Addressing misconceptions about our university's international population

Two videos were recently developed by a Waterloo staff member, Chérisse Mike, as a voluntary initiative.  As Chérisse explains,

With an ever increasing international population, more and more students are coming into contact with others who are culturally different from them. [These] videos debunk common misconceptions and stereotypes about some minorities which are represented on the UW campus. The audience can see common scenarios that may help them better interact with minorities.

Financial support was provided by Waterloo International through the University of Waterloo’s pilot project: The Internationalization Fund. Chérisse herself is from Trinidad and Tobago. All of the students in the Caribbean video are from the Association of Caribbean Students (UW ACS) and/or the Black Association for Student Expression (UW BASE). The students in the African video are from the African Student Association (UW ASA) and the Black Association for Student Expression (UW BASE).

The University of Waterloo is home to a diverse community of students and includes a multitude of international students.  The differences among them are often overlooked and misunderstood. These videos address common misconceptions about students from the Caribbean and Africa. The students who participated highlight, in their own words, what makes them unique. They’re definitely not all the same! 

Please enjoy the videos