Global Perspectives Get candid with CSULB international students

In the wake of the 2016 presidential elections, international applicants to American universities declined after nearly a decade of robust growth. Acording to the San Francisco Chronicle, applicants from Mexico dropped by 30 percent and 10 percent in predominantly Muslim countries. However, from the voices of two graduates and two more from CSULB American Language Institute, it is apparent that, while discrimination was a concern, their desire to broaden horizons at The Beach goes beyond politics.

*The following profiles have been condensed, for full profiles, visit 22westmedia.com*

When 27-year-old Jaeho Won left South Korea, he was hoping to leave his old life behind as a mechanical engineer and start fresh by studying his true passion, business. A self-described “street smart” person, Won had no trouble making friends from various cultures.

However, while he admired the sociability of many of the Americans he met, however, he found their connections superficial. Despite his efforts to make new friends, he admits to feeling emotional and lonely.

“Sometimes at night after a party, I get sad,” said Won. “I wonder if my friends like me.” Nevertheless, there are many aspects of American culture that Won admires in particular, the strong sense of individuality and respect towards others. In fact, Won’s ultimate desire is to become a permanent resident and open a business in Korea Town. But first, he wants to assimilate fully into American culture.

“I’m a very ambitious person,” Won said. “I wanna be a native English speaker, even in the way I think.” Jay:

Au-Yeung is a Public Relations and Marketing major at Hong Kong Baptist University. He tells most people that he came to the U.S. to perfect his English, but, really, he wanted to follow the footsteps of his idol, California-born movie star, Daniel Wu.

“It may sound superficial, but I want to experience the same living situation as my hero,” said Au-Yeung. “I like his acting, of course, but he is also very handsome and he has a good personality.”

When he first came to the United States, Au-Yeung was worried about being an outsider. After all, he was the only student from Hong Kong in his English program. A natural optimist, however, Au-Yeung welcomed the idea of being forced outside his comfort zone.

Despite having only four weeks in Long Beach, Au-Yeung feels that he made the most of every second. Au-Yeung has no trouble chatting up strangers, and he feels like he made plenty of life-long connections during his time here. He takes comfort in the fact that he has friends that will be waiting for him during his inevitable return. Adrian: