One student explained her silence in class by saying, “I don’t really have much to say. The American kids have had a lot of really interesting experiences. Lots of them have been to Europe and stuff.” Significantly, this student uses the term American to refer only to white students. Although she was born in the United States, she clearly has internalized the idea that she is not fully American in the same way most of her classmates are. (p. 78, Lee)

I am an absolute foreigner in the U.S. I was surprised when I read in the text that Asian-American internalize the foreigner stereotype, even though they try to resist it. From my perspective, a foreigner’s perspective, before I came here, I typically regard the white as real Americans. That is because I did not know much (now still not enough) about America. So I am surprised to know that some Asian-American who were born here or grow up here share the same perception. As a foreigner, sometimes I cannot find appropriate words to express my feelings and opinions; sometimes I can hardly relate what I learn or read to my past experience, because most of what I experience in China are opposite to what I learn in U.S. In my eyes, I admire Chinese-American because they do not have language barriers and culture barriers. However, it seems that they have difficulty in fitting into the “mainstream”. Through my observation, learning and living experience in New York (I have been to America for almost a year), I realized that the U.S. is not what I read about or heard about before I came here—a nation where everyone enjoys equal opportunities and resources. There are marginalized ethnic groups struggling for better lives. I am glad that I get to know the reality and I appreciate that professors open such conversations to let me have access to the real situations in society. For educators, it is helpful to know what students have gone through so that teachers can better understand students and help them realize their dreams.