An Online Counter-Space of Resistance and Belonging for Chinese International Students: Virtual Ethnography on Social Media

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research-in-Progress Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: Perspectives on Student and Faculty Well-Being, Sense of Belonging in Higher Education (Table 11)

Abstract

The majority of Chinese international students (CISs) studying abroad choose the U.S. as their destination, while many of them encountered discrimination and they need a space to make sense and seek help about their negative experiences. This study examines how CISs' actions of posting and commenting on a Chinese-based social media app about discrimination experiences in the U.S. create an online community where they affirm and empathize with one another. From an insider perspective, I explore the subcultural values and practices of the online community. This project investigates how an online community facilitates as a counter-space of resistance and belonging for members to reflect on experiences, engage in conversations, construct relationships, and confront racial and social injustice.

Author

• Xinhang Hermione Hu, University of Maryland