​International Empathy

Javier Ollin Lopez-Galavitz

 

 

Javier is a 18 year old freshman at Purdue University studying professional flight. You can usually find him studying in his dorm with friends, and in his free time you will find him playing soccer. He is your typical student with the exception of one thing. He is an international student from Mexico. We sat down with Javier to find out what he had to say about his transition.

 

• Home Country:

  Mexico City, Mexico

• Native Language:

  Spanish

• Other Languages spoken:

  English

• Major:

  Professional Flight

• Living Arrangements:

  Owen Dorms

• Is this your first time in America?

  This is not my first time in America. I have visited before. This is my first time living in America.

• What made you choose to come to school in America?

  It was far from home, I liked it, and it was the best aviation program.

• What was your home life like compared to what you've seen to life in America?

  We don't have as much compared to people here. We don't have much money. You have to work a lot to get food.

• What was the hardest part of leaving home?

  I left my life there. I left my family and friends. I left my home country.

• What has been the biggest shock to you in this transition to college in America?

  Language was the biggest shock. I am not very good at writing or reading in English. I'm not very fast.

• How do you think the experience of going to college is affected by attending university in a new country?

  Here, people expect you to be like them, to have the stuff they have and because we are from another country, we don't have the things they have.

• Give us your definition of empathy.

  Being able to understand how people feel.

• What is your view of empathy at Purdue.

  They try to help you but because I am international, I don't have the same things you do so I have struggled adjusting to the system.

• What programs have helped you transition into college?

  Boiler Gold Rush helped me meet people and those people helped me adjust. Tech 120 helped me with writing in English.

• What so you wish Americans understood about your perception of things?

  They have to understand that not saying goodbye, hello, good morning, and stuff like that is viewed as disrespectful. If a guy is not a gentlemen, Then I do not like them.

• What would you like share about your background?

  Mexicans are not the way they are depicted. People view them as work force but if you get to know us we are really nice, intelligent, and creative with stuff. 

• When you were making your decision to come to America, where did you see yourself after graduation?

  I want to be a bush pilot in Africa.

• How often will you get to go back home?

  I will not get to go home until graduation because it is too expensive.

• Has meeting people with a similar culture and background helped with the transition? Has been it helped with being away from home?

  Yes it's helped that knowing someone was in the same position as me it wasn't as lonely.

• Is it easier to make friends with people of you own culture than it is to make friends with Americans?

  Yes, because people of my culture, when you talk, you really get involved and really get to know them. You remember them and they remember you. It's much more personal.

• Do you think you will stay in America after gradation?

  No. I want to go back home.

• What was your view of America before you came? Americans?

  I thought America was America. I thought from my visits that they were more polite and also everything looked the same. There was not much variety. Americans were nice, polite, the teenagers were crazy.

• How did your view change since getting here?

  Everything is standard but they are more polite.

 

Javier is adjusting well to college in America. He is having some trouble here or there but he is getting through it with the help of his friends. He points out some really good points about how students here can improve their empathy towards international students. We have to realize we grew up differently. We have to be more patient with them speaking our language and we have to understand they might not have had the same things as us.