Khoa Vu is from Vietnam, and he is a junior at the University of Minnesota, and is majoring in Economics and Math.

   Khoa is president of the Minnesota International Students Association (MISA) at the University of Minnesota, and helps the international student population, which makes up 10 percent of the college’s population. MISA helps international students with the transition process into the college.  They hosts events, “so that people can come together and get them out of their comfort zone,” Khoa said, “and through that process we make them more comfortable interacting with the whole campus. And make them more confident and successful with themselves.”

   Before Khoa attended the University of Minnesota, he spent his senior year of high school in Colorado so he could improve his English and prepare him for life in the United States. “Even with the language preparation, first year I came here I struggled and couldn’t talk with anyone,” Khoa said. He credits him joining MISA changed his experience at the University of Minnesota.



   “College is getting more affordable so more international students are coming to the U.S,” Khoa said. He estimated that about half of the international students at the school come unprepared in terms of their knowledge of English. “They really struggle,” he said.



   Khoa said that the main difference between international students and American students’ experiences when adjusting to college are foreign students have to overcome the language barrier. “We are very similar in figuring out stuff when we first come to college,” Khoa said. He also credits language barrier issues to being the reason why many American and international students don’t interact. Khoa said that many international students don’t form friendships on campus because they are too difficult to overcome, so they don’t usual communicate with American’s their first year. “You know as a human being we need to talk,” Khoa said, “they get depressed very easily because they can’t.” The social interaction that international students who join MISA get helps improve the communication and social skills, and helps them adjust to campus life.



   Sadly international students are a minority and only make up ten percent of the University of Minnesota campus. In 2012 the campus created a new Facebook site where extremely racist memes were posted that targeted African-Americans, members of the LGBT community, and also international students, mainly Asian students who make up a significant portion of the international student body. “It was a huge things and it was completely racist and we wanted something done about it,” Khoa said, “the president refused to take any action,” As a response Khoa and MISA created workshops to inform University of Minnesota students about international students. “We are trying to improve relations and it is happening,” Khoa said.