At the League, international students are the target of stereotypes and racism

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Although I am an international student, I grew up learning English and, to my great regret, I speak it better than Bengali, my mother tongue. All my life, including as a student at Syracuse University, people have always been surprised when I speak because they don’t expect me to speak English as well as I do. It surprised me that, because I’m not from the United States, others would assume that I don’t speak English well.

I have encountered many forms of micro-aggression and stereotypical comments like this as an international student at SU. These comments range from how my ethnicity doesn’t match what they think I should look like, to how I appear westernized compared to other international students. Common stereotypes show that many people think that international students fit a specific mold.

The university should be a place where differences are accepted and even celebrated, but in the League, the differences make international students the targets of racist remarks, actions and micro-attacks. The Syracuse community needs to be more considerate and respectful of international students.

Shivani Reddy, a rising senior from SU, said she also regularly faces micro-attacks, such as being told she speaks good English. She told me about a special moment she had on campus where she experienced this type of stereotyping, when a guy exclaimed Oh, so you’re international! and started asking what Reddy said were special questions.

Reddy said people always ask him questions and make comments. There is a fascination with international students, she says. He was even asked once Do you have an air conditioner in India? a question that remained with him because of its intrusive nature. Reddy, like many other international students on our constantly bombarded campus with questions, felt his privacy invaded by his intrusive comments.

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These cases may seem unimportant, but for international students, stereotypical questions and comments can be extremely rude and pervasive.

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Jingge Zhao, another international SU student, was also the victim of racism and micro-attacks at the university. While playing the video game counterattack, Zhao, who was using a Chinese pseudonym, was yelled at for playing well.

I was playing well and the other team got mad, Zhao said. They started yelling at me for being Asian and used slurs in the voice chat.

It is clear that there is still a lot of room on campus to improve the way the community treats international students. Racism and micro-aggressions are constantly present, even after the creation of the #NotAgainSU movement. Members of the SU community need to be more respectful and sensitive to international students.

Many members of the SU community know little about stereotypes and racism, although it is easier to educate nowadays. There is so much information on the internet, in books, and on social media, and it is the responsibility of our community to digest this information and change their own behavior.

But this coming semester brings an opportunity for change. Some international students are returning to campus for the first time in over a year, and the pandemic has given everyone a chance to reflect on the past. The SU community should take this opportunity to become more considerate of international students.

Many of us stayed behind and learned from a distance, Zhao said. There may be issues with returning to in-person learning. Hopefully, the university can take this opportunity to organize more inclusive events and perhaps take some time out of class to help students make the transition to this kind of environment and learning.

As we return to school for the fall semester, I hope the SU community has learned to respect international students so that these students feel accepted and welcomed throughout their academic careers at SU.

Sourov Rayhan is a major junior in English. Their column appears every two weeks. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Posted on August 9, 2021 at 7:25 p.m.

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