Iowa Welcomes Chinese Students

In a February 14, 2012, China Daily article by Kelly Dawson, she wrote about how more Chinese students are traveling to Iowa for college.  Between 2002 and 2012, the Chinese student enrollment at Iowa State University increased from 72 to 1,212.  From 2005 to 2011, the number of Chinese students enrolled at the University of Iowa also increased, from 591 to 1,737.  The article states that '"The increase is primarily due to a combination of a growing Chinese middle class and the growing ability of families in China to afford to send students to the US, combined with the belief of Chinese families that students will get both a good education and a stronger proficiency in English."'  More Chinese are understanding the benefits of an American degree and are financially able to send their children to the United States for college.

Dawson continued on by stating that at the same time that more Chinese are coming to Iowa for higher education, more Americans are taking an interesting in studying the Chinese language and culture.  An example of this is the fact that China is becoming one of the most popular countries to travel to for students studying abroad at the University of Iowa.  Even though more Chinese and Americans here in Iowa are coming together, there is still a large number of students from both sides that prefer to surround themselves with friends from their own cultural background.  The article concluded by commenting that the universities are trying to help Chinese students become more accustomed to American culture and living in the United States through various programs and activities.

I found the information in this article very interesting, since I did not realize how many Chinese students have come to Iowa for their education.  It is difficult for me to understand how students from China end up picking colleges like the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, roughly six-seven thousand miles away from their homes.  It must be comical for these students to hear their fellow Iowan counterparts say they are "far" from home, since they typically only are a couple hours away.  Personally, I am three hours away from my family when I am at college.

Whenever I meet an international student at school, I ask them how they ended up in the Midwest.  Iowa is not the first place one imagines when "The United States of America" comes to mind.  States near the coasts, specifically New York, California, and Florida, are the ones that most people associate with this country.  A student last year from Germany said that the German history of the college is what drew her to come here.  Another student, a friend of mine in band, stated that her mom liked how one of the school's colors was orange.  She looked at the college's website, including pictures of the campus, and decided Iowa was where she was headed.  However, she was surprised to learn that the student body is less than 2,000 students, since she was hoping to attend a large university.  She has appreciated everything she has been able to accomplish while here, though, and she told me that she made the right decision.

I believe this article is important for people attending schools in Iowa, especially the University of Iowa and Iowa State University.  The student bodies at these universities are becoming more diverse with the enrollment of students from China and other countries around the world.  Many students in Iowa graduate from school districts where over ninety percent of the students are Caucasian/White.  It is when they attend college that they are exposed to people from a myriad of different backgrounds.  With the increasing number of international students, like the Chinese, coming to Iowa for college, American students need to be more cognizant of their fellow students' culture and ideas.  This increase in diversity can provide opportunities for both Americans and their international counterparts to learn from one another.

Jenny

Article - 
Dawson, K. C. (2012, February 14). Chinese students flock to Iowa. China Daily. Retrieved March 31, 2012 from http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2012-02/14/content_14606471.htm
China Map - http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/cn.htm
Iowa Map - http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/ia.htm

Related Article - 

• Heldt, D. (2011, December 8). Iowa universities see surge of Chinese students. The Gazette. Retrieved March 31, 2012, from http://thegazette.com/2011/12/08/iowa-universities-see-surge-of-chinese-students/