Shared Experiences and Resilience of Cultural Heritage: Chinese Students’ Social Interaction with Non-Host-Nationals in the United States
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v9i1.263Keywords:
acculturation, Chinese international students, cultural heritage, shared experiencesAbstract
Compared to the role of communication with host nationals in promoting migrating individuals’ acculturation, their 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 which 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 U.S.). 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.
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