Chinese international students develop tight bonds within their community. Even though

    they have tight bonds, they still consider themselves outsiders to general students population.

    They doubt the intentions of American students. They usually do activities together and cook

    traditional Chinese foods. When I did this ethnographic study about the Chinese community at

    UK, I had to work very hard to get into the Chinese students community. Chinesestudents on

    campus dont usually share their emotions with outsiders. I considered myself an insider because

    I share cultural roots with Chinese students. I understand much of Chinese traditional culture and

    many of their concerns. I imagine it would be hard for Chinese students to assimilate to

    American culture.

    Because of this difficult connection with the other students, Chinese students usually turn

    to Facebook or Weibo (Chinas Facebook version) in their free time. They surf Facebook and

    interact with their friends back home. They feel less

    lonely when they use social networks to connect with

    their friends. Unlike its American counterpart that

    values autonomy, Chinese culture values family and

    friendships. Chinese students usually feel lonelier in

    American universities than when they were at home.

    The feeling of loneliness may have a significant effect

    on their well-being. Chinese students have reservations

    about seeking professional help because they believe

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    many people would not consider them normal. Loneliness burrows deep: When we drew blood

    from our older adults and analyzed their white cells,John Cacioppo writes, we found that

    loneliness somehow penetrated the deepest recesses of the cell to alter the way genes were being

    expressed(Marche). Theuniversity may not have noticed the trend of loneliness among

    Chinese students, and they have very little to no resources to help these students cope with

    loneliness. When Chinese students turn to social networks, they signify their loneliness. But

    surrogates can never make up completely for the absence of the real thing.(Marche).

    In Chinese culture, people usually respect seniority. Chinese students at the University of

    Kentucky follow the tradition closely. Chinese students usually select the oldest one as their

    leader. The leader helps the younger member with moving to a new place, guides them in

    cultural assimilation, and teaches them how to behave in the American environment. Younger

    students believe that older students have more experiences in dealing with American issues, so

    naturally they usually come to them to ask for help with either school issues or friendship issues.

    Older students will share their experiences and give advice to younger students and help them

    overcome obstacles. The leader provides guidance for the younger students through difficulties,

    and after that, the younger students will become leaders when they get older, and the cycle

    continues.

    Literature Review on the Community

    Many people outside the Chinese student community incorrectly assume that Chinese

    students have naturally bright minds and get excellent grades. This stereotype creates unrealistic

    expectations for the Chinese student community. Chinese students usually work hard, but

    sometimes they cannot achieve the unrealistic goals they set for themselves. Being a Chinese

    international student himself, Ching Wei understood how stress affects his well-being. In

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    Acculturative Stress, Perfectionism, Years in the United States, and Depression Among Chinese

    International Students, Wei, Mallen, Hepper and Liao explore stress factors in the Chinese

    student community. These authors state that research has consistently indicated that Asian

    (including Chinese) international students experience more acculturative stress than European

    international students because the former may experience more cultural differences than the

    latter (Wei et al. 385). In the study, Wei discusses the factors that are responsible for the

    differences between the stresses of Chinese international students compared to other

    international students. Wei confirms that Chinese students incorporate their familiespride and

    their success into academic achievements. These heavy expectations cause Chinese students to

    feel helpless and lonely.

    Furthermore, loneliness presents another major issue for Chinese international students.

    According to Wei, his study illustrated strong connections between mental health and stress. In

    the study, Wei explores the connection between the length Chinese international students stay in

    the U.S. and the stress they experience. They put forward the following explanation: For

    example, during the students period in the U.S., it is reasonable to expect that high maladaptive

    perfectionism (i.e.., failure to meet ones own expectation for performance) may enhance the

    negative effect of acculturative stress on depression (Wei et al. 385). Maladaptive perfectionism

    refers to the inability to distinguish between expectation and performance. Wei emphasizes that a

    longer length stay in the U.S. serves as a buffer for accumulative stress. Chinese students who

    stay in the U.S. a longer time usually experience less stress compared to new students. New

    Chinese international students have higher expectations of themselves because of the high scores

    and grades they receive back home, so they tend to believe that they will excel in the U.S. As

    Wei explains, This sense of failure can be very distressing and threatening for Chinese

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    international students because they tend to have good academic achievement in their home

    countries.(Wei et al. 386). Through this explanation, they emphasize the effect of unrealistic

    expectations. Being unable to achieve these expectations can damage Chinese international

    students well-being, but Chinese international students usually ignore the obstacles like

    language barriers. Wei explains that new Chinese international students usually think working

    hard can get the good grade.

