America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility
Rajika Bhandari
(Author)
Description
Growing up in middle-class India, Rajika Bhandari has seen generations of her family look westward, where an American education means status and success. But she resists the lure of America because those who left never return--they all become flies trapped in honey in a land of opportunity. As a young woman, however, she finds herself heading to a US university to study, following her heart and a relationship. When that relationship ends and she fails in her attempt to move back to India as a foreign-educated woman, she returns to the US and finds herself in a job where the personal is political and professional: she is immersed in the lives of international students who come to America from over 200 countries, the universities that attract them, and the tangled web of immigration that a student must navigate. An unflinching and insightful narrative that explores the global appeal of a Made in America education that is a bridge to America's successful past and to its future, America Calling is both a deeply personal story of Bhandari's search for her place and voice, and an incisive analysis of America's relationship with the rest of the world through the most powerful tool of diplomacy: education. At a time of growing nationalism, a turning inward, and fear of the "other," America Calling is ultimately a call to action to keep America's borders--and minds--open.Product Details
Price
$16.95
$15.76
Publisher
She Writes Press
Publish Date
September 14, 2021
Pages
298
Dimensions
5.43 X 8.43 X 0.94 inches | 0.85 pounds
Language
English
Type
Paperback
EAN/UPC
9781647421830
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About the Author
A former international student from India to the US and an Indian American immigrant, Rajika Bhandari is an international higher education expert, a widely published author, and a sought-after speaker on issues of international education, skilled immigrants, and educational and cultural diplomacy. An author of five academic books and one previous nonfiction book, Dr. Bhandari is quoted frequently in the global press, and her writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Chronicle of Higher Education, HuffPost, University World News, Times Higher Education, and the Diplomatic Courier, among others. She lives outside New York City.
Reviews
"Through this intimate account of her own journey, Rajika Bhandari tells the story of the millions of young people who pursue the dream of an American education, the price they pay, the irreversible transformation they undergo, and the often misunderstood and underappreciated yet immense social and economic value they bring about. While she grew up in Delhi and I in Madrid, her story is, in many ways, mine too."
--Angel Cabrera, president of Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and a Carnegie Corporation "Great Immigrant" "Seeking an international education takes courage, as Cervantes reminds us. But it's not a quixotic venture. As Dr Bhandari's story illustrates, the windmills of the mind can be overcome, and the arc of educational exchange bends toward open doors and open minds."
--Allan E. Goodman, president and CEO of the Institute of International Education (IIE) "Rajika Bhandari presents a very personal and fascinating story of the trials and tribulations of a foreign student coming to the US. She explains why the world's brightest flock to American shores and boost its competitiveness--and why they are now returning home. She is right that if America doesn't correct the exodus, it will be the greater loser."
--Vivek Wadhwa, Distinguished Fellow at the Harvard Law School Labor and Worklife Program and best-selling author of The Immigrant Exodus: Why America is Losing the Global Race to Capture Entrepreneurial Talent
--Angel Cabrera, president of Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and a Carnegie Corporation "Great Immigrant" "Seeking an international education takes courage, as Cervantes reminds us. But it's not a quixotic venture. As Dr Bhandari's story illustrates, the windmills of the mind can be overcome, and the arc of educational exchange bends toward open doors and open minds."
--Allan E. Goodman, president and CEO of the Institute of International Education (IIE) "Rajika Bhandari presents a very personal and fascinating story of the trials and tribulations of a foreign student coming to the US. She explains why the world's brightest flock to American shores and boost its competitiveness--and why they are now returning home. She is right that if America doesn't correct the exodus, it will be the greater loser."
--Vivek Wadhwa, Distinguished Fellow at the Harvard Law School Labor and Worklife Program and best-selling author of The Immigrant Exodus: Why America is Losing the Global Race to Capture Entrepreneurial Talent