East Meets West: The Adaptation of Vietnamese International Students to California Community Colleges

Abstract

The study explores seven adaptation aspects that include language and communications, cultural awareness, loneliness and isolation, new educational settings, financial concerns, gender-based differences, and the political impact of the anti-communist Vietnamese overseas community. Based on the Person/Environment Interactionism, the case studies of the eight students from Vietnam at two Southern California community colleges use data derived from their weekly diaries, numerous individual interviews, a final group meeting, and their academic records. The students' prior assumptions and expectations are identified and their coping strategies to various adaptation issues are documented and analyzed. Orange County's ethnic diversity generally facilitates the students' adaptation effort in the aspects of language and communications, cultural awareness, and loneliness and isolation. The students seem to readily adapt to the new educational settings and excel academically despite some different educational practices. There was no apparent gender-based difference in the students' adaptation and the unwelcoming Vietnamese overseas community adversely impacts the students' socialization with Vietnamese Americans but not their academic performance.