Wharton sophomore Eduardo Mayoral starts each morning by reading not The Daily Pennsylvanian or The New York Times, but El Tiempo, a Colombian newspaper, online.
Mayoral, like many international students at Penn, concerns himself daily with the political happenings in his native country as well as those in the United States.
These students, whether or not they consider themselves to be politically active, follow important news both online and through print resources and discuss it with their friends and families. However, according to Graduate and Professional Student Assembly vice chairman and Engineering Masters student Omar Khan, international students lack a formal forum to discuss world politics.
Mayoral, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Colombia, said he considers himself more politically active in his native country than in the U.S., though he has only ever voted here, because he knows more about Colombian politicians and parties and feels "closer to the issues" at home.
He added that he does not believe there is a direct relationship between the political news he follows at home and his life at Penn.
College freshman Maria Lamadrid said she does not consider herself to be politically active in either Mexico, her native country, or the U.S., where she also has citizenship.
She said her views of Mexican politics affect U.S. issues and vice versa.
"I'm affected by both," Lamadrid said, "but I wouldn't go out and do stuff about it."
Ernesto Del Valle, a Wharton freshman, said he considers himself very politically active and is most affected by issues that concern both Mexico and the U.S., such as immigration.
He described himself as "deeply related" to both countries, though he has only Mexican citizenship.
Lamadrid added that she is more affected by issues at home than in the U.S. For example, the current drug wars in Mexico have altered her social life at home, though not at Penn.
Del Valle said he tries to stay informed about issues concerning not only his home country and the U.S., but also all world news.
"Nowadays, you can't limit yourself to the country you live in or the country you come from because we live in such a diversified world," Del Valle said. "It's easy to get lost in Penn's bubble and not realize what is happening outside."
He said he tries to avoid political conversations with friends to circumvent awkward conversation and because of the delicate nature of the discussions.
Khan agreed, saying it is possible to foster conversation between domestic and international students by organizing meetings between interested students, though there is no formal group dedicated to the cause.
"In general I feel that people don't tend to discuss political issues, because they can be sensitive," Khan said.
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