Chinese students who choose to stay in the United States during the epidemic storm: a special "adult gift"
The virus spread in the United States, the school was closed due to the outbreak of the dormitory, but Xiong Kexin, who was studying for the first time across the ocean, decided to stay. In the next two days, she rented a house outside the school for the first time and moved alone 15 kilometers away from the school. The day after arriving at the new residence, Xiong Kexin officially entered the age of 18.
Xiong Kexin described himself as "a ant under the flood of the times", unable to change the status quo of society, but he can do his best to be alone. In an interview with the BBC Chinese, she said, "It (the epidemic) gave me the opportunity to hone myself. In the context of chaos, one can survive and adapt, while learning to control the mindset and stay calm."
There are about 400,000 Chinese students studying in the United States. When the epidemic in China eases and the virus spreads in the United States, some people choose to go back to the country to avoid the risks and reverse long-distance classes in the country. Classroom communication and cultural experience; more people stay to continue learning. The epidemic is still grim, and the summer of May is approaching, and those who remain will face more challenges.
Hard choice
Xiong Kexin returned to the United States from the Chinese hometown of Chongqing after the first day of the Chinese New Year. The epidemic subsequently spread in many cities in China. Chongqing borders Hubei, the hardest hit area, and her grandparents live in Hubei. She has been paying close attention to the domestic situation. When sporadic cases occur in the United States, although she feels that her premonition may spread, she feels that she can overcome the difficulties with good protection.But what I did not expect was that on March 16, Xiong Kexin received a notice from the school that he was affected by the epidemic and would close the student dormitory on the 22nd, asking all students to move out as soon as possible. At that time, New York State reported nearly 1,000 people infected with the new coronavirus, and there were three in New York University. A few days ago, US President Trump has declared that the country has entered a "state of emergency."
Even more unexpectedly, the next day, the school sent another email saying that the school dormitory may have to be changed to an emergency medical center in response to the overload of New York State Hospital, requiring students to move out the next day. This arrangement was later criticized by many students.
"It was a bit panic at first, after all, the time was too tight," Xiong Kexin said. According to her observation, most of the international students are in a state of panic and do not know what to do for a while. Many parents also care for their relatives and friends, staying up late to help their children find return air tickets, and some even petition the embassy to ask for help to solve accommodation problems.
Although the distance classes have already begun, Xiong Kexin's semester courses are tight, and they are 9 to 6 days a week. Some classes also require real-time answering questions to earn class participation points. In addition, in order to prevent the increase of imported cases abroad, China has drastically reduced international passenger flights. A journey that originally only took more than ten hours has now become dozens of hours, and multiple places are transferred, increasing the risk of infection on the way.
After comprehensive consideration, Xiong Kexin decided to stay.
The epidemic subsequently spread at a rapid rate in the United States. New York State has become the epicenter of the epidemic in the eastern United States, and the number of confirmed cases has skyrocketed.
Most elders may think that choosing health is the wisest decision in the face of academics and health. Xiong Kexin's grandparents in China have the same attitude. When they called, they could not control their emotions, crying and persuading her: "It would be nice if you came back. At least we can see you when we come back, and we have a heart in our heart."
Worrying the family is the most uncomfortable thing for Xiong Kexin. At the same time, the Chinese students around her have also returned to China one after another. But she still didn't shake the decision she left behind. In her view, academics and health are not zero-sum games, and there are ways to protect health in the face of epidemics.
Her mother, Nie Yi, who works as an education consultancy service, expressed support for her daughter's decision and said, "I have never thought of returning her to China from beginning to end. She told the BBC Chinese, "In the face of this global infectious disease, no place is pure land. Since it is encountered, it is necessary to take personal precautions and grow up in such risks is the most important."
The mother and daughter found several houses on the Internet together. Simply make a comparison and rule out a few serious outbreaks. "This is actually a good opportunity to practice my cooking skills," Xiong Kexin teased himself. A computer, a Kindle e-book, and a yoga mat can make her contentedly spend a week at home.
