All of the sudden, there is increased dialogue about the lack of minorities in study abroad programs across the nation. While many are taken aback by what the numbers say, history tells us this isn’t a new phenomenon.
Whereas minority students represent 32.3 percent of undergraduate students across the nation, they represent only 17.5 percent of students who study abroad. And of that small percentage, black students represent the smallest fraction at a mere 4.2 percent.
I really hope no one is shocked at these numbers. To be shocked would mean that we find the lackluster number of minorities in study abroad programs somehow out of the ordinary — something we weren’t expecting. But these statistics aren’t new. Rather, they are part of a long-standing historical problem that minorities have faced.
Many of these statistics go as far back as the mid-1990s. It just so happens that now, over a decade later, these numbers don’t reflect the amazing growth of minorities in higher education. Point blank: The lack of minority students boarding international flights is not a new phenomenon. The real marvel is that all of a sudden we’re taking notice.
For a multitude of reasons, minority students are reluctant to go abroad for school. And now that there’s some attention, much of this disinclination is attributed to the oft used explanations: lack of funding and fearful transitional periods. Naturally, I don’t buy it.
Our conventional explanations for the lack in participation clearly aren’t the only reasons. I particularly think there’s something else to consider. More times than not, minority students don’t even know that studying abroad is possible. Forget about the money problems and fear of cultural transition. The problem goes beyond class issues.
Estimates show a growth in study abroad students from 90,000 to 220,000 since 1995, the majority of whom are white. White students now make up 83 percent of those who study abroad. On the flip side, numbers for minorities are stagnant and have remained that way for more than a decade.
As international knowledge becomes more and more important, people are beginning to realize just how bad these numbers look on paper.
Finances, graduation dates and cultural discomfort are important. But from my own experience, studying abroad is an idea that must be fostered either from the support of one’s family, the realization of one’s own personal goals or (and here’s the kicker) strong support from one’s own university.
