Fresh Off The Boat: International Students & Inclusivity
Fresh off the boat is a term I’ve exclusively heard or seen as the title of a popular American TV series. Until I arrived in New York, that is. Upon my first week of arrival, I’ve held quite a few pleasant conversations with my fellow students, both international and local. Nothing out of the ordinary. But once in a while, someone would ask me where I’m from, and then the conversation turns into something a little bit like this:
Them: “Oh, by the way, where are you from? I’m from Maryland.”
Me: “I’m from China!”
Them: “I meant like where in the States did you live?”
Me: “I’ve never actually lived here before.”
Them: “Wait what? You’re an international student? Damn, your English sounds very native. I thought you were from the Bay area or something like that.”
Me: “Thank you..?”
Them: “So you’re a rich FOB then.”
Me: “A what?”
Them: “Rich FOB. Fresh off the boat.”
If you search for the definition of “fresh off the boat” on Google, there is a warning sign labeling the term as “offensive.” The term is basically used to refer to individuals who’ve recently arrived in a foreign country, with negative connotations that ridicule that individual as naive or an outsider. It is interesting to note that I was treated with no judgment or opinion all the way up to the point where I clarified my identity as an international student. I’ve never thought anything of my quote-unquote perfect American accent before. I’ve spoken English my entire life – I’m comfortable verbalizing myself sentimentally and am confident writing argumentative essays with the language. As a student from an international school, I was surrounded by people from varying cultures, so I have learned to be open to and accepting of different cultures and values. However, I’ve come to realize that not everyone has had the same upbringing as me, and therefore, not everyone has the same perspective as me.
The stereotyping of international students is not just limited to my personal experiences– it seems to be a relatively common phenomenon at NYU. As a Chinese student, my labels are “spending daddy’s money,” “not really well-versed in American pop-culture,” and “experienced oppression from China's communist regime.” I wish I was kidding, but these are legitimately comments I’ve heard first-hand. As exaggerated as it sounds, stereotypes and misconceptions exist readily in such a diverse environment. However, I will acknowledge that stereotypes are not completely unfounded. I agree, a majority of Chinese international students are in the middle-upper class standing when it comes to socioeconomic status. Furthermore, it is possible that they might not be as involved with trends and fads in the states. Nonetheless, it does not negate the fact that these conjectures about international students may have adverse effects on their emotional well-being and general feelings of belonging.
I’ve talked to another NYU student who has experienced the exact same situation as I have, but for privacy reasons, her identity will remain anonymous. This student has also lived in China her entire life, but because she went to an international school like I have, she is also very accustomed to the English language and American culture. “When I was called a rich FOB, I felt offended at first. I knew what the term meant, and it just felt like a hostile comment in general,” she said. It is true, many international students feel isolated or segregated due to mindless comments like these that act to differentiate and create distance. “I am proud to be a Chinese international student; however, I do not wish for that to be a label that puts me in boxes and constraints by identity.”
Though equipped with the common desire to learn, not all students focus on our commonalities. With approximately one million students studying abroad in the United States alone as of 2021, many universities are often a pluralism of domestic and international students. Paralleled in ambition and goals but different in culture and tradition, international students are oftentimes handicapped in regards to university experience in comparison to their domestic peers. Facing stereotypes and social segregation, international students can feel as though they are “tak(ing) something from the system,” rather than contributing to it. When international students are generalized and given labels simply due to their foreign status, it can lead to feelings of displacement as they are marginalized both in and out of the classroom. Seeking out other international students for social solace in the face of discrimination, international students unknowingly further their categorization by domestic students as they are placed under a common and oftentimes unfavorable label.
Understanding the impacts of stereotyping international students in universities is not enough, so we must also investigate the causes. I had a discussion with a local Asian-American student who has called another international student a “rich FOB” to understand why he made such a comment: “I didn’t actually mean it with a hostile intent, though I know it can be used in a derogatory manner. It was mainly because you all came from a different country, making you guys fresh off the boat. I would also assume that students who can pay international tuition are pretty well-off, hence why I called you guys rich.”
Even though individuals are more open and accepting in modern-day America, there still exists a barrier between local and international students within universities. We are automatically defensive with outsiders, creating a sense of “us versus them.” That is totally normal, of course, but what we need to do is try and break that barrier. Cultural differences might exist when it comes to norms and values, but at the end of the day, we are all here as students to chase common passions. We are gathered together in one place to exchange ideas and inspire more thinking. When you interact with another student, try and focus on what they have to say, not what you think they already are. Inclusivity starts with you, and it starts with me.
