International students at the University of Idaho shared their experiences at a VOICES support group meeting Tuesday in the Idaho Commons.
The goal of the meeting was to create a space for students to talk about how they are impacted by recent social and political events in the U.S., said Greg Lambeth, director of the Counseling and Testing Center (CTC).
“I don’t feel like I personally have a particular goal or direction in mind as to what exactly we accomplish here today, but I think something that we’ve already accomplished is that we’re all here right now,” Lambeth said.
Any student, staff or faculty member was welcome at the event, but the only attendees were from Adeyinka Kayode-Popoola’s English class as part of their American language and culture program. She said this was their listening and speaking class period.
“I felt like bringing our two classes around and this would be great for them to practice their listening and speaking and have conversations,” Kayode-Popoola said.
The group established ground rules, with CTC psychologist Karla Blanco leading the charge. Blanco said a rule for her was that everyone must be respected. One student suggested freedom of expression to be a rule, and another said everyone ought to be honest.
Finally, the group established a rule of confidentiality — something Kayode-Popoola said she mandates in her class.
Abdulaziz Algami said his experience in Moscow has been both positive and negative.
“When I was in California, the people over there, they are more friendly than here. So different,” Algami said.
He said he stayed in California for six months after moving from Saudi Arabia and was able to find translations in his daily business, something he can’t find in Moscow.
Others at the panel said the city was boring, often taking trips to Seattle, Portland or Spokane to find more diversity.
Kayode-Popoola said she’s lived in Moscow seven years and likes the town, but said she has been singled out when traveling. She was at the Pullman-Moscow airport with several other colleagues when she was the only one selected for a pat down. After standing still a moment, she said one of the people working there told their co-worker that Kayode-Popoola didn’t understand English.
One of her colleagues quickly informed them that she was in fact an English teacher.
“So, to save face the next person in line was an American, so she pats them down,” Kayode-Popoola said. “This was something I’d never experienced in Seattle, even Spokane, Portland. But I don’t know, I think it was because of the small community.”
She said recently things have become more difficult for international students, especially when finding jobs. She said she recently travelled with the National Society of Black Engineers and that many candidates made it to the final stage of a job interview when asked if they had a green card.
Nobody without one was hired.
As far as the current political climate in the U.S., Algari didn’t seem phased.
“I like Trump,” Algari said.
He said President Donald Trump was serious and his goal was clear. Algari said Trump would organize immigration and improve the American economy. He said Trump’s rhetoric and actions were not harmful to “everyday Muslims.”
“You can read between the lines sometimes. He is president of America, the face of the world. He doesn’t need to explain every word to everyone,” Algari said. “But when the ban came, just seven countries of 25 countries from Arabia and Muslims they banned. But the other countries, it didn’t affect them.”
He said Americans have been supportive of him and his family. He said his brother called him recently and told him to be careful in the U.S.
“‘Are you crazy?’” Algari said. “You have to see the American people dealing with us. They are very kind. Don’t believe anything you see in social media.”
Jack Olson can be reached at [email protected]