    In the research, Wei suggests a solution: it may be important to increase international

    students awareness of how acculturative stress, maladaptive perfectionism, and the interaction

    of these variables are related to their depression at different time points of their stay in the U.S

    (Wei et al. 392). The international students, especially Chinese students, should learn to

    understand their limitations. Chinese students should also learn to adapt to the American culture

    and environment. Susan, an international academic advisor, stated that Chinese international

    students learning styles cannot help them at American universities. She points out that, Many

    Chinese students failed to acknowledge American universitiesstandards. They tend to do well

    on tests. However they lack attendance or homework (Garnett). Weis research sparks my

    interest because I also experience issues similar to Chinese international students. When I do not

    have the grade I want in school, I tend to suffer from depression, and I doubt my abilities to

    achieve success.

    Wei and Liao in Acculturative Stress, Perfectionism, Years in the United States, and

    Depression Among Chinese International Studentsspeak Chinese natively. They worked as

    insiders who, with the help of two other American authors who served as outsiders, developed a

    study to focus on the stress of Chinese students. The researchers clarify their methods, stating,

    two of the authors, who are bilingual in English and Chinese, discussed and translated these

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    measures from English into Chinese (Wei et al. 387). The study has multiple views on the

    Chinese student community. Therefore, the study avoids much bias toward Chinese students.

    In addition, Chinese students undergo vulnerability for many problems, including the

    challenges of integration, which can also contribute to depression. Mollie Dollinger, a journalist

    from Tealeafnation, argues that many Americans still hold negative stereotypes of Asians, at a

    time when Chinese international students[enrollment] in American universities [is] increasing

    each year (Dollinger). These stereotypes can hinder Chinese students from making friends at

    the American universities. Dollinger has an education consulting company in Chongqing, China

    that helps Chinese students to study in the U.S.

    This issue presents major challenges in Chinese student community, so Lee and Rice

    began to focus on the relationship between integration and cultural differences in their research.

    Jenny Lee studied in the U. S as an international student, while Charles Rice researched on many

    issues that relate to international student communities. Lee researches on this issue, so that she

    can discover what the root of this integration problem is. Lee put forward the issue: Wilton and

    Constantine found that because of language and cultural factors, Latin American and Asian

    students have greater levels of stress than other international students (Lee and Rice 385). The

    research tries to determine how the university can improve the well being of the students. Lee

    and Rice find that the cultural differences and integration problems have a positive correlation.

    Chinese students come from Eastern culture. Some American students do not like Eastern

    behaviors, so they avoid the Chinese students.

    Coupled with the integration problems Chinese students experience on campus,

    universities do not provide enough resources for international students to accommodate their

    needs. Lee and Rice affirm, Kher describes how many support services at their U.S institution,

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    including admission, registration, residence life, and dining do not [accommodate] international

    students despite the greater needs such students have as compared to native students (Lee and

    Rice 386). Lee and Rice argue that Chinese international students do not receive the adequate

    services when in fact they need more support than regular students. UK should add more

    resources to support international students.

    In order for international students to achieve success, they should master the language.

    Wing Chui went to the U.S to study so he would have an insider perspective on the importance

    of English in the U.S. for Chinese international students. In the interview, Christy Ganchero,

    who assisted with the English as a Second Language, or ESL, program, states that the number

    one way to learn English effectively is to talk with people who speak English.Weak English

    skills hamper international students ability to succeed and integrate. Unfortunately, American

    universities do not focus on the ability to use the language. They prioritize academics over the

    ability to master the language. In the research that focuses on surrounding factors affecting

    Chinese international students, Chui declares that Universities which only focus on the

    academic needs of international students therefore ignore important factors in their potential

    success or failure in the new educational context (Chui et al. 34). Chui explains that

    universities usually encourage the Chinese international students on academic achievement, but

    the university forgets other factors such as financial or emotional support that affect Chinese

    international students well-being. I chose Chuis researchbecause it focuses on the

    shortcomings of the university. He points out factors such as financial issues and emotional well-

    being that affect the Chinese community greatly, while universities usually ignore or put very

    minimal emphasis on these factors.

