As an international doctoral student, the author uses a poetic analysis to illustrate the academic experiences that she and five other international doctoral students have encountered at a university in the U.S., implying how society racializes international doctoral students through society's concept of a second language and the students' physical appearance. This study explains how this racialization in society has affected the self-consciousness and confidence of these international doctoral students when they consider their academic abilities. This study hopes to, first, raise international doctoral students' confidence in their academic abilities and society's awareness of the aforementioned racialization; second, this study could illuminate higher education's recognition of what academic challenges international doctoral students face. This poetic analysis could be of interest to graduate students, scholars, or stakeholders in the international, second language, and higher education who are dedicated to anti-racist teaching and the wellness of international graduate students in the U.S.