International Students (1 Viewer)

[chelloveck]

This year at my hall of residence we have reached over 55% international students. I have two problems with this; firstly, the term "international student" kinda implies a large diversity of people from all over the world, whereas, out of this 55%, i could guarantee that at least 45% are East Asian.

My second problem is that it is totally changing the culture that was here. The East Asians are the most introverted bunch of people that i have ever met, and they make the hall cold and unfriendly. This has nothing to do with race, I am racist in no way. I've had three girlfriends with different herritages this year, and my best friend is of vietnamese heritage, but with an australian enculturation. This is about culture, i hate the East Asian culture being in my environment and totally changing it, for in my opinion, the worst. It's not as if I'm a huge cultural snob either, there's nothing I want to do more than travel the Asian continent and go to Vietnam, Thailan, etc. But i want to go there to experience a different culture, just like the 'international students' here should be in Australia to experience our culture, not fucking change it. And if they're to 'shy' or whatever to do that, they shouldn't be here, just like if you're a westerner and scared of getting abducted by terroists in the middle-east, then you shouldn't go there. Cultures are too different to live in harmony side by side, if Australia's multi-culturalism has shown anything, it's this.

 

[Iron]

I personally find them charming and fragrant

 

[Jago]

wahh wahh wahh

Seriously, get over it. Who are you to force people to change their behaviour? Are you implying introverted individuals shouldn't be allowed to leave their country? Guess what, this isn't your environment. Maybe these people didn't come to ANU to experience the culture, they came here to enjoy a reputable education and if that's all they want, so be it.

 

[neo o]

Are they hot?

 

[noneother]

I can't relate to FOBs

 

[chelloveck]

Seriously, get over it. Who are you to force people to change their behaviour? Are you implying introverted individuals shouldn't be allowed to leave their country? Guess what, this isn't your environment. Maybe these people didn't come to ANU to experience the culture, they came here to enjoy a reputable education and if that's all they want, so be it.

tell me, which hall of residence are you in?

 

[loquasagacious]

As an ex Fenner hall resident I can say that yes there is a very pronounced divide between the international and domestic students.

For entirely understandable cultural/culture-shock reasons they tend to 'hang around' with each other and in general not actively participate in hall life. There are of course other reasons, for instance their difficulty with english and (arguably) greater parental push to exceed means that they study much more - this equates to less time to socialise.

As far as I'm concerned international students weren't and arn't a problem. I think it is important (especially during O-week) that domestic students make the effort and get to know their international fellows. Yes they can be insular - but so are we when we travel. I only object to them hogging the pool table.....

On a much brighter note there are many international students who do not conform to the anti-social stereotype - I am good friends with many.

 

[paper cup]

oh well what can you do they're just like that. I mean you could clobber some of them over the head with a saucepan but it wouldn't help.
white people can be annoying too.
neo I know a hot fob want an intro?

 

[loquasagacious]

Only if they're Eurasian.....

 

[chelloveck]

As an ex Fenner hall resident I can say that yes there is a very pronounced divide between the international and domestic students.

For entirely understandable cultural/culture-shock reasons they tend to 'hang around' with each other and in general not actively participate in hall life. There are of course other reasons, for instance their difficulty with english and (arguably) greater parental push to exceed means that they study much more - this equates to less time to socialise.

As far as I'm concerned international students weren't and arn't a problem. I think it is important (especially during O-week) that domestic students make the effort and get to know their international fellows. Yes they can be insular - but so are we when we travel. I only object to them hogging the pool table.....

On a much brighter note there are many international students who do not conform to the anti-social stereotype - I am good friends with many.

That's exactly it, those "cultural/culture-shock reasons" are exactly why multi-culturalism doesn't work. Differences in culture are immensely interesting to me, but to cram two totally different (and in many ways conflictingcul) cultures in the same environment is a stupid idea. It means both cultures lose out in some form, because many aspects of the two cultures are mutually exlusive.

Oh, and this year it is a big problem. It's been announced that we're going to cut down significantly on the amount of international students being accepted into the hall next year.

Can totally empathise about the pool table thing.

 

[_Benji_]

I heard there's heaps of international students at Urshies too....do u think its the same deal there...ie a huge divide?

It's a shame about that.... i love interacting with people from other cultures, its so interesting...was hoping they'd be a bit more interaction but I admit that some asian nationalities and ppl are pretty closed and hard to interact with but thats just different cultural values... i'm sure once they acculturate to the Australian culture a bit they'd be a bit more common ground...?

 

[chelloveck]

I heard there's heaps of international students at Urshies too....do u think its the same deal there...ie a huge divide?

It's a shame about that.... i love interacting with people from other cultures, its so interesting...was hoping they'd be a bit more interaction but I admit that some asian nationalities and ppl are pretty closed and hard to interact with but thats just different cultural values... i'm sure once they acculturate to the Australian culture a bit they'd be a bit more common ground...?

Yeah but that's the thing...then they're assimilating and apparently that's evil. But i'm the same, i love finding out about different cultures, hence the anthropology major, but when a certain culture starts detracting from another culture, i don't like it. I like Australian culture, and I don't want to see it dissapear. One thing I particularly hate is the amount of Australian culture being replaced by American culture. My ex-girlfriend once told me that the Australian accent in soaps sounds foreign to her. American cultural inflitration shits me to tears. Why is there so little appeal in traditional Australian culture to Australians?

