International Students Should Appreciate, Not Denigrate, the United States (2024)

Editor's note: This piece was co-authored by Kendyl Turner.

Currently, there are approximately one million international students attending colleges and universities in the United States. Generally, most of these students come to the United States because the American system of higher education remains the envy of the world.

However, it also should be noted that a large portion of international students trek to the United States because they have decided their home country cannot offer them the same opportunities that exist in America.

In 1996, 55 percent of international students intended to remain in the Unites States after graduation in order to pursue careers in the United States whereas 36 percent intended to return home.

Over the years, the portion of international students intending to stay in the United States has skyrocketed to more than 73 percent, while less that 18 percent intend to return to their home country.

Despite the ample opportunities for education and career development that the United States affords international students, we’ve noticed a troubling trend among my international student colleagues, especially regarding how they view U.S. politics, culture, and society at large.

For example, here is a recent comment from an international student concerning the fundamental difference between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump: “We see your politics from the outside; we can easily note the virtue of Biden and stupidity of Trump. … We internationals can see clearly while you and most Americans are blinded by bias.”

Interestingly, this student ignored the different policy positions between these two leaders and instead chose to focus solely on the subjective notion that Biden is virtuous and Trump is stupid. Yet, that is par for the course these days. In fact, in our experience, the vast majority of international students belittle America much more than they complement the nation that has opened its doors to them so that they can live a better life.

So, if most or even a significant portion of international students believe the United States is so bad, why in the world would they come here to study?

Generally, most of my international student colleagues say their home country lacks the opportunities that exist here. Ironically, they cite the American dream as the reason for coming to our nation while simultaneously trashing the land of opportunity.

We believe the primary reason that international students tend to hold negative opinions about the United States is because they have been brainwashed by leftist professors and teachers, both at foreign and domestic educational institutions.

In recent decades, American academia has become dominated by leftist ideology. As numerous polls show, the number of professors who identity as liberal, progressive, or socialist far outweighs the number who self-identify on the right side of the ideological spectrum. It does not require a huge leap in logic to connect the dots and see that the sheer dominance of leftist professors, especially in the humanities, is resulting in international students being miseducated about the values and principles of the United States.

So, how can we solve this problem? How can we ensure that international students gain an accurate understanding of the Constitution, American history, and the U.S. political system in general?

One possible solution is to create a comprehensive, non-biased political education program for foreign students that includes the history, structure, and various complexities of the American political system. The course could be required for all foreign students attending colleges, and federal or state law could demand that students pass parts or call of the course before being allowed to enroll in a U.S. college.

Currently, the only exposure international students have to American government and history are high school- and college-level classes hosted in foreign countries and college history courses in the United States that are required to receive a degree. Of course, most of those U.S. courses lean politically to the left. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, since a strong majority of history professors are registered Democrats.

Another helpful policy solution would be to require international students to enroll in civic engagement programs while attending college in America. While their time at college is crucial for their education, they must also be encouraged to participate in community service, local political panels or debates, internships, and other service opportunities to help broaden their perspectives and better understand our nation.

America is a proud melting pot of all cultures. We believe we should welcome all students who desire to support and defend American ideals.

But although American principles fundamentally value views and perspectives from all cultures and standpoints, foreign students should be required to understand American politics and history before being allowed to come to the United States to take advantage of our educational opportunities.

Kendyl Turner is a fellow at the American Journey Experience and a policy advisor for The Heartland Institute. Chris Talgo is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.