To Michael Agger, cultural editor at the New Yorker
Good afternoon,
My name is Lylia and I’m a freelance journalist for Baruch College Magazine. I have written a story bouncing back on Deborah Treisman’s article on culture clashes, and I believe it would be a good fit for your publication.
In recent months, international students in the United States have been targeted by the Trump administration on a more frequent basis than usual:
- In May and for most of his term, president Trump has tried to restrict the Optional Practical Training (OPT) granted to International students, claiming that jobs should be made available for American first.
- In summer, they were asked to leave the country if classes were held online — an order which was reversed due to the high reaction of universities.
- More recently the Trump’s administration proposed a new regulation on F1 students visa, mandating two and four year expiration period. If approved the order would become the biggest change to international student regulations in almost 20 years.
Despite constant reminders that they are not welcome here and that American come first, more than one million international students are currently enrolled in American universities. My piece is an attempt to understand how these international students feel about studying in the USA in such a tensed climate and how their identity is challenged. (i.e. Do I feel more attached to home or the USA? Am I American or a foreigner? Etc.)
If you have any questions about the piece feel free to reach out. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Lylia