Common Problems of Chinese 1

Common Problems of Chinese Exchange Students to the University of Kentucky

Denisha Burton
CIS 110-058

Common Problems of Chinese 2

Chinese exchange students are common in many universities. However, they are a group
that gets a lot of stereotypical behavior directed at them. Some of the major problems that the
Chinese exchange students face are related to food, religious stereotyping, acceptance by others,
manners, and general classroom differences. Based off polls taken of fifty college students,
many people could quickly come up with stereotypes about their Chinese friends, although when
the same group was asked about stereotypes about other races or exchange students from
countries other than China, their results were fewer, slower, and often more positive than the
results given for the Chinese students. This is a very real problem. The cultures of all countries,
geographic regions, religions, races, et cetera are different and sometimes have trouble blending.
However, no matter how common, it needs to be addressed. Through intensive study on Chinese
culture, stereotyping, polling, and interviews, this research proves the need for something to
change in some way. Based solely on Chinese exchange students, with age commonly from
eighteen to twenty two, in a university setting, this research shows some of the main problems
that the Chinese exchange students face when choosing to come to America for an education.
Two interviews were conducted on Linda and Samantha, both Chinese exchange
students, and both nineteen. Linda shares: There are five legal religions in China: Taoism,
Buddhism, Islam, Protestantism, and Chinese Catholicism. I have had people assume I am atheist
because I am Chinese. I am Protestant. Also, People think all we eat is rice and fish.
Samantha adds about her interactions with her classmates, They dont talk to me much, and I
see them talking to other people. Also, they say that we cant drive a lot. Or that we are all
smart. We arent all super smart. Just because the words are not said aloud does not mean that
the students are not affected. These problems are real, and they need to be addressed.

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Some of the major problems that the Chinese exchange students face are related to food,
religious stereotyping, acceptance by others, manners, and general classroom differences. Some
of the main stereotypes that were responded during the researchers poll were those of Chinese
people cant drive, Chinese people think they are better than us, Chinese people are only
good at math or science, Chinese people only eat rice, or All Chinese people are Atheists.
One poll voter even said, I never talk to them because they never seem to talk to me. Another
said, If they would take the time to learn English I might take the time to talk to them. This is a
very sad thing that this is an epidemic on college campuses today.
The social structure of Chinese exchange students communities seems exclusive to
nonmembers, but the group is often very welcoming once one takes the time to speak with them.
During research, hours upon hours of time was spent with the Chinese community on the
University of Kentucky campus. At first, the group seemed to keep up the stereotypical behavior
that was above outlined. However, the longer time went on the more the members of the
community opened up and were inclusive. Two members in particular showed more about their
system. Samantha and Linda, the two members who helped the most with the research, shared
that the most important thing in the Chinese, or Chinese-American, culture was respect. The
things that they never do is make another person loose face, or disrespect an elder member of the
community. The University puts on many functions for each demographic group on campus
(exchange students, ethnicities and races, religions, genders, et cetera). These, as well as small
private gatherings within the community itself, make up a large proportion of what the social
activities of the Chinese exchange student community does. They also engage in class, and
service opportunities. Much of the research information within this paper comes from interviews.

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The interviews done were conducted for an hour, and spent time exploring the problems
that are common to Chinese exchange students. The questions mainly covered food, religious
stereotyping, acceptance from others, manners and general classroom differences. Outside of the
questions asked during the interview, the research included spending a week with the
interviewees, and learning from them. They become more social and trusting towards the
researcher as one gets to know them. They showed more about the topic than did the articles, as
they are Chinese exchange students to the University of Kentucky, and live the life that this
research explores.
This research is not the only reference that supports the need to investigate the food and
nutritional information provided to Chinese exchange students. Universities and colleges are
potentially important targets for the promotion of healthy lifestyles of the adult population.
However, little is known concerning the body mass index (BMI) distribution and nutritional and
health related behavior of Chinese university students (Sakamaki, R., Toyama, K., Amamoto,
R., Chuan-Jun, L., & Shinfuku, N, 2005, p. 45). According to Linda, The portion size is too
much here.
Common Chinese diet does revolve around rice, rice noodles, egg or wheat noodles,
Chinese tea, bean curd or tofu, spring roll wrappers, Chinese sausages, bamboo shoots, dried
Chinese mushrooms, white radish, snow peas, soy bean sprouts, Gai Lan, Chinese eggplant, bok
choy, and various seasonings. This diet is, on average, healthy and nutritionally balanced. A
sudden change to American foods, where meats, starches, and sugary sodas are served in very
large amounts with few, if any, vegetables can cause rapid weight gain and also illnesses. Both
of the interviewees commented that it was quite difficult to adjust to American foods, and both
mentioned at some point in our time together that the portion size was very large for the type of

