In the first issue of the Journal of International Students, published in 2018, a study by Wendy Yan and Linda Pei reveals that:
"Compared to their American peers, international students are more likely to become alienated, stressed out, or even depressed. Even many of their European peers who are predominantly White find it easier to fit into American society, while Latin American and Asian international students have higher levels of stress adapting to American culture."
This report served as the foundation and theme of what I desired to tackle in this photography project completed early Feb 2020.
I focused on themes of alienation, academic pressure, hope; there is a lot you can dissect in each of these photographs. For the process: I pulled a few all nighters at the library, approaching individuals, confirming their status, interviewed them regarding their background, etc. I ended up not including most of that information (especially their country of origin) due to my sincere belief, imo as a bipoc, that labelling these students by their country actually contributes to the micro aggression international students face.
