Shared experiences and resilience of cultural heritage: Chinese students’ social interaction with non-host nationals in the united states

Abstract

Compared to the role of communication with host nationals in promoting migrating individuals’ acculturation, Chinese students’ interaction with non-host nationals has not received enough attention due to the notion of dualism. The theorization of acculturation underscored by dualism has been challenged by a holistic viewpoint that considers acculturation as an additive and integrative process. Attending to the disparities of two theoretical perspectives, this study examined Chinese students’ acculturation in the United States. The research findings revealed that the shared experiences among Chinese students and the resilience of their cultural heritage made their communication with non-host nationals necessary. Therefore, a more diverse environment is suggested to be created by American universities and colleges to enable the social support among international students.