Being othered: A qualitative study on how Chinese students make meaning of their national and ethnic identities within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Through a qualitative approach, this dissertation study explores how institutionalized and deeply embedded beliefs and perceptions on the stigmatization of the other influence Chinese international students’ national and ethnic identities at a predominately White institution. Through the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sociopolitical consequences that ensued its' development and its' influence on Americans’ perception and opinion on marginalized groups, this qualitative research design will address how Chinese students respond to and process their national and ethnic identities in a climate of institutionalized power inequities. To understand the diverse backgrounds of Chinese students' perceptions and identities, I purposely selected Chinese students based on their ethnic background. Through semi-structured interviews, I interviewed four Han-Chinese students and four Chinese ethnic minority students twice in a total of 16 recorded interviews. I interviewed Chinese ethnic minority students that identified as Tibetan-Chinese, Bai-Chinese, and Manchu-Chinese. The last participant that identified as minority did not want her ethnic identity to be known. This study’s findings explored Han-Chinese and Chinese ethnic minority students’ lived experiences during the global pandemic and how they were othered and displaced. Stuart Hall’s cultural identity theory (Hall, 1990) undergirds and supports my study’s findings. My findings explored the following: (1) participants’ perception on diversity and race as a Western problem, (2) how the global pandemic was politicized in the United States and how it has impacted participants’ understanding of race and politics as well as their sense of belonging, (3) how social media influenced participants’ lived experiences, and, lastly, (4) how participants’ respond to and process their identity as an educational leader and as an international student.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Garner, Ana Esther

Contributors dc:contributor

• Witt, Allison
• Dyson, Anne
• Pak, Yoon
• Shao, Dan

• Diversity & Equity
• Study Abroad
• International Students
• Chinese International Students
• Chinese Ethnic Minorities
• Cultural Identity Theory
• Lived Experiences

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Ana Garner

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/122128

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F122128