An interview of Indian International Student in Auckland

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Financial Challenges

After greeting Freya, who, like me, has recently graduated from AUT, I asked if she had submitted her post-study work visa application. She responded with a surprising revelation:

"Not yet," she said. "I need to have $5,000 in my bank account and another $1,650 for the visa fee, but I haven’t saved enough yet. I’m still working on it so I can finally submit the application.”

Her answer caught me off guard. Until then, I had assumed that challenges with such visas typically revolved around medical checks or police certificates—not financial readiness. Freya’s situation forced me to reconsider my preconceived notions and reshuffle my prepared questions. This moment highlighted a critical financial hurdle faced by many international students, a challenge that often goes unnoticed in discussions about post-study work visas.

Education Loan

As a Chinese international student, I’ve rarely heard of Chinese students facing financial challenges like this. Most of the students I know are either supported by their personal savings or their families—whether it’s their parents or spouses. When Freya shared her story, it was eye-opening. She told me she took out a loan of $40,000 NZD by mortgaging her parents' house in India to come to New Zealand for her studies. She pursued a Master’s in Construction Management, which costs $48,000 NZD for one year, and has just recently completed the program.

Freya worked for four years as an architect in India before coming here, so she had some savings, but not much—just enough to cover the rest of her tuition fees and living expenses. What surprised me even more was when she said that 8 out of 10 Indian international students take education loans, either partial or full, to cover both tuition and living costs. This explained why so many of them work while studying. The pressure of repaying these loans must be immense, driving their determination to earn as much as possible while juggling their studies.

Curious, but careful not to pry too much, I asked about her income in India. I was wondering why she couldn’t save enough for her studies after working for four years, especially since she lived with her parents and hadn’t purchased property.

She explained that as an architect designing buildings in India, she earned only about $700 NZD per month, with no real opportunities for salary growth. Over four years, she managed to save around 5 lakh rupees, which is roughly $10,000 NZD. Hearing this put things into perspective—her earnings were modest, and saving enough for an expensive international education would have been nearly impossible without a loan.

Why New Zealand not Austrilia

Freya revealed that financial constraints played a significant role in her decision to study in New Zealand instead of Australia. While Australia is a popular destination for international students, she explained that the costs of studying there are significantly higher, and the programs often take longer to complete. “In New Zealand, I could finish my Master’s in one year, which takes two years in Australia”.

Freya also mentioned other factors that influenced her decision to choose New Zealand over Australia. Beyond the financial considerations, she shared her concerns about safety and racism. “Australia is known for being more racist toward Asians,” she said, and also brought up safety issues. “There are big spiders, crocodiles, and other dangerous animals there,” she said with a laugh.

Immigration Reasons

I asked Freya if she planned to stay in New Zealand or return to India after her studies. Her response was immediate: “Of course, if I can.” It was clear that going back to India would make repaying her loans significantly harder.

Given her background, I wanted to confirm her reasons for moving out of India. She was straightforward—income was the primary driver. Knowing that people migrate for different reasons, I asked if there were any other factors influencing her decision. She brought up safety, explaining that as a woman, many cities in India don’t feel safe, which adds to the motivation to seek a better life abroad.

Interestingly, when I mentioned how some people leave their home countries for greater freedom, she was quick to dismiss this as a reason for Indians. She explained that India already offers freedom—freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the ability to openly discuss politics. She can use Youtube, Google and ChatGPT, there is nothing block the information. “We can vote, and people actively talk about politics,” she added. For her, freedom wasn’t the issue—it was the economic and safety factors that pushed her to seek opportunities overseas.

One thing didn’t suprise me is that Freya thinks Indian Education and Indian medical services is better than New Zealand's. According to her, many Indian people living in New Zealand travel back to India every year for medical check-ups, no bookings and more convenient.

Attitudes towards other Countries

On India’s stance in global politics, she described it as neutral and unbiased toward most countries. For instance, she noted that India is largely neutral about the Israel-Palestine conflict, preferring not to take sides. However, when it comes to the Ukraine-Russia war, India shows more support for Ukraine. Freya explained this stems from historical tensions, as Russia had previously provided weapons to Pakistan, a country with which India has a strained relationship. She added that Pakistan is deeply disliked by many Indians, citing events like the attacks portrayed in the movie Hotel Mumbai, which were carried out by Pakistani terrorists.

Freya also touched on broader global attitudes, remarking that “America is money-minded,” and mentioned that some older Indians blame China for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indian Train

I hesitated to ask but brought up a rumor I’d often heard—that many people hang on to overcrowded trains in India, sometimes even losing their lives in the process. Freya confirmed that while some stories are exaggerated, the reality isn’t far off. “Yes, it happens, and unfortunately, people do die from falling off trains every year,” she said.