Common Problems of Chinese 5

food that was eaten. Samantha shared that she usually prefers to cook her own food than to eat
the food served here, although that in itself is problematic. It is sometimes difficult for her to find
her favorite ingredients here on campus.
Many of the polled students commented that, having lived in the United States all their
lives, they knew how much of the prepackaged or fast food that they could eat without
consuming an exponentially too-large amount of calories. Says one, I know that I cannot eat as
much food when I eat out as I do if I cook for myself or get food from home. There are a lot
more calories and fat in fast food, so you have to eat less. This is a fact that new exchange
students may not know. No one who is used to it ever really comments about it. They would
never know unless someone told them this. Many become ill or get unhealthy suddenly because
they never knew.
Religious stereotyping is another common occurrence in the Chinese exchange student
community. As stated above, there are five legal religions in China: Taoism, Buddhism, Islam,
Protestantism, and Chinese Catholicism. Taoism is a traditional Chinese religion that has existed
for centuries, as is Buddhism. Islam is another huge world religion. Protestantism and Chinese
Catholicism are perhaps the most surprising of the religions in China to people in the outside
word. Chinese Catholicism is distinct and independent of the Roman Catholic Church.
A common stereotype among students that were polled showed that they believed that the
majority, if not all, Chinese exchange students are atheists. Although there are naturally some
Chinese exchange students who are atheist, this is a totally ungrounded assumption. I was raised
a protestant, and I go to a protestant church nearby now that I am here in America. People think I
hate God, but I am just as Christian as any other person. Kyle, a member of the Chinese
community that was researched, shared.

Common Problems of Chinese 6

There is a common theme among the Chinese students reviewed and interviewed about
the level of acceptance felt from the general community at large. Lydia shares, You are the first
person to ever ask me to do anything with you. It makes me very happy that you want to spend
time with me. I have never had a classmate talk to me unless they had to for a project. No one
asks me to come to anything so I dont go to very many things. Nearly every community
member that was researched showed an interest in becoming friends with American students. It
was found that the American students that were interviewed said that they too wanted to be
friends with the Chinese exchange students, but did not know how. One poll answer was I feel
like they cant understand what I am saying, and I cant always understand them. So I dont talk
to them.
The language barrier is a large problem in the area of relationships forming among the
American student population and the Chinese exchange student community. Although the
Chinese students know Basic English, they are often not familiar with slang terms or activities
that American students participate in outside of classes. Americans often seem to forget this, or
to lose patience with the Chinese exchange students.
Dong, X., Leong, F. L., & Shoudong, F (2008) mention that the cultural differences
between Chinese students and their American counterparts is a leading cause for anxiety for said
students. It has been described by one of the polled students as thus: When I see a Chinese
exchange student, I get really nervous because I think that I cant talk to them or that they wont
understand me. I avoid them because I dont want it to be awkward. I dont want to make them
uncomfortable by them not understanding me or me not understanding them. It must be the
same, if not worse for the students being actively avoided.

