‘Finding My Place: International Students and Race Relations in the United States’ seminar on Nov. 19

The Auburn University International Cultural Center, or ICC, in the Office of International Programs is hosting a seminar on Nov.19, from 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. via Zoom (Zoom ID: 85251859631) as a part of ICC’s Window to Your World seminar series. “Finding My Place: International Students and Race Relations in the United States” is free and open to Auburn faculty, staff and students as well as the general public. Participants will receive a voucher for a free Marco’s Pizza.

The seminar will be moderated by Molly Boudreaux, the Student Government Association’s assistant vice president of feedback and assessment, and will feature a lively discussion between domestic and international student leaders as they share their perspectives on the challenges that race and ethnic relations in the United States can bring and compare those challenges with situations in their home countries.

“The Window to Your World seminar series is important to internationalizing Auburn’s campus and educating the community on the historical context and current climate of different cultures around the globe,” said Adeola Fayemi, manager of the International Cultural Center. “The seminar is intended to help people break down stereotypes, build connections across cultures and cultivate productive discussions that lead to informed awareness and understanding.”

International students are typically discussed in the context of adding diversity to the U.S. higher education landscape. However, there are rarely substantive dialogues on how other facets of international students’ identities, including race and the dynamics of intersectionality, shape their perspectives and experiences as they navigate university campuses and American society. This seminar will increase understanding of how international students cope and achieve academic success through an American prism of race and ethnicity that may differ from their own understanding.

The seminar commemorates International Education Week, Nov. 16 – 20, a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education that celebrates the benefits of cultural and academic exchange programs around the world and seeks to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences.

For more information on the Office of International Programs and its diverse collection of international programming and events, click here.