Curious about how families deal with such tragedies, I asked her what typically happens when someone dies this way. Freya explained that most of the families affected are poor, and they often feel powerless to seek legal recourse. “They don’t trust the legal system and can’t afford lawyers,” she said. Instead, they often protest publicly, as a means of seeking justice.

Caste System and Scheduled Castes

Freya explained that while the traditional caste system in India is no longer officially recognized, its influence still lingers in some ways. However, there are now Scheduled Castes (SCs), which refer to the historically disadvantaged communities that were once at the bottom of the caste hierarchy. These groups receive significant support from the government, including educational and financial assistance, as part of affirmative action policies aimed at addressing past inequalities.

Interestingly, Freya noted that some individuals from Scheduled Castes have become wealthier due to these initiatives, which has helped improve their social and economic status over time. She contrasted this with the majority of Indians, who fall into what is known as the Open Category—a classification that does not receive the same government benefits.

Indian Movies: Bollywood and Tollywood

I have strong intrests in Bollywood and Tollywood movies, but it’s hard to rememeber their English names.

Bollywood

Bollywood, based in Mumbai, primarily produces Hindi-language films and is the most globally recognized part of Indian cinema. Three legendary actors—often referred to as the "Three Khans"—dominate Bollywood:

Shah Rukh Khan (SRK)

Known as the "King of Bollywood," he is famous for his romantic and versatile roles.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ)

My Name is Khan

Chennai Express

Pathaan

Aamir Khan

Known for his perfectionism and socially impactful films.

Dangal

3 Idiots

Lagaan

Kareena Kapoor Khan

Famous for her roles in both commercial and critically acclaimed films:

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

Jab We Met

3 Idiots

4. Akshay Kumar

Known for his versatility, comic timing, and action-packed roles:

Oh My God Series

Rowdy Rathore

Kesari

Airlift

Toilet: Ek Prem Katha

Tollywood

Tollywood refers to the Telugu and Tamil film industries, known for their grand scale, action sequences, and unique storytelling. These films have gained international recognition in recent years.

1. Allu Arjun

Known for his charismatic style and powerful performances:

Pushpa: The Rise

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo

Arya

2. Prabhas

Gained international fame for his roles in epic films:

Baahubali: The Beginning

Baahubali: The Conclusion

Saaho

3. Ram Charan

A superstar known for his action-packed roles and screen presence:

RRR

Magadheera

Dhruva

中文翻译：

作为一名观察到印度专业人士在各个行业，特别是网络工程领域中影响力日益增长的人，我萌生了更多了解他们的旅程和经历的强烈兴趣。

虽然我通过 Google、ChatGPT 和 YouTube 了解了印度及其文化的一些基本信息，但我想获得更个人化的视角——特别是关于奥克兰的印度国际学生的故事。这便是这次采访的背景。我通过学生求职平台与 Freya（化名）取得联系，并支付了采访费用以获取更深刻的见解。

经济挑战

在与同为 AUT 应届毕业生的 Freya 见面寒暄后，我问她是否已经递交了毕业后工作签证申请。她的回答让我非常惊讶：

“还没有，”她说。“我需要账户里有 5000 纽币，加上签证费用的 1650 纽币，但我还没攒够钱。我还在努力存钱，好尽快提交申请。”

她的回答让我大吃一惊。在此之前，我以为签证申请的困难通常在于健康检查或无犯罪证明等文件，而不是财务上的准备。Freya 的情况让我重新思考，并调整了原本准备好的问题。这一时刻揭示了许多国际学生在申请毕业后工作签证时面临的重大经济障碍，这种挑战在讨论中往往被忽视。

教育贷款

作为一名中国国际学生，我几乎从未听说过中国学生面临如此严峻的经济挑战。身边的大多数中国学生都由个人储蓄或家庭（父母或配偶）支持。当 Freya 分享她的故事时，我深受触动。她告诉我，为了来到新西兰学习，她通过抵押父母在印度的房子贷款了 4 万纽币。她选择了建筑管理硕士课程，一年的学费高达 4.8 万纽币，而她最近刚完成了这个课程。

在来到新西兰之前，Freya 在印度作为建筑师工作了四年，因此她有一些储蓄，但不多——仅够支付剩余的学费和生活费用。更令我惊讶的是，她提到 80% 的印度国际学生会通过贷款（部分或全部）来支付学费和生活费。这让我明白为什么许多学生在学习期间还要工作。这种还贷的巨大压力推动他们尽量在学习之余赚取更多收入。

