I know that there are somewhere around 5,000 Chinese at U of I, but I’m wondering how many Chinese-American students there are. Do Chinese ESL students usually just stick to themselves?
there are tons of Chinese people who go to UIUC. There is most definitely Chinese Americans who hang out with Chinese internationals.
In my opinion as a Chinese American who will be attending UIUC next fall, I don’t see why I would limit myself to just Chinese American friends. I would want to have all types of friends no matter where they are from or what race.
Sorry, I might have given off the wrong impression. I’m Chinese American and speak Chinese fairly well, but I don’t limit myself to friends who are solely Asian. I’m asking more because I want to know how well the Chinese students from abroad adjust to life in America. I’ve read articles, etc. but it’s more useful to hear it from people at U of I.
I am a current Out of State student from California who is attending U of I. I noticed that a lot of Chinese international students would generally hang out together. You could see a lot of them hang out together eating lunch, playing basketball and living in the same dorm generally (Illini Tower).
Interested in the thread, but do not have any UIUC-specific comment. I imagine it is similar to other situations. If there is a language barrier, then you may not see much interaction. My daughter is a Chinese adoptee, and speaks Mandarin well. She still hangs out with American/US kids for the most part because she is not fluent.
OP, in your estimation, do you think most Chinese Americans speak Chinese fluently? Or that Chinese Internationals speak English fluently? Maybe I’m wrong, but I would say ‘no’ to both. Many, yes. Most, no.