We hope you’ll be interested in a project we’re beginning on the impact of COVID-19 on the experiences of students from China attending school in the U.S.
Some of the most vibrant work we’ve published over the years has come from students, and we hope you can join us in creating some more of it.
One of ChinaFile’s recurring features is a weekly “Conversation” among experts on a given subject in response to questions relating to news on or from China. You can find examples of these Conversations here. Here’s one written by current and recent Chinese students.
Our Question to You
As the COVID-19 crisis continues to unsettle all of us in profound ways, shining a spotlight on a whole range of issues that deserve greater attention, we’re particularly interested in hearing from you.
In short, we’re hoping to make a ChinaFile Conversation in video form that we’ll run on our website and distribute and share widely, wherein you can speak directly to our readers around the world about how COVID-19 has affected you, as students from China attending school in the U.S.
In particular, we’d be interested to know (and you can speak either in English or in Mandarin):
- What was your experience of learning about the outbreak in China, while living abroad? What happened? And how did it feel?
- How has the outbreak affected your feelings about studying in the U.S. and how has it changed your plans or your goals? Has it affected your parents’ feelings about your studying abroad or your relationship with them?
- What is the biggest change you’ve observed in yourself? What’s the most surprising thing you’ve discovered about yourself, and, in particular, have you noticed new feelings about the United State, about China, or about the two countries’ relationship?
- How, if at all, has the outbreak and the ensuing global crisis (however you choose to define it) impacted your sense of identity? What are the biggest questions you’ve been asking yourself about your identity? What realizations have you had, and how did you come to them?
- Have you experienced or worried about xenophobic attitudes or actions directed at you or your friends? If so, what happened or what concerns you? How have you responded to it, and what do you want people to understand about how it feels?
- Anything else you’d like to tell us?
Of course participating in this project is completely voluntary. You can participate by making a video of yourself (see the guidelines below) of no more than 5 minutes responding to some or all of these questions, or by telling a story about something that has happened to you or that you have done, and sending it to story@chinafile.com by June 18, 2020. Our Visuals editor, Mengwen Cao, will be in touch if we decide to use your footage.
If you make a video, you should begin by saying, “I’m NAME, and I’m a UNDERGRADUATE/GRADUATE student of SUBJECT, at SCHOOL OR LOCATION OF SCHOOL.” If you are uncomfortable providing your name or any more specific information, that’s ok, just let us know in your email.
If you wish to remain anonymous and to not film yourself, you could also send us a written submission of 500 words or fewer telling us your story. You can send these to editors@chinafile.com with the subject heading “COVID-19 Student Life Conversation,” by June 18, 2020.
We hope this project will facilitate dialogue and understanding, and we want you to feel comfortable participating if you choose to.
Video Guidelines:
- Video length: no more than 5 minutes
- Video specifications: horizontal video recorded 16:9 ratio (720p = 1280×720 or 1080p = 1920×1080)
- Equipment: You are welcome to record the video using any equipment like phones, computers, or cameras. Just make sure your video is horizontal.
- Audio requirements: Record in a quiet place to ensure there is no background noise or static. Use a mic if you have one.
- Lighting: If you'd like to show your face, please face a light source (consider window light or lamp). If you'd prefer to not show your face, please face against the light or use objects to hide your face (for example, you can put on a mask).
- Stabilization: Please make sure your video is stable. Stabilize your equipment before filming.
- Delivery: Imagine you are talking to your friends. Please try to speak in complete sentences. Consider adding details to take people into your scene.
- Submission: Rename your file using the naming format: Firstname_Lastname_Covid19Student.mp4. For example, San_Zhang_Covid19Student.mp4. Please submit your video to story@chinafile.com by June 18, 2020.
