Interrogating Differences From a Postcolonial Perspective: Asian Doctoral Students' Lived Experiences

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Eight
  In Roundtable Session: Decolonial Studies and Other Geographies of Reason (Table 9)

Abstract

Asian students experience cultural issues in their pursuit of truth and knowledge in U.S. higher education. This paper’s purpose is to explore Asian international doctoral students’ experiences with a focus on their possible experiences of a lack of acknowledgement of differences, especially by the alchemy of English in world academia. The research was conducted at U.S. university in 2020 with seven Asian doctoral students whose lived experiences were collected and analyzed through narrative research approaches. Two major findings emerged: academic issues from limited English language, content knowledge, and research practice; and invention of creative meanings and practices of balance to cope with academic issues. The research argues that differences should be acknowledged, not denied, in the academia.

Authors

• Ngan Thi Thu Nguyen, Texas Tech University
  Presenting Author

• Jeong-Hee Kim, Texas Tech University
  Presenting Author