“Supporting International Students and Staff In The Midst of Multiple Pandemics” Rakhi Sen, Ph.D, Texas Woman’s University and Qianhui Zhang, Ph.D., Northwestern University

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the health and wellbeing of the US populace, caused major economic upheaval, and disrupted relational bonds in society at an unprecedented level. At the same time, the “pandemic” of systemic racism toward BIPOC populations in the US has been further highlighted by the widespread protests against Anti-Blackness racism that originated in the reactions against police brutality and overreach against Black bodies. International students have experienced pronounced and protracted impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have faced exhaustion and disempowerment due to threats to their health and safety, uncertainty about their current and future prospects, and xenophobia at personal, social and legislative levels. At the same time, international students have demonstrated incredible resilience and strength as they have navigated the challenges that come with finding their way in unfamiliar academic, social-political, and cultural contexts. In addition, given the current Black Lives Matter movements, international
students have the opportunity to better understand their experience with race and racism, and gain access to their power to affect positive change by becoming actively involved in civil and global action towards equality and justice. In this roundtable discussion, we hope to examine the influences that lead to the disempowerment of international students, as well as the external and internal barriers toward their empowerment as agents of social change. The facilitators hope to create a space for mental health professionals across campuses to come together and share their observations, reflections, and success stories about 1) how to support international students in cultivating effective coping and resilience in the midst of identified challenges; and 2) how to support international students in their journey towards deeper understanding of the systems that oppress, examining their roles within those systems, and accessing their power towards dismantling the oppression for all people.

Direct Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 991 1572 8373
Password: DHM20