A duoethnographic exploration of race and gender: A dialogue between female international students in Canada

Abstract

The number of international students in Canadian universities has dramatically increased since 2000. International students are believed to contribute significantly to education and research, as they bring a rich variety of perspectives, experiences, and languages. However, international students should not be categorized into one homogenous group. In particular, international female PhD students have many different reasons to immigrate and undertake a rigorous academic program. Whether to pursue high academic goals, gain personal knowledge, develop research skills, or widen employment opportunities, each student carries a different cultural background that informs their decisions prior to their arrival, their transitions, their adjustments, and subsequently their participation in the new culture. Using a duoethnographic dialogical approach and ideas about bonding beyond race and culture, this article focused on the experiences of two female international PhD students from Costa Rica and Nigeria as we answered questions regarding the intersections between race and gender within our processes behind mobility to Canada.