Li Wei is a Chinese international student who is currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin Lacrosse (UWL).

   Li Wei expressed that he was one of the few Chinese students who would be willing to participate in the interview. He said that, “Chinese students here are shy and only talk with Chinese students.” Li Wei said that many Chinese students at UWL have failed to adapt to the English learning environment because they stay close to their Chinese friends.

   Li Wei on the other hand has been learning English for six years, and mainly struggles conversationally. He also struggled with group work. Li Wei found students very helpful and were interested in his opinions, but he struggled expressing ideas.
Li Wei has had mixed impressions of his interactions with American students. He has found some of the students warm and welcoming where as some are just not interested in communicating with him. “Sometimes you have to make the first step,” he said. Li Wei said that many international students are very shy and he said that not trying to build friendships with American’s affects your college experience. Li Wei also suggested that American students should also try to communicate more with international students to help break the shyness cycle.

   He personally has made most American friends in his department. Li Wei said that this helped his English improve greatly. He said many of his Chinese friends, “don’t see it as important to make American friends.” He said this is due to the fact there is such a large Chinese community at UWL

   Li Wei said he has not suffered personally from any forms of discrimination. “There are nice people in the United States,” he said. Li Wei said he has suffered more from isolation and inclusion, and he feels that many American students just don’t want to communicate with him. 

   Li Wei says that that UWL and specifically his major’s department has been very helpful and has treated him as equally as the American students. “You need to ask for help though,” he said, “as long as I ask for help I get it.” He believes many of his fellow international students fail to ask for help when they need too, and their education suffers as a result.

   Li Wei would like to stay in United States and get a job here. He said that you have to get a job within three months of graduating. You then can get a H1B that allows you to work in the United States for three years. “There is a lottery and there is a 45 percent chance you will get it,” he said, “and if you can’t it you can’t go back home to visit.” Li Wei said that this is why he has negative feelings towards the immigration process in the United States. Li Wei expressed that he hopes that this will change in the future.