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我们想要了解COVID-19对在美国的中国留学生的影响。这些年来，我们发布的一些最具活力的作品来自留学生。我们希望你能与我们一起创作更多这样的内容。
“会话”是《中参馆》网站上的常规栏目，每周一期，邀请不同专家回答与中国新闻有关的问题。你可以在这里读过去的会话，这一篇是由现留学生和毕业生写成的。
我们的问题：
COVID-19危机仍在以深远的方式着我们所有人，也照亮了一系列值得广泛关注的问题，我们对你的视角尤其好奇。
我们希望以视频的方式做一期《中参馆》的“会话”栏目，邀请在美国留学的你与我们来自世界各地的读者直接分享COVID-19对你的影响。这个对话内容将会发布在我们的网站上，广泛传播分享。
我们尤其想问你以下一些问题（你可以说英语或普通话）：
- 你在国外生活期间如何了解中国的疫情？发生了什么？你在千里之外远观中国疫情的感受如何？
- 疫情如何影响你对留学美国的看法？如果此次疫情改变了你原有的留学计划或者目标的话，请谈一谈这个变化是什么？疫情否影响了你父母对你出国留学的态度或你和他们的关系？
- 你观察到的你自身最大变化是什么？你发现的最令你惊讶的关于你自己的事情是什么？尤其是，你对美国、对中国或对中美关系有了什么新的认识？
- 如果疫情爆发和随之而来的全球危机（无论你如何定义它）影响了你的身份认同，请谈一谈这种影响是什么？你对自己有关身份认同的最大困惑是什么？你现在对你的身份认同有了什么新的认识，这种认识是如何产生的？
- 你是否经历过或担心针对你或你的朋友的排外态度或行为？如果有，发生了什么，或者你担心什么？你对此作何反应？你希望人们对遭受排外态度或者行为的感受有什么了解？
- 你还有什么想告诉我们的吗？
当然，参与这个项目完全是自愿的。如果你选择参与这个项目，你可以录制一个不超过5分钟的视频，对着镜头说话，来回答以上的问题（请参阅下面的视频录制小指南）。你可以着重挑选几个问题回答，也可以全部回答，也欢迎你与我们分享发生在你身上的事情。视频录制完成后，你可以把视频文件在2020年6月18日前发送到story@chinafile.com。如果我们决定使用你的素材，我们的视觉编辑曹梦雯将会与你联系。
视频开头请讲：“我是[名字]，我在[学校名称/学校所在地]读[学科]”。如果你不想在视频中使用你的名字或任何具体信息，请在邮件中告诉我们，我们会尊重你的意向。
如果你希望匿名或者你不想录视频，也欢迎你以书面形式发给我们500字以内的小文章，分享你的故事。你可以将你的文章以 “COVID-19 Student Life Conversation” 为邮件主题在2020年6月18日前发送至 editors@chinafile.com。
我们希望你能以让你觉得舒服合适的方式参与这个项目，希望这个项目能促进对话和理解。
视频录制指南：
- 影片长度：不超过5分钟
- 视频规格：以16：9比例录制的水平视频（720p = 1280×720或1080p = 1920×1080）
- 设备：欢迎你使用手机、电脑或照相机等任何设备录制视频。只要确保你的视频是水平的就可以了。
- 音频要求：请在安静的地方录音以确保没有背景噪音或静态噪音。如果你有麦克风，请使用麦克风。
- 灯光：如果你想露出脸，请面对光源（考虑从窗户进来的自然光或台灯）。如果你不想露出自己的脸，请背对光源或使用东西挡住脸（比如你可以戴口罩）。
- 稳定度：请确保你的视频稳定。拍摄前请固定你的设备。
- 录制：想象你在和你的朋友描述你的故事。请尽量说完整的句子，考虑添加细节，带领读者更好地理解你的故事。
- 投稿：使用以下命名格式重命名文件：名的拼音_姓的拼音_Covid19Student.mp4，例如：San_Zhang_Covid19Student.mp4。
- 截止日期：请在2020年6月18日之前将视频提交到story@chinafile.com。