Sophia Clark is just another University of Oregon student: she grew up in a small city; she is studying journalism; and she speaks perfect English. But, she isn’t an average American. Actually, she didn’t grow up in America at all. Clark is a Japanese international student.

Clark grew up in Osaka, Japan. She attended a public elementary school and moved on to a private middle school and high school that taught in English and Japanese, rather than her elementary school, which taught only in Japanese.

But, Clark grew up speaking English. Her dad is American and her mom is Japanese. As an only child, Clark was never close to her Japanese cousins in neighboring cities. Even when Clark and her parents would visit her father’s hometown of Huntington Beach, CA, for every summer since she was four years old, she would not have cousins her age to play with. She was always around adults.

When she came to the University of Oregon four years ago, Clark finally had the chance to live amongst her peers. She learned to adjust to people her own age, but not without conflict.

Clark lived in the dorms during her freshman year. She resided in Bean Hall, one of the smallest dorms on campus. Her roommate was from Oregon City and had never met a foreigner before her. Clark recalls her roommate explaining who she was: “I’m a redneck; my dad’s a redneck; my whole family’s redneck.”

“I didn’t even know what a redneck was,” Clark said.

Clark’s roommate was not a great first impression of her American peers. Her roommate once told her friend not to touch Clark’s belongings because “you don’t know where [Clark] has been.”

It wasn’t just Clark’s roommate that has treated her differently because of her race. Men have seen her as an exotic prize rather than a respectable date. Some men have only dated Clark because of her Asian background.

“I think everyone treats me a little differently,” Clark said of people’s first impressions of her.

But, while others see her as predominantly Asian, Clark identifies more with her father’s American background. She is more comfortable speaking English rather than Japanese, and ultimately sees herself as more American after she has accustomed herself to American culture within the past four years.

As far how she deals with those people that treat her badly due to her Asian background, she just tries to stay away from them.

“I don’t have ties or obligations to anyone,” Clark said.

Although her transition into American culture and college life was not easy, Clark has learned to love Oregon and the city of Eugene. Her plans for after graduation are still up in the air, but she loves the home she has made here and the friends that have made her transition that much easier.

“I think I want to stay in America,” Clark said with a proud grin on her face. She has finally found her niche.