Common Problems of Chinese 7

Manners are another large area of differences between Chinese culture and that of the
American culture. People here put business cards away really quickly and even throw them
away. This is really bad. [It brings] dishonor to the person [who gave the card]. Provides Linda.
Being on time [is considered rude]. Being at a party or dinner or meeting on time or early is bad
in China. It is good to be just a little late. Also, Here it is rude to allow someone else to buy
your food. In China it is rude not to let someone pay if they want to.
As she stated, much of Chinese cultural taboos are considered mainstream and normal,
even expected in America. Here people do not like if you slurp your soup or belch while eating.
In China, it means the food is good and is a way to thank the person providing the food.
Samantha shares. my roommate got me a yellow watch as a present when we moved in. It
was embarrassing. Yellow in China has sexual meanings and watches are like counting the time
until you die. It was uncomfortable, but here that is no problem. I understand now.
Many things that would never be thought of twice in American culture are uncomfortable
or rude to Chinese exchange students. That said, some things that Chinese exchange students are
accustomed to would be social taboo here. According to Huang, J., & Brown, K (2009); students
from the Peoples Republic of China revealed feeling uncomfortable in social and classroom
interactions in American schools.
Also stated in the research by Huang, J., & Brown, K. (2009), some areas that cause
problems for Chinese exchange students include student behavior, too much group work, lack of
lecture summaries, lack of general organization, the professors not teaching by referring to the
textbook, the common use of classroom discussion as opposed to lecturing, and that they share
few, if any, common interests with their American classmates.

Common Problems of Chinese 8

In American classrooms you talk to the professors in class and interrupt him with
questions. This is disrespectful in China. Samantha adds. The professors speak to fast for me to
understand and my classmates dont interact with me very much at all. Some of this is the
language barrier, but some of it is a combination of, in large lecture classes of hundreds of
students, the professor has no way of knowing that there are exchange students in the class. In all
classes, the professor has multiple students with multiple learning styles that he/she must instruct
and cannot alter his entire lesson plan for one student. In addition, the language classes must start
at a fairly low level. The Chinese exchange students must have a crash course in English all
during their college adjustment period, and be taking classes taught in advanced English at the
same time as the introductory courses.
During the past two decades there has been a significant growth in the number of nonnative speakers (NNS) of English pursuing academic studies in North American universities.
Statistics shows that students from the Peoples Republic of China are the largest single group,
and approximately 80% of them are graduate students (Canadian Bureau for International
Education, 2002; Institute of International Education, 2001). Generally, they have completed
their undergraduate education in China prior to commencing graduate studies in North American
universities. Chinese graduate students are from a very different cultural background. Their
learning experience in North American classrooms has important educational implications for
both university administrators and educators (Huang & Klinger, 2006). Academic learning, as
argued by Tweed and Lehman (2002), varies depending on the cultural context (Jinyan, H.,
2009, p. 335-336).
Chinese exchange students face many problems in the world today when they come to
America to continue their education. They face problems concerning food, acceptance from

Common Problems of Chinese 9

peers, religious stereotypes, manners, and classroom differences. Throughout the study, evidence
pointed over and over again to the role of peers to attempt camaraderie with their Chinese
counterparts. Although various barriers may be present, not exclusive to the language, but also
including manners, religious beliefs, stereotypes, food choices and under-education about
nutrition in the American university setting, classroom disturbances, and the ever-present
problem of understanding professors teaching styles and students learning styles that all
students, Chinese or not, have to face.
The main solution that seems to present itself falls to peer inclusiveness. The social and
classroom activities should be more inclusive, and yet we could all learn something from each
other. The structure and respect shown in the Chinese education system could be added to nearly
all education systems for the better. A blend of the two cultures may create the perfect balance of
harmonious coexisting of two people groups that become one on a college campus in central
Kentucky.

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References
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Yuming, L., & Yussen, S. (2005). A comparison of perceived control beliefs between Chinese
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Rienties, B., Hliot, Y., & Jindal-Snape, D. (2013). Understanding social learning
relations of international students in a large classroom using social network analysis.
Higher Education, 66(4), 489-504.
Dong, X., Leong, F. L., & Shoudong, F. (2008). Culture-specific personality correlates of
anxiety among Chinese and Caucasian college students. Asian Journal Of Social
Psychology, 11(2), 163-174.
Jinyan, H. (2009). What Happens When Two Cultures Meet in the Classroom?. Journal Of
Instructional Psychology, 36(4), 335-342.
Huang, J., & Brown, K. (2009). Cultural Factors Affecting Chinese ESL Students' Academic
Learning. Education, 129(4), 643-653.