The hardships and growth of life
The mentality of the mother and daughter is not so optimistic, but also helpless. On March 29, the Civil Aviation Administration of China began to implement the "one company, one country, one line" policy, that is, an airline maintains only one route within a country, and each route cannot operate more than one flight per week. Back then to China has almost become a luxury. As the epidemic spreads globally, the risk of infection during the journey is also increasing. More than 30% of the population currently imported into China are foreign students.Xiong Kexin said that 7 of the 8 classmates, including himself, who had relatively close contacts, returned to China. According to her observations, the proportion of Chinese students studying in the United States who are freshmen and sophomores returned to China and stayed at roughly six to four, most of them returned. However, the proportion of junior and senior Chinese students who return to China and stay in China is forty-six, leaving most of them.
After eating a simple birthday cake prepared by his roommate and sister, Xiong Kexin settled down to start life in the 18-year-old epidemic area.
She spends most of her time online at home, reading books, watching movies, and chatting with her friends who are returning to China from time to time. Go to the supermarket downstairs about half a month. "He went out fully armed and hurried back madly after buying."
Goggles, gloves, masks, disinfectant, and alcohol cotton are her complete equipment. Sterilize door handles, shoe soles, clothing and all food after returning. Rice and dry goods were placed in an empty room for two days, and vegetables and fruits were placed in the refrigerator after 20 minutes. Throw the clothes into the washing machine and enter the bathroom to take a shower.
Mom's WeChat group
Although his mother Nie Yihui said that she was "normally worried" about her daughter's life in the epidemic area, she still paid attention to the dynamics of the other side of the ocean.She established a parent group on the social media WeChat with the same left-behind student parents, and also joined various groups related to foreign students. Including various local chambers of commerce in Chongqing, fellow associations, Chinese lawyers, doctors, and "there are five New York grocery shopping groups," she said like a family treasure. These groups quickly emerged after the outbreak.
"I think I have dug out all the Chinese in New York. There are a total of 1,450 Sichuanese and Chongqingnese in New York. I have learned about it," Nie Yihui said with a smile. She sent protective materials free of charge to many people. On the one hand, she hoped to help others through the difficulties. On the other hand, she also hoped that her daughter would be able to take care of anything.
This spirit of mutual assistance also made Xiong Kexin feel the power of collectivism in Chinese culture. On the other hand, the mother and daughter tried to give the Americans anti-epidemic materials, but they were mostly rejected, and told that they would solve it themselves, which allowed her to see the spirit of independence under Western individualism. The personal experience under the epidemic gave her a lesson on the differences between China and the West.
Chen Wen has a wide range of professional employment, and the industries that can be considered include design, Internet, advertising, media and so on. She said that most of the previous graduates have found satisfactory jobs at an earlier time, and so far this year, only two of the two or thirty people have received admission letters. In the past two months, Chen Wen has submitted resumes to about 10 companies every week, but only two have received responses.
Chen Wen said, "It's not too desperate yet" and will try again. She has set a deadline of half a year for herself. If she still can't enter the company she likes, she will choose one at will. "It feels difficult to come out with so much effort. It would be a waste of experience if you go back suddenly."
Li Zipeng, a junior student in biology at Saint Louis University in Missouri, was supposed to be doing experiments in the laboratory at this time, but after the laboratory was closed due to the epidemic, he could only take classes remotely and do written research at his residence outside the campus.
Li Zipeng told that he was applying for admission to the US medical doctorate and was lucky to complete the entrance exam before the institution closed. But it is uncertain whether the score can meet the application eligibility.
If he is not satisfied, he will wait like the many students who are forced to cancel the exam, waiting indefinitely for the next arrangement. In this case, Li Zipeng may have to stay in the United States for another year after graduating from senior year next year, and apply for school while working as an OPT. The pressure will be much greater.
Before the discovery of the new coronavirus, studying in the United States had been affected by factors such as restricting sensitive majors and tightening work visas. Under the impact of the epidemic, Chinese students continue to stumble on the way to pursue the "American Dream".
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