Breaking the Loop: A Narrative Inquiry of an International PhD Graduate in Academia

• In Event: Virtual Poster Session
  In Virtual iPresentation Only: SIG-Narrative Research Virtual Poster Session

Abstract

This narrative inquiry investigates the systemic barriers and racialized expectations that international PhD graduates face while navigating U.S. academia. Grounded in Critical Race Theory and deconstructivism, the study examines how race, nationality, and visa policies intersect with institutional discourses to perpetuate inequities in academic hiring and career development. Drawing from nine years of lived experience, the author integrates personal narratives, reflective journals, and job market data to analyze how the myth of meritocracy obscures structural discrimination. Findings reveal the psychological toll of exclusion, the conflation of language and race, and the epistemic erasure of international scholars. By centering experiential knowledge, this study calls for systemic reforms in hiring, diversity discourse, and mentorship practices to build a truly equitable academic environment.

Author

• Jiaxuan Zong, University of Maryland