Shannon Copeland / Contributing Writer
Annyonghasaeyo! This is how you say hello in Korean.
Some students may not know there are Korean students here, let alone how to greet them.
Although China’s population is larger than 1 billion, not all Asian students at the University are from there.
For Wen Da Xu, a senior mathematics major from China, learning the language was only one of the challenges Da Xu met. Da Xu also had to get used to some of the manners.
“When I first came, I didn’t have money or cell phone, I asked to borrow phone and people lent it to me, in China if you do that, people will wonder why you want to borrow their phone,” Da Xu said.
As soon as she stepped off the plane, one of Da Xu’s main problems was to choose something from the menu.
“Because I couldn’t understand the menu, I ordered everything. The cashier look at me and said, ‘What?’” Da Xu said.
Lui Song, a senior hospitality transfer student from China, felt like an outsider on the public transportation in Miami.
“When I get on the bus, everybody look at me like, ‘why is Asian on bus’, that made me feel like minority. In China I’m a majority. I felt very uncomfortable. And because I don’t have a car, I stay at home and surf Internet.”
The relationship between friends, classmates and acquaintances can also be a challenge. In the Asian culture, addressing someone by their first name is only done between families and loved ones.
“The communication style in Japan is very different. It’s like bowling, you wait your turn to talk. But here it’s like tennis. Most people think I don’t have a lot to say, but that’s not the reason,” said Japanese student Yoshihiro Kanno, a graduate in the hospitality program.
“I felt very uncomfortable with hugging and kissing on the cheek. And being called by my first name took some time to get used to,” Kanno said.
Asian students also miss basic ingredients found only in their country. It’s easy to find sushi in Miami, but that is not the same sushi Kanno used to eat in Japan.
“I really like sushi, but it taste different here, so I cook mostly western style,” Kanno said.
Yung Joon Ji, hospitality undergraduate student from Korea, also misses the spices from his country.
“I’m used to American food, but authentic Korean restaurants are hard to find,” said Joon Ji.
For Zhi Wei Lin it is difficult to make friends with those not of the same culture.
“Since there are a lot of Chinese students in the hospitality program, I don’t really know how to make friends with foreign students,” Wei Lin said. “But I want to make American friends.”
Classroom etiquette in Asian countries is very strict, as only teachers speak during lectures while students listen.
Michelle Yoo, a visiting assistant professor in CSHTM understands Asian students as she was raised in the Asian culture.
“In the Asian culture, we are taught to be submissive, that’s just our culture. Because most Asian students don’t speak up, students will think they don’t understand, which makes them feel intimidated. But I focus on the end results,” she said.
Paolo Ramirez, an English tutor at the Center for Excellence in Writing, is used to helping Asian students with their frustration while writing their papers.
“The students have the idea in their minds, it’s just putting it into words,” he said. “One student in particular had difficulty in a class because the professor would take off points for grammar, but didn’t give any feedback. I advise students to make friends and practice their English.”
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