International Student Perceptions of

Discrimination & Oppression

or Neo-Racism

By Tamerlan Rajabov, MSW

t.rajabov@yahoo.com

Who is an International Student?

• Currently studying in the United States on a

student visa (F-1 or J-1) in high school, college,

or an English language program.

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Where do they come from?

1. Albania,2. Argentina, 3. Azerbaijan, 4. Benin, 5. Canada, 6. China, 7. Georgia, 8. Ghana, 9. India, 10. Iraq, 11. Japan,

12. Kenya, 13. Korea, 14. Kyrgyzstan, 15. Lesotho, 16. Mexico, 17. Mongolia, 18. Nepal, 19. Nigeria, 20. Philippines, 21. Singapore, 22. Taiwan,

23. Tajikistan, 24. Trinidad, 25. Turkmenista

n, 26. Senegal, 27. Uganda, 28. United

Kingdom, 29. Venezuela, 30. Vietnam &

etc.

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All over the world

Demography

• Religion

• Ethnicity

• Culture DIVERSE!!!

• Race

• Age

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Difficulties that International Students Experience in US

• Pressure from academic demands,

• Language barriers, • Financial concerns, • Performance anxiety, • Depression, • Loneliness, • Homesickness,

• Relationship problems,

• No assertiveness, • Individualism and

bicultural conflicts, • Stereotyping, • Prejudice, • Discrimination• Paranoia

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Consequence (according to the study results

conducted in 2004 with 530 institutions) NAFSA 2004a, 2004b

• Among 130 doctoral and research institutions, nearly 60% reported declines

• Of the 25 research institutions that enroll the most international students, all 19 survey respondents indicated a decrease in graduate applications, with 15 reporting declines of more than 10%.

• Drops in Chinese graduate applications compared to all other international applicants — 30% or more.

• The highest skilled students now seek further educational opportunities outside the U.S., as result of what the surveyors partly attribute to the perception of an unwelcoming climate for international students in the U.S.

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International students and their families

contribute more than $15 billion annually to

the U.S. economy

(according to a separate survey by NAFSA)

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What is the reason for the International Student’s Being

Discriminated???

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Neo-racism!• “Neo-racism rationalizes the subordination

of people of color on the basis of culture, which is of course acquired through acculturation within an ethnic group, while traditional racism rationalizes it fundamentally in terms of biology. Neo-racism is still racism in that it functions to maintain racial hierarchies of oppression”. (Spears, 1999)

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How do we know that if it is

Neo-Racism or not?• We went grocery shopping and were with this other

couple, both of them are Middle Eastern, and we went

were standing there talking. This guy came by in a

truck and said ‘niggers go home.’ (Female from Gulf

Region)

• Off campus, at the supermarket, White people are

impatient and give me dirty looks. [They] are impolite

[to me] but good to others. They shout [to me], ‘go

back to your country.’ (Chinese Male)05/02/2023 10

Forms of Neo-Racism

• Direct &• Indirect

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Indirect Racism

• Foreign status

• Language

• Race

• Misperception

• Color

• Policy05/02/2023 12

White Student vs. Student of Color!

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International students of colorStudents from:• Asia• India• Latin America• Middle East

Reported considerable discrimination.

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White international students

• Europe,

• Canada,

• New Zealand

Did not report any direct negative experiences

related to their race or culture.05/02/2023 15

Cultural intolerance as a direct source!

• Media portrayals or direct insults.

• Negative remarks of others’ home country or culture.

• Hostility towards

non-fluency in English.

• Discrimination towards internationals.

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Consequences of Neo-Racism

• Difficulties in campus social interactions.

• Interactions with faculty and administration.

• Denial of funding or job opportunities.o Limited hours of work – 20 hours per week.o Limited option – not allowed off campus.

• Off-campus interactions (housing and shopping)

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Consequences of Neo-Racism (cont)

In an academic life• Ignored

• Excluded

• Outsider

• Insecure

• Direct insult from professor

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‘‘We respect diversity, but you’re not really one of

us!’’05/02/2023 19

• The culture problems are immense. The apartment manager

said, Are you Muslim or Hindu?’ [I said] ‘I’m Hindu, I’m

from India.’ The manager said, ‘Yeah the same

difference.’ ... Others ask, ‘Can you get books there?’ It

was [asked] from professors. ... [Even] beloved friends don’t

get the word Hinduism. I don’t know what is so difficult

[about that]... even if you are a professor...They ask me

questions about India and I start explaining [and after

that] they don’t want to hear [anymore]. They already

have [their ideas] set and they try to tell me how it is

[there]... It is a little disconcerting because I don’t see any

desire in their minds, I mean true desire in the minds of

people here to really understand and know another

culture. (Indian Male)

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International students can perceive Americans as lacking any desire to understand another culture, and therefore feel they are culturally alienated. Though perhaps unintentional, such indifference to other ways of life can marginalize anything not American, anything not understood.

Such apathy and unwillingness to attempt understanding translates to the rejection of international students’ cultural identities.

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That is How International Students are OPPRESSED…

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Some Positives• My room-mate is

domestic student and she is so nice to me…

• I have lots of American friends and they treat me not like “alien”…

• Some instructors are really international student friendly…

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Reference• Jenny J. Lee & Charles Rice. Welcome to America? International student perceptions of Discrimination.

Higher Education (2007) 53: 381–409

• Definition of International Student. http://admissions.rutgers.edu/021501.asp

• Schram, J. and Lauver, P. (1988). ‘Alienation in international students’, Journal of College Student

Development 29, 146–150.

• Institute of International Education http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/?p=131590

• CNN.com/US http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/17/chinese.students.ap/index.html

• NAFSA et al. (2004a). Study of applications by prospective international students to U.S. higher education

institutions. Washington D.C.: NAFSA. Retrieved from

• NAFSA Press Room: http://www.nafsa.org/content/PublicPolicy/FortheMedia/appsjtsurvey.pdf

• NAFSA et al. (2004b). Fewer international graduate students applying to study in the United States.

Washington D.C.: NAFSA. Retrieved from NAFSA Press Room:

http://www.nafsa.org/content/PublicPolicy/FortheMedia/appssurveyresults.pdf

• Perucci, R. and Hu, H. (1995). ‘Satisfaction with social and educational experiences among international

graduate students’, Research in Higher Education 36(4), 491–508.05/02/2023 24

Thanks a lot for Your attention &

Patience!05/02/2023 25