Will We Be the Last Generation of International Students?

发布时间：Date: 2020-06-19 返回新鲜资讯Back to News

In recent years, international students have been misunderstood and stigmatized in public discourse, labeled as "idle rich kids," blamed as "sophisticated egoists" during the pandemic, or groundlessly suspected in geopolitical contexts. Media outlets often sensationalize isolated negative cases or lavish lifestyles, fostering stereotypes that leave international students voiceless. Deep-rooted biases, fueled by information asymmetry, survivor bias, and resentment toward wealth, impose immense psychological pressure and identity crises. Facing internal and external challenges, many students and parents question the value of studying abroad and fear becoming the "last batch." However, CheersYou（清柚教育）believes that despite the harsh climate, the core value of studying abroad—broadening perspectives and building competencies—should not be negated by external noise. We must rationally confront biases, return to the essence of education, and reaffirm the long-term personal growth that overseas study brings, rather than being swept away by fleeting emotional labels.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic overseas, international students have been repeatedly thrust into the spotlight. And the repeated insinuations against them have finally sparked a new outcry from the community.

Once upon a time, international students were turned into monsters and demons.

Online, international students are painted as idle rich kids, the so-called "new wave" who know nothing of real struggles;

During the pandemic, they are accused of bringing the virus home, sophisticated egoists who disregard the bigger picture;

In TV and film, they are promiscuous or heartless, overgrown babies with no ability but plenty of arrogance;

In the eyes of foreign politicians, they are spies lying in wait, ready to steal state secrets.

Against this backdrop, many can't help asking, "Does studying abroad even matter anymore?"

Caught between internal misunderstanding and external threats, could we become the last generation of international students?

Who Is Demonizing International Students?

With the times, studying abroad is no longer a rarity. Yet this group still faces deep prejudice and misunderstanding.

Not long ago, at the Two Sessions, a proposal about resuming studies after returning home struck a raw nerve among international students. Taken out of context by media and netizens, the policy was distorted into: pandemic returnees will be sent directly to vocational colleges. Understandably, students voiced their frustration through self-deprecation or arguments.

But faced with their discontent, the public's response was: "Don't you know your own level?" "International students are so fragile." "A foreign degree is just like a domestic associate degree."

Rome wasn't built in a day, and international students have gradually become the voiceless in this era, turning into puppets for anyone to paint under the public gaze.

Demonizing international students is like a whack-a-mole game—endless. Some students themselves have even stopped bothering to defend.

Remember the 2012 shooting of two Chinese international students at USC? The media focused not on the tragedy of compatriots dying overseas, but on the BMW they drove, exploiting public envy of wealth for clicks.

Likewise, in 2014, when a Chinese student died in a car crash, the coverage highlighted the Ferrari, not the Mexican driver who caused it while under the influence.

Under such news, comments overflow with vitriol like "served them right"—attacks on the entire community.

And with misunderstandings about life abroad, female students have been brazenly labeled "loose" based on twisted facts.

What's more, news about international students is almost always negative—kidnappings, murders, rape, bizarre complaints. To grab attention, their private lives are put under a magnifying glass for public consumption.

The public watches international students the way they watch a star's fall from grace, eagerly awaiting the collapse of these overseas elites.

Thanks to survivor bias, international students have become public figures. Every weird or scandalous story becomes dinner-table gossip.

And so, misunderstandings deepen stealthily.

We've all heard the cliché: all international students are rich kids, their money obtained by shady means.

Meanwhile, films and TV shows add fuel to the fire. There are plenty of dramas featuring international students, but none that truly resonate with them.

Look at the characters in these productions.

There's the snobbish UK master's graduate in Ode to Joy and the wild-child rich girl Qu Xiaoxiao who attended a US diploma mill;

There's the Stanford student driving without a license in The Way We Were;

And there are the brainless overgrown babies and scheming girls in Daddy Abroad.

Some might ask, do these stereotypes really matter?

Indeed, the words of many are terrifying.

The demonized international students gradually become the very monsters people describe.

So when the vocational college policy broke, international students' pushback was almost a reflex. After years of misunderstanding, they had become birds startled by the mere twang of a bow.

Admittedly, among the huge number of international students, there are always a few bad apples. But those individuals were bad before they went abroad. No matter how many times a rumor is repeated, it never becomes truth.

Labeling an entire community as trash based on a problematic few is unfair. There are many outstanding international students, and most are ordinary people who just study hard. For them, studying abroad is simply about education—no privileges, no dramatic stories. Like all students, they've put in tremendous effort.

Will We Be the Last Generation of International Students?

Overseas, under America's swelling ambition, the ban on Chinese students has finally taken effect. Over 3,000 affected students face deportation. At home, international students have long lost their halo and instead face suspicion. What path lies ahead? No one may have a clear answer.

Yet every time people debate whether studying abroad is still worth it, the answer is always yes.

Although the pandemic has drastically shaken the study-abroad market in the short term, in the long run the benefits far outweigh the risks.

Studying abroad is not just about learning; it's your chance to know the world. Attending a top-tier university abroad offers not only elite educational resources but also the opportunity to immerse in an excellent environment and connect with outstanding people.

Since the first Chinese student Yung Wing went to the US in 1847, Chinese international students have a history of over 150 years. From pioneering scientists like Qian Xuesen to literary figures like Hu Shi, their stories of striving in foreign lands showcase the strength of Chinese students. Generation after generation, they have become pillars of progress.

But in recent years, as the study-abroad market expanded unchecked, society failed to take responsibility for properly integrating this massive influx. Though over 500,000 overseas graduates return each year and contribute in various sectors, they still lack a voice amid pervasive prejudice.

A speck of dust from the times, when it falls on every international student's shoulder, is a weight too heavy to bear.

But students will continue to choose to study abroad, generation after generation. Because it allows us to better understand the world and ourselves. And we are most certainly not the last generation of international students.

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