Some WT students believe daily news and social media portray a bad image of the United States for local international students.

Modern day media often showcase public opinion. News channels have created segments where they show their fans’ tweets and Facebook posts. Most of the backlash is created in comment sections where people with opposing views on a subject cause conflict. Some WT students have said the information is predominately negative or presented in a negative manner, thus creating a bad image.

“I think they see a lot of Donald Trump’s theatrics and issues with racism, as well as confederate flag issues and the Black Lives Matter movement,” Jonathan Roldan, a Sports and Exercise Science major at WT, said. “I personally don’t want to be put in categories with certain ideas but the media portrays their information in a ‘for-or-against’ manner and I think international students may view us the same as a consequence without realizing that some people fall in the middle.”

Yoselin Rueda, a Sports and Exercise Science major at WT, believes international students worry about these issues because they are sometimes from the place where the news originates from, causing more stress on themselves and their families. People from around the world watch international news but it is even more important to a foreigner because they are in a different country.

“I would if I was them. They’re here for opportunity and the next potential president wants to kick them out,” Rueda said. “I think their families worry about it too, [that maybe] their kid is in an unwelcoming environment.”

International students often have social media accounts, so they pick up on humor behind politics and issues because of how the public feels about it. Valeria Rodriguez, a Biology Major at WT, said she has a friend from Denmark who posted a meme about Donald Trump on Facebook. The meme had a picture of Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers Film series air quoting with the caption, “If I had a billion dollars I’d be ‘running’ for president too.”

Valeria Rodriguez suggest that as a part of living in the same community with international students, it is Americans’ responsibility to make them feel welcomed and show that the media is not accurately portraying public opinion.

“We need to be more kind and offer assistance when needed. We should be inclusive because we represent the nation to these students,” she said.