International students comprise about 8 percent of our student body. I attended an international high school, but as an American, I'm still part of the 92 percent. As such, I quickly accepted that I would forever butcher any language besides English and gave up hope of finding other Swiss-Americans to help form a chocolate appreciation club.
That said, I've always wondered what the international experience for those who didn't grow up on mac 'n cheese and Sesame Street is like at Dartmouth.
Carlo Pizzinelli '12, originally from Milan, attended two years of boarding school at the United World College in New Mexico. Although he identifies as an international student, he said he's always felt completely part of the College community.
"I feel different, but not in a bad way," Pizzinelli said. "For a lot of international students, since they don't have a home in the U.S., Dartmouth becomes more of a home to them than to a lot of American students."
Vice president of the International Students Association Kiko Lam '14 said that the organization's close-knit community helped her transition to Dartmouth.
"When I first got here I was overwhelmed by the American culture and didn't understand a lot of the jokes people made, or what TV shows they were talking about," Lam said.
Originally from Hong Kong, Lam said she identifies ISA as her "social niche" on campus and noted that self-segregation of members of the international community does indeed exist.
"There are a small group of international students who don't involve themselves in many extracurriculars and who are mostly only friends with each other," Lam said. "It's not intentional, it just feels most natural to them."
Co-president of ISA Richard Waitumbi '13 agreed, adding that self segregation specifically occurs among many African and Asian students. Originally from Kenya, Waitumbi said that he has found "a great balance" between American and international friends, but that he strongly associates with African students on campus.
Shan Shan He '12, who was born in the United States but grew up in Hong Kong, feels that social divides among students tend to fall along racial, rather than national, lines.
"The international Asian students hang out more with Asian-Americans than non-Asian Americans on campus," she said. "There are definitely a few cultural or racial groups who hang out mostly with each other."
Both He and Pizzinelli noted that they have become "more American" since coming to Dartmouth, but they are proud to be from different countries and have even felt "celebrated" at Dartmouth for their differences.
"Being international doesn't force any type of tie between students," he said. "There are some first generation American students who feel most comfortable with international students, or Americans who have traveled a lot who feel the same way."
All students interviewed resoundingly expressed contentment with their international identity.
"I feel great about being an international student," Waitumbi said. "It makes me feel unique."