Integration or Assimilation? Experiences of International Student Athletes at American Higher Education Institutions

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: Diverse College Athletes (Table 4)

Abstract

International student-athletes (ISAs) are distinct from other international students due to their cultural diversity and institutional contributions associated with elite athletic participation (Lee and Rice, 2007). Institutional practices inaccurately frame ISAs as a homogenous group with similar needs and utilize assimilation methods when providing support to ISAs (Lee & Rice, 2007). We engage with integration and assimilation as theoretical frameworks (Gordon, 1964; Klarenbeek, 2019; Tierney, 1992; Yao, 2015) to reveal how homogenizing and assimilating approaches harm ISA’s intercollegiate experiences. We argue that ISAs should be integrated not assimilated into US higher education institutions. We conclude with recommendations for coaches, administrators, and faculty to engage in integrative forms of support.

Authors

• Simran Kaur Sethi, University of Oklahoma

• Kirsten Hextrum, Oregon State University