Holden Hindes | Student Life

In the U.S., there is a common perception that individuals from collectivist cultures, or cultures that value the interests and the importance of the community over those of each individual, are more inclined to wear masks. However, many argue that, regardless of cultural upbringing, individuals adjust masking habits to the cultural attitudes in which they exist.

International students studying at Washington University, especially those from East Asian cultures perceived as collectivist, are often thus construed to have an ingrained persistence for masking.

Chair of East Asian Languages and Cultures Letty Lingchei Chen recognized the difficulties of cultural adjustment for international students and the relationship towards masking this experience might encourage.

“How comfortable do they feel about their accessibility to their medical care [when a language barrier exists]? How comfortable [would it be] for them to find a doctor [in cases of sickness]?” she asked.

Chen emphasized how generalizing the actions of a particular cultural group leads to a “slippery slope” in the risks of stereotyping it presents.

“…If an international student feels intimidated or has very limited access to medical care, then they might be more protective of themselves, so they will be more careful [in terms of masking], she said. “They don’t even know what kind of medicine to buy in Walgreens – these are all English, foreign names to them. So I think that this is another dimension that’s beyond culture—it’s a sense of being in a foreign environment and [the interaction with it.]”

Students from collectivist cultures adapt their attitudes to different circumstances as they come to the US to study, as policies regarding COVID-19 can be drastically different from those of their home countries.

First-year Kyle Chen from Shenzhen, China, said that he behaves differently depending on where he is.

“Living in countries with drastically different cultures, I feel as if I have two identities — I’ll be individualistic if I am in America, and I will conform to the norms back home if I have to — I believe it’s important to conform to the social norms of the country that one lives in,” Chen said.

Other students recognized the cultural differences that are at play in making the masking decision.

Dongting Li, a first-year from Canton, China, also reports not wearing a mask under most circumstances on campus, as he prefers the physical comfort when given the choice.

“In America, where the liberty of choice is recognized and dignified, it would not be necessary to be adherent to the situation before at home. Back home, wearing a mask is always a must, as personal welfare matters much less than that of the entire public,” Li said.

First-year Yunshi Qi from Beijing, China, attested to the validity of Li’s recognition.

“My thinking tells me that the national government and its research personnel certainly know more than me – what they say is supposed to be the truth – and what I do is simply listening to them,” Qi said. He chooses not to wear a mask in the US because those surrounding him do not follow suit.

Kelvin Kim, a first-year from Seoul, Korea, feels the division between his personal choice and his cultural upbringing. He does not wear a mask around campus, but he recognizes the necessity of doing so at home.

“Korea is a very communal society — we are very prone to think about the opinions of other people and what the government says. Nobody wishes to be the outlier, and because of the cultural consensus, there’s not a lot of people that are willing to step out of society’s view and not wear a mask,” Kim said.

Many who had the experience living in other countries have developed more flexible mindsets toward masking. First-year Alan Xiong, who currently lives in Hong Kong, believes in the importance of personal choice in this matter.

“Because of my cultural background of growing up in Shanghai and Singapore, I wouldn’t mind mask mandates — I would follow these policies and do so without protest,” Xiong said. 

Xiong does not believe that the new variant of the virus poses a serious threat to American society, but he said that he would wear a mask upon the request of others “out of courtesy” as he is “willing to make personal sacrifices to keep the community safe.”

Zhao Ma, Associate Professor of Modern Chinese History and Culture, believes in the falsity of these stereotypes, saying that individual preferences direct one’s behavior more than any other factors.

“I often run into students who are not Chinese or [of Asian heritage] wearing masks…I also have friends, Black Americans and White Americans, who also wear masks all the time — it is not just an Asian thing; it is not a Chinese thing — it’s [about] people’s own decisions,” he said.

Ma warned of the danger of associating one’s place of origin and cultural upbringing to the attitude toward masking.

“There are other reasons, more than just culture, that play into how people made that decision.”