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    Connecting with Informants and Research in the Community

    During the scholar review on the Chinese studentscommunity, I found many issues with

    this community that need to be addressed. In order to learn more about the community, I worked

    with different informants in the community including Chinese students, the president of the

    Chinese Student Scholars and Fellowship, and the UK faculty who work with Chinese

    international students. I wondered what happens when Chinese students study abroad in the US.

    How do Chinese students deal with the loneliness they experience? I did some research on

    campus activities and found out that Chinese Students Scholars and Fellowship helps newcomers

    at UK through the Christian faith. The group connected through Christian churches that existed

    in a variety of locations in China and Lexington. I decided to sit down and do an interview with

    the Chinese Student Scholars and Fellowships president. I emailed the president, Liang Chen,

    to request an interview. He held reservations about the interview; he felt concerned about the

    prospects of the interview and questioned whether or not I have permission from UK to conduct

    the research. I explained my class project to him. He lost his reservations when he found out that

    I worked on an ethnographic study about Chinese students at UK. I interviewed him at his office

    in Gatton College.

    A common belief is that Chinese students value their family and community over their

    personal needs. When I interviewed Chen, pictures of his family and of his church involvement

    filled the room. Chens office illustrates that his family and his communitys involvement

    represent an important part of his identity. His offices decoration reinforces my opinion that

    Chinese students display strong family orientation. He seemed laid back and talked about his

    family before we did the interview. He talked about his wife who likes to take care of the family.

    Because my wife brings my lunch here, I go downstairs for a few minutes. (Chen). He studies

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    at UK as a graduate student, and he has his family with him. Chen illustrates a deep commitment

    to his religion. He tries to help other Chinese students through the religious services. His

    churches organize a group to try to help new students. The churches have branches in China, so

    they have contact with other Chinese students through the Christian faith. Christian principles

    help Chen try his best to help his brothers and live in harmony among the love of his brothers.

    Chen describes the purpose of his organization:

    We give free rides to others. We pick some students up from the airport. We tour some

    students around campus. Each Friday, we have fellowship or Bible study. We have free

    food and free dinner and sing some songs(Chen).

    The Christian Chinese students get help through religious service and worshipping. Chen and his

    groups pick up new students at the airport and help them adjust to American culture. The group

    helps students find new apartments and teaches them how to succeed academically at UK. At the

    end of the interview, Chen differentiated his group from the Chinese Association group.

    Members of his group connect through Christian faith in contrast to the Chinese Students

    Association, a secular group.

    The Chinese students community setup the Chinese Students Association to help

    newcomers at UK. Nevertheless, the Association failed to renew its charter as a UK

    organization. The Association used to get the names of new Chinese students from UK.

    However, because of a new privacy law, UK no longer gives the names of Chinese students to

    the Association. The Associations contact information seems outdated, and the new contact

    information does not respond to inquiries. I have requested several interviews, but the contact

    has never responded to my inquiries about the interview. The Chinese Associations website

    confuses many new members and certainly posts a challenge to a novice computer user. The

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    website presents information in Mandarin Chinese and much of the information on the website

    seems outdated.

    I cannot rely on the Chinese Students Associations websites, so I turned to contact

    Bridges to International Students, which connects students from many walks of life. Students

    who come from different parts of the world participate in the programs. They discuss what

    challenges them at UK as well as their spiritual connection with a higher being. This program

    has connected many international students, creating many friendships. I joined this program

    because of the affability of the organizer, Edward Lee, and how they go a long way to help

    international students. I go to the meetings regularly and have made many friends from this

    program. I have met many Chinese students at Lees programs. They all seem very happy and

    outgoing.

    I interviewed a student, Yixing Jin, who went there regularly. Jin likes my research about

    Chinese students. He seemed happy that he could help me finish my assignment. He believed the

    assignment has great meaning. We discussed different subjects during our meetings. We wanted

    to learn from each others differences. Jinmajors in geography and has a dream to travel around

    the world. He has many American friends and his fondness for American culture shocked my

    traditional beliefs about students at UK. He openly embraces his condition, and he makes the

    best of it. He thinks he belongs to the world. He is fascinated with Lexington traditions such as

    Keeneland. His homesickness challenges his enjoyment of UK experiences. I had a lively

    discussion with him about his future. He showed great enthusiasm about UK, and UK inspired

    him significantly. He offered his view on why UK constitutes a great fit for him:

    Why didnt you study in China?

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    Picture 2: Bridges to International

    Students. The program connects

    many international students together

    despite their cultural differences or

    faiths.

    Because Im a geography major.I want to go to different places, so the easiest way is to

    come here.

