International Students

James Sitati (00) and Jacob Sitati (01)
Nairobi, Kenya.

     Brothers James and Jacob Sitati came to Hope from Nairobi, Kenya. Through their time at Hope, they have each been gaining an education within an education, learning not only the lessons of classroom life, but also to understand the American way of life, and their own lives in the cultural context of America.

James, a senior, is studying pre-med and engineering, and Jacob, a junior, is apolitical science and economics double major. James hopes to go on to med school or graduate school for engineering, and Jacob plans to go to law school and work in international relations.

Both brother, who are among some 61 international students studying at Hope, say that adjusting to American culture, and approaching stereotypes about their African culture, has been an ongoing process for them. They grew up in the city, speaking English and watching American television. The media, they say, set them up for a very different and stereotyped America they have not yet seen.

“You have to look beyond the stereotypes once you get here,” James says. “You have to see what’s really real.” Likewise, he says, they’ve found a stereotyped portrayal of African culture in television, movies and news here. “People in the U.S. think Africa is this big battleground --- that people are dying from either disease, famine, or war,” James says. “That is not the case. Back home, we lived a very decent life. I’ve never slept hungry in my life, I never had any diseases other than the childhood diseases.” “When you see Africa in the news there’s always an element of truth, but it’s very out of proportion,” Jacob says.

Both brothers are members of the Alpha Kappa Pi fraternity, and are members of the Black Coalition and the International Relations Club, of which James is the president. Through the friendships both brothers have in these organizations, they and other students enjoy the opportunity to look beyond cultural stereotypes and into the true nature of other cultures. “When you travel out of your country, when you move out of your comfort zone, you’re exposed to all these things you never saw,” James says. “You have to basically rediscover yourself. You have to find out what you stand for, and why. It changes you. Pretty much, I think it makes you a better person.”