怀着好奇心，但不想冒犯，我问她在印度的收入情况。我想知道，作为一个与父母同住、没有购置房产的人，她为什么在工作了四年后仍无法攒够学费。

她解释说，作为一名建筑设计师，她每月的收入只有约 700 纽币，并且几乎没有加薪的机会。四年来，她总共攒下了 5 万卢比（约合 1 万纽币）。听到这些让我对她的处境有了更深的理解——以这样的收入，想要攒够一笔足够支付国际学费的资金几乎是不可能的，贷款成为了唯一的选择。

为何选择新西兰而非澳大利亚

Freya 表示，经济限制是她选择在新西兰而非澳大利亚学习的主要原因。虽然澳大利亚是国际学生的热门目的地，但她指出那里的学费显著更高，并且课程通常需要更长的时间才能完成。“在新西兰，我可以一年内完成硕士课程，而在澳大利亚需要两年，”她说。

此外，Freya提到了一些促使她选择新西兰的其他因素。除了经济方面，她还对安全性和种族问题表示担忧。“澳大利亚对亚洲人更种族歧视，”她说。此外，她提到澳大利亚的野生动物问题时笑着补充道：“那里有巨大的蜘蛛、鳄鱼和其他危险动物。”

移民原因

我问 Freya，她计划留在新西兰还是学成后回到印度。她毫不犹豫地回答：“当然，如果可以的话。”显然，回到印度会让她还清贷款的难度大大增加。

考虑到她的背景，我想确认她离开印度的原因。她直言不讳——收入是首要因素。了解到人们移民的原因可能各不相同，我进一步问她是否还有其他影响她决定的因素。她提到了 安全性，解释说，作为一名女性，印度的许多城市让人感到不安全，这增加了她寻求更好生活的动力。

有趣的是，当我提到一些人离开本国是为了追求更大的自由时，她迅速否定了这一点，表示这并不是印度人离开的原因。她解释说，印度已经拥有了自由——言论自由、新闻出版自由，以及公开讨论政治的能力。“我们可以投票，人们积极地讨论政治，”她补充道。对她来说，经济和安全 因素才是促使她出国寻求机会的主要原因。

此外，Freya认为 印度的教育和医疗服务比新西兰更好。她提到，许多在新西兰生活的印度人每年都会回印度进行体检，因为那里的医疗服务无需预约，而且更加便捷。

对其他国家的态度

在谈到印度在全球政治中的立场时，她形容为对大多数国家 中立且公正。例如，她提到，印度对 以色列-巴勒斯坦冲突 大体保持中立，不倾向任何一方。然而，在 乌克兰-俄罗斯战争 中，印度对乌克兰表现出更多支持。Freya解释，这源于历史上的紧张关系，因为俄罗斯曾向巴基斯坦提供过武器，而印度与巴基斯坦的关系一直很紧张。她补充说，许多印度人非常不喜欢巴基斯坦，提到《孟买酒店》电影中的袭击事件，这些事件由巴基斯坦的恐怖分子策划。

此外，她还谈到了更广泛的全球态度，比如“美国是金钱至上”，并提到一些年长的印度人将 COVID-19 疫情归咎于中国。

印度火车

我犹豫了一下，但还是提到了一个常听到的传闻——许多人挤挂在印度的超载火车上，有时甚至因此丧生。Freya 证实了虽然有些报道被夸大了，但这个现象确实存在。“是的，这种事每年都会发生，不幸的是，有人因此丧命，”她说。

出于好奇，我问家属在遇到这样的悲剧时会怎么做。Freya 解释说，大多数受害者家庭都很贫困，通常无法寻求法律途径。“他们不信任法律系统，也请不起律师，”她说。相反，他们往往通过公开抗议来寻求正义。

种姓制度与“预定种姓”

Freya 解释说，虽然印度传统的种姓制度不再受到官方承认，但其影响在某些方面仍然存在。然而，现在有了 “预定种姓”（Scheduled Castes, SCs），这一分类针对的是那些在过去种姓等级中处于最底层的群体。政府为这些群体提供了显著支持，包括教育和经济援助，作为弥补历史不平等的一部分。

有趣的是，Freya 提到，得益于这些政策，一些“预定种姓”的个人已经变得富有，这提升了他们的社会和经济地位。而她将其与印度大多数属于 “普通类别”（Open Category） 的人形成对比——这一分类并没有享受到相同的政府福利。