As a Chinese to English dictionary sits on her bed in New Hall, Lauren Howton, a sophomore majoring in history, uses it to break the language barrier between herself and her Chinese roommate Juno Xia, a freshman in the English language institute who is majoring in finance.
Because UA being a melting pot of cultures, international students share on-campus housing with those of American decent.
While some may think this could be a complicated living situation, Howton and Xia see it as an opportunity to learn more about another person’s culture.
Alicia Browne, associate director for information and communication in housing, said there is much to learn from these types of relationships.
“Just as with any situation in college, it is what you make of it, and the experience is very beneficial for those who may want to study abroad or ultimately work abroad,” Browne said.
There are several hundred international students who stay in on-campus housing, including those that may just come for a few weeks with UA’s English Language Institute.
“Sometimes this may create a problem when a student comes to ELI in the middle of the year, in maybe September, while the other student has already settled into their dorm space,” Browne said.
The ELI is one example of how differences between the lives of some international students and the lives of U.S. citizen students have become pronounced. Another is the need to overcome a language barrier.
“While many students do speak the language very well, it is hard for some students and they have to find creative ways to communicate,” Browne said.
She said one English-speaking student moved into her room and knew that her roommate would be moving in later, and that she spoke Japanese.
“The girl wanted to leave a note to tell her roommate where she had gone, and what was going on in the apartment, so she decided to draw a picture,” Browne said. “I thought this was a very clever way to communicate.”
She said there is an international living learning community in Rose Towers that started more than two years ago, and it is on two floors.
“As one may imagine, not every international student gets a great perception when they get here, and that was an issue we wanted to improve,” Browne said. “The students on these floors are those students that want to get a cultural experience from having an international roommate.”
Although Xia and Howton have to translate many things, they also get to learn about each other’s culture, ranging from things such as food, traditions and fashion.
“[Xia] makes Chinese dishes often,” Howton said. “Although their food is different, it is interesting to learn about the culture.”
Xia said the American food served in China is different from the food here, and it would take some getting used to.
“[Xia] gave me a present that they use for a bracelet and a hair tie, and I taught her about silly bands,” Howton said. “It was fun to trade fashion.”
They talked about everything from Ugg boots, to American food such as Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut.
Howton said learning about different cultures is very important to her because of the importance of international relations and learning about others.
“I learn a lot about American culture from my roommate,” Xia said. “I love my roommate. She has been so helpful.”