    Why do pick UK instead of other college?

    Because I do research about horses. It is the world horse capital. So I chose Lexington.

    How do you make friends?

    I make friend not based on nationality not depend on Chinese or not.(Jin)

    The interview happened in an environment where we can really trust each other. We shared with

    each other what we strongly believe in. We didnt

    judge; we understood each othersdifferences. We

    discussed how we can find companionship with each

    other. Jin has enjoyed the peacefulness the program

    has brought to him. Even though his Islamic beliefs put

    him in a minority category, he tolerates other religions

    and seeks to understand them. Most of the Chinese

    Students who join this program become more open to

    outsiders and have considerably more positive

    experiences with UK. Many enjoy each others

    company, and they do not act reserved or shy. The programs director has done a wonderful job

    of connecting students. We see each other as a family.

    On the other hand, UK has an ESL program that helps international students assimilate to

    the American atmosphere. The program helps students who struggle with English and American

    life. The college tries to connect many students together as a group. Christy Ganchero,

    undergraduate student assistant with the program, illustrated great enthusiasm about the

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    interview when I emailed her. Christy studied as an undergraduate student, so she connects more

    with a student. Christy shares many characteristics with other international students. She assists

    international students with their needs, while she has much similar interest with them. She

    believes that projects held the important meaning and agrees to do interview via email. She has

    worked with many international students and she understands their conditions. She expresses her

    eagerness to help me with my ethnographic study. In her opinion, Chinese students usually hang

    out together because of their native language. Chinese students have trouble with speaking and

    talking in English. Their method of learning significantly differs from other students. Naturally,

    they hang out with their group and enjoy each others companionship. The college tries to mix a

    healthy group of international student together. The college forces Chinese students go out of

    their comfort zone, and make learning a survival skill. The intensity of the program at UK drives

    students to connect. They meet five hours a day five days out of the week. They must interact

    with each other in class. During the interview, Christy emphasize on what of the following UK

    offer to International student:

    What difficulties do you notice in Chinese students who are just starting to learn

    English? I asked.

    Generally, the Chinese students I have helped struggle with speaking and listening

    skills. Specifically, beginning English language Chinese students have trouble with

    articles a and the, and with he and she.

    Are there any differences in the way Chinese students learn English versus the way

    other students learn English?

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    Picture 3: The portable dictionary

    device.It is a much needed tool in

    Chinese students community.

    From my experience, Chinese students often learn vocabulary first. Many of the Chinese

    students I have met are very successful in reading and writing, good in grammar, yet

    dont achieve good speaking scores.

    How do they learn English effectively?

    The number one way to learn English effectively is to talk with people who speak

    English. Forcing yourself out of your comfort zone makes learning English a survival

    skill, not just a class.

    Do Chinese students often travel in groups together?

    I think all students who are in a foreign country have the temptation to travel with

    people speaking their native language.(Ganchero)

    The program builds a strong foundation in life and provides the tools for Chinese students to live

    in the US. Her responses changed my traditional views about the ESL program. This program

    not only teaches student English but also teaches life lessons. From Christys email and

    responses, I understand faculty deeply care about international students and want them to

    succeed. I have learned that program offers more of life based stimulation for international

    students. It gives international students the independence they need, while guiding them through

    the right way.

    The Portable Dictionary Device

    Even though, Chinese students have many problems,

    they have cultural artifacts that hold them together. Chinese

    students come to America relied heavily on portable dictionary.

    Portable dictionary have proven to be useful inside the

    classroom and everyday life. Chinese students can use it to

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    Picture 4: RedEnvelopes. Gift given on

    special occasions such asNew Year, Birthday,etc.

    Picture 5: The rice cooker.

    Rice cookers offer a convenient

    way to cook rice.

    assimilate to American lifestyle and succeed academically. Chinese students want to succeed in

    American university and to assimilate to American culture.

    Red Envelopes

    In addition to portable dictionary devices, red envelopes

    play an important role. Traditionally, an older Chinese person

    gives the red envelope to a younger one. Chinese students have

    many creative ways to use red envelopes. Chinese students called

    the red envelopes Hongbao. Hongbao means that the storm of

    luckwill come to the receiver. Chinese students give red

    envelopes to their friends to illustrate that they appreciate their

    friendship and show that they have confidence in their friends

    abilities.