 

[neo o]

I've found that the international group at Bruce are really quite nice, the pool players anyway. They'll always be on the pool table, but are happy to play teams if someone else comes along - i.e.: they're normal .

oh well what can you do they're just like that. I mean you could clobber some of them over the head with a saucepan but it wouldn't help.
white people can be annoying too.
neo I know a hot fob want an intro?

Do I need to be introduced to you? No but seriously...

*mildly curious*

...who do you know in Canberra?

 

[loquasagacious]

I was in Fenner this year and many friends stil are, I am well aware of the issues with international students.

It is not that international students are failing to assimilate it is that particularly groups of asian students (ie known to each other previously) hang around together and in a sense fail to aclimatise, as distinct from assimilating.

To reject international students because of this I think is plain wrong, essentially you propose unyielding conformity to your own culture. This isn't how people get along it is how we have wars and genocide.

By cutting down on the international intake Fenner will not just be cutting down on insular asians who hog the pool table they will be cutting down on several of my close friends. Interational students who proudly maintain their own culture but are willing to get out there and socialise, and no I'm not talking about europeans I'm talking about koreans, malays, chineese, people fom everywhere. By knocking back international students Fenner will be discriminating against these people, genuine nice outgoing friendly people.

 

[fleepbasding]

Why is there so little appeal in traditional Australian culture to Australians?

Because it's shit. But really, you shouldn't talk about Australian culture like it's a unified culture with the same cultural practices and such. Like I for one don't give much of a shit if the so-called "Australian" culture gets changed or dies even; there are many aspects to it that I personally dislike. I'd say I'm fairly introverted, does that mean I'm not a true Australian? Fuck Australias bastard culture, the only authentic part of it is rurality. And the 'infiltration' of America culture goes way back, and many of the things we think are Australian are imported from America anyway.

 

[_Benji_]

Because it's shit. But really, you shouldn't talk about Australian culture like it's a unified culture with the same cultural practices and such. Like I for one don't give much of a shit if the so-called "Australian" culture gets changed or dies even; there are many aspects to it that I personally dislike. I'd say I'm fairly introverted, does that mean I'm not a true Australian? Fuck Australias bastard culture, the only authentic part of it is rurality. And the 'infiltration' of America culture goes way back, and many of the things we think are Australian are imported from America anyway.

lol..... actually there's not much evidence to suggest that Australia's culture really came from the Bush....I'm doing a topic on the Bush Legend in ext Hist... basically the whole thing is based on a myth.... so where does that leave us?

I dont think u can say that all of australian culture is bad... i mean we produce great movies and comedy.... and meat pies etc....
no but really Australian culture is ok minus the americanisation- i wouldnt want to see it die... even thou u get the yobbo/bogan image when u think "aussie" doesnt mean there arent good aspects.... American culture.... now THAT is bad (and gold coast culture *shudder*)! Personally I think that any unique culture we had is being currently eroded by this present Government + globalisation.

 

[_Benji_]

Having said that.... my initial response was to crack up to the "Why is there so little appeal in traditional Australian culture to Australians?" and completely agree with you fleepbasding....

traditional australian culture..... hihi.... *images spring to mind about john howard in a spotless drizabone and conservative white men.....and white australia policies and the uneducated drawls of "sheilaaa" and "struthhhh"*

 

[chelloveck]

I was in Fenner this year and many friends stil are, I am well aware of the issues with international students.

It is not that international students are failing to assimilate it is that particularly groups of asian students (ie known to each other previously) hang around together and in a sense fail to aclimatise, as distinct from assimilating.

To reject international students because of this I think is plain wrong, essentially you propose unyielding conformity to your own culture. This isn't how people get along it is how we have wars and genocide.

By cutting down on the international intake Fenner will not just be cutting down on insular asians who hog the pool table they will be cutting down on several of my close friends. Interational students who proudly maintain their own culture but are willing to get out there and socialise, and no I'm not talking about europeans I'm talking about koreans, malays, chineese, people fom everywhere. By knocking back international students Fenner will be discriminating against these people, genuine nice outgoing friendly people.

I basically just don't like seeing the delapidation of destinct cultures. And that's what is happening in Fenner. I really don't think this makes me an advocate for war and genocide - quite the opposite in fact.

 

[chelloveck]

*images spring to mind about john howard in a spotless drizabone and conservative white men.....and white australia policies and the uneducated drawls of "sheilaaa" and "struthhhh"*

why do those negative images spring to mind when i talk about traditional australian culture? what springs to mind when i say something about current urban aboriginal culture, just out of curiosity?

 

[paper cup]

I've found that the international group at Bruce are really quite nice, the pool players anyway. They'll always be on the pool table, but are happy to play teams if someone else comes along - i.e.: they're normal .



Do I need to be introduced to you? No but seriously...

*mildly curious*

...who do you know in Canberra?

oohh that was so funny hahahahahaha neo you're getting rusty
lots of male strippers.

alright look at it this way. The unis want to make money from the international students and that means they have to live in a college hall and go to the uni and it's tough luck whether you like it or not.
fleep I'm not too sure about the rural thing. It's not quintessentially aussie; you can't say the cities aren't australian because they are.
If you've spent some time overseas then you'll really notice the distinct way of Aussie life and so on; I do agree it's very Americanised but there are still things that we have and others don't.