International students admire America, South

By Shauna Watkins
Diversity Institute Fellow

03.12.04

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The classroom at Belmont University was flooded with students, some in chairs and many on the floor but all eager to learn the thoughts and experiences of five international students.

In a panel discussion titled "The New Americans," students from Canada, Malaysia, Turkey, France and Germany talked about living in the United States on Friday as a part of Belmont's International Focus Week.

The panelists said that they have enjoyed the southern hospitality they have felt since coming to Nashville and have found the South much friendlier and more welcoming than their own countries.

"People are very open-minded over here; they like to learn about other cultures," said Ben Uzair, a business major from Malaysia. "Before I came to the United States, I just thought America was a place where all they care about is Americans, themselves, and nothing else."

Panel members also agreed that the United States has many more job opportunities. They said that they enjoy the sense of patriotism shown by Americans and are excited about the concept of freedom of speech, noting that citizens in their countries are not allowed to critique the government and religion.

Johannes Gerstengarbe, a music major from Germany, said that he was not used to people showing so much national pride.

"Patriotism is a real strange word in Germany," he said.

Germans typically do not go around praising their country, he said, and those who do are looked at strangely.

About the only thing that Uzair and other panelists said they have found strange about coming to Nashville has been the way that many southerners talk.

"I have difficulty understanding the language, not the English language but the Southern language," he said as the audience and participants laughed. "My name is one syllable. I don't understand how there is a 'y' in the middle of my name."

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Collection page for articles written by 2004 Winter Diversity Institute Fellows.  03.12.04