    The Rice Cooker

    In additions to these two culture artifacts, the rice

    cooker has considerable influence in the Chinese students

    community. Chinese students usually eat rice as a main part of

    their diet. A rice cooker offers a convenient way to cook rice.

    With a rice cooker, Chinese can spend more time with their

    friends while having the warm bowl of rice. The creator of the

    rice cooker invented it to fit the busy life of the Chinese

    student while also reducing the risk associated with cooking rice such as fire hazard.

    These culture artifacts show that Chinese students can take advantage of technology, but

    still link to their Chinese culture roots. They know they live in the high tech age, so they must

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    adapt to technology; however, they still have deep traditional value. They utilize what their

    traditions into something that can fit their lifestyles while still reserve the meaning of it. They are

    Chinese in American land.

    Conclusion

    Working with Chinese students has changed my perspective considerably. At the

    beginning, I thought that Chinese doing quite well compared to other international student

    groups at University of Kentucky; however, they have many problems within their community,

    such as language barriers, homesickness, and loneliness. Despite these problems, they overcome

    and conquer. My informants in the community always work so hard and have so little time, so I

    had a hard time contacting them. When they get to know me, they open themselves and tell me

    what they know about Chinese student community.

    Through doing an ethnography on this community, I have developed interviewing skills.

    For example, I became more extroverted and open with my emotions when interviewing

    informants so they could trust me more. I learned how to set up an atmosphere where informants

    could feel comfortable sharing with me. However, I need to clarify my questions more, so my

    informants can understand it better. I need to work on the pace of my questions.

    During the research about the Chinese students community, I realized that many Chinese

    students cope with major avoidable issues. The university has made considerable effort to help

    international students, but it comes up short. I still have some lingering questions about different

    motivations for Chinese students to come here. Some come for academic reasons, while others

    come for athletics to UK. Because of sportsmanship, Chinese athletes have better experiences

    and have better mental health compared to other Chinese students. They have good connections

    with American friends and receive a good level of support from the university, such as tutors.

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    Beside many setbacks Chinese international students experience on the campus, UK as a

    university has improved in many ways to help international students such as campus

    organizations delicate for international students. I have had an enjoyable experience working

    with different groups of students on campus involved in helping international students. UK may

    not provide the best resources for international students, but they have made considerable efforts

    to help them. Many Chinese students have to rely on outside organizations to get to the US. UK

    should use more resources like personal tutors to help Chinese students. Many Chinese students

    face struggles when they come to new land. They might have trouble at first, but they come

    through. However, I must do more research and gather more information to paint an accurate

    picture of Chinese students.

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    Works cited

    Chen, Liang. Personal interview. 11 Oct. 2013.

    Chinese New Year Celeration. Lexington: UK Chinese Scholar and Fellowship, n.d. JPEG.

    Chui, Wing H., Peter Thomas, and Mark Sherry. "International Students: A Vulnerable Student

    Population."Higher Education60.1 (2010): 33-46. Print.

    Dollinger, Mollie. Surveyof Chinese Students at Indiana University Reveals Challenges of

    Integration.Telenation.com.Telenation, 05 July. 2013. Web. 07 Nov. 2013

    Garnett, Susan. Personal Interview. 07 Nov. 2013.

    Ganchero, Christy. Personal interview. 02 Nov. 2013.

    Jin, Yixing. Personal Interview. 29 Sept. 2013.

    Johnson, Jenna. Chinese Students Enroll in Record Numbers at U.S. college. Washington Post.

    The Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2011. Web. 09 Oct. 2013.

    Lee, Jenny, and Charles Rice. "Welcome to America? International Student Perceptions of

    Discrimination."Higher Education53.3 (2007): 381-409. Print.

    Marche, Stephen. Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?Theatlantic.com. The Atlantic, May 2013.

    Web. 10 Oct. 2013

    Nguyen, William.Bridges to International Students. 09 Oct. 2013. JPEG.

    Portable Dictionary. N.p.: n.p., Apr.-May 2012. JPEG.

    Red Envelope. N.p.: n.p., 01 Dec. 2012. JPEG.

    Rice Cooker. N.p.: n.p., Mar.-Apr. 2012. JPEG.

    Welcome To Chinese Fellowship. Lexington: UK Chinese Scholar and Fellowship, n.d. JPEG.

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    Wei, Meifen, et al."Acculturative Stress, Perfectionism, Years in the United States, and

    Depression among Chinese International Students."Journal of Counseling Psychology

    54.4 (2007): 385-94. Print.