Location
Diamond 223
Start Date
30-4-2015 10:30 AM
End Date
30-4-2015 11:55 AM
Project Type
Presentation
Description
There have been a rapidly increasing number of Chinese students applying and getting admitted into Colby in the past 14 years. According to 2014 Colby College Factbook, there are total 75 Chinese international students enrolling at Colby, which makes China the top 1 foreign country with the source of the largest proportion of international students for the continuous four years since 2011. Chinese group, as a unique and essential representative from the Asian country, has constituted a plural community to carry forward the diversity and inclusiveness of Colbys culture. However, the differences of cultural background as well as the weakness of language skills result in the difficulty of interaction and integration. My goal is to find out how Chinese students overcome hardship and identify themselves through the process of integrating and interacting. Unfolding Chinese students real life at Colby and their consideration of Colby community encourages domestic students and faculties to know more about this group. The research gives participants an opportunity to discuss their experiences, giving voice to a group that has been largely unheard. The result will benefit Chinese students as a group by providing current and future students with a framework for understanding their common social identities and experiences, and offering suggestions for how to better navigate their college education. It will also benefit Colby as an institution by providing references to improve international admission process, solve the problems that other minorities of international students meet, and significantly advance Colby to become an international-friendly institution.
Faculty Sponsor
Elizabeth LaCouture, Adam Howard (disc.)
CLAS Field of Study
Interdisciplinary Studies
Event Website
http://www.colby.edu/clas
ID
951
Outsider or Insider? Exploring the symbolic boundaries between Chinese community and domestic community at Colby College
Diamond 223
There have been a rapidly increasing number of Chinese students applying and getting admitted into Colby in the past 14 years. According to 2014 Colby College Factbook, there are total 75 Chinese international students enrolling at Colby, which makes China the top 1 foreign country with the source of the largest proportion of international students for the continuous four years since 2011. Chinese group, as a unique and essential representative from the Asian country, has constituted a plural community to carry forward the diversity and inclusiveness of Colbys culture. However, the differences of cultural background as well as the weakness of language skills result in the difficulty of interaction and integration. My goal is to find out how Chinese students overcome hardship and identify themselves through the process of integrating and interacting. Unfolding Chinese students real life at Colby and their consideration of Colby community encourages domestic students and faculties to know more about this group. The research gives participants an opportunity to discuss their experiences, giving voice to a group that has been largely unheard. The result will benefit Chinese students as a group by providing current and future students with a framework for understanding their common social identities and experiences, and offering suggestions for how to better navigate their college education. It will also benefit Colby as an institution by providing references to improve international admission process, solve the problems that other minorities of international students meet, and significantly advance Colby to become an international-friendly institution.
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2015/program/269