As the gloom of the winter months sets in, it is increasingly difficult to shed the inevitable negativity that comes with the Eugene rain and cold weather. However, I have found an ever elusive ray of positivity through the energetic enthusiasm of UO’s international students. I am proud to say that my school has an exceptional track record when it comes to cultural support and acceptance.
It only takes several moments in the Fishbowl to realize the truly remarkable nature of our culturally diverse university. People of different ethnicities, cultures and races are constantly seamlessly interacting with one another. This might not come as much of a surprise to many students, but there are a lot of parts in the United States, let alone the world, where this is an impossibility.
In today’s intellectual community there is an ongoing debate between how different cultures should relate to one another. Some argue for complete unification (think melting pot) while others believe in strict cultural preservation. UO performs a precarious balancing act of upholding the cultural customs of international students while providing a unique environment for tolerance and unity.
I drew a great deal of energy from the international students that I interviewed who were overwhelmingly enthusiastic about their experience at the university. Seela Sankei moved to Eugene from Kenya and she could not be more pleased with the time she has spent here.
“At first I was worried about finding friends, but I am a very talkative person and everyone was very welcoming. I love the Eugene community, in many ways it is like a village, everyone seems to know everyone.”
This is part of the reason Eugene offers such a unique and benevolent experience for these students. It is a relatively compact and liberal university with a wide range of opportunities that allows for endless communal engagement. That is not to say that differences are not noticed.
“The way I speak makes me obviously different from many other students, including other international students. Of course I notice differences in other students as well and think this difference is where we find commonality,” Sankei said.
When asked about adapting to the cultural customs of Eugene, native Gambian, Aboubacarr Demba, found that he had no trouble at all and found support through students of the same ethnicity.
“I spent a lot of time in the UK so the transition was not that drastic. I recently found a group of students who are also from Gambia, which surprised me, but it was nice to have common ground with other people.”
Both students noted that they felt no significant pressure to leave behind cultural customs of their native homeland. This is truly an impressive achievement and a testament to the good nature and consciousness of the people of Eugene and the university. However some students felt slightly differently.
Boli Zhang moved to Eugene from Beijing, China to study business. He discussed with me the important choice he made when he moved to the United States.
“You really have two choices. You can stay the same and continue to hang out in a small group of primarily Chinese students or you can adopt the American culture and learn something new. I definitely felt pressure to change, but I am okay with that.”
So maybe there is an inevitable influence of American culture on international students, but I strongly believe that Eugene is showing these students the very best that America has to offer. Filled with generous people, educational integrity and a politically conscious student body, the University of Oregon is truly the cream of the crop.
In a world filled with turmoil over cultural differences, I can’t reiterate enough how we should never take for granted the environment we have built for ourselves.
So next time the Eugene winter rain has you cursing the school, just remember our accomplishments as a diverse community and think of these final words from Sankei:
“In Africa it is always sunny, so I love the rain in Eugene. I can just walk around in it all day with a great big smile on my face.”