A Dialogue of Shared Discoveries on Immigration: A Duoethnography of International Students in Canada

Abstract

International students are believed to contribute significantly in education and research as they bring a rich variety of perspectives, experiences, and languages. International students are frequently categorized into one homogenous group; however, this categorization dishonours their complex intersectional diversity and background that provides cultural capital. There is a need to understand the many manifestations of the complex and intersectional diversity in the backgrounds of international students. These students have many different reasons to immigrate to developed countries and undertake a rigorous academic program, including pursuing high academic goals, gaining personal knowledge, developing research skills, and widening employment opportunities. Using a duoethnographic dialogical approach, this article focuses on the experiences of two female international PhD students, one from Nigeria and the other from Costa Rica as they embark on a journey of shared self-discoveries on their mobility to Canada. Our paper takes a broad perspective on the processes behind mobility coming from different cultures and nationalities that meet in Canada. Some of our findings include the impact of background when transitioning to a new country, the role of reflective dialogue when questioning the source of our cultural assumptions and ethical judgments. In addition, we find that duoethnography has a strong effect to re-story our own narratives and perspectives. Finally, this dialogue allows us to broaden how we come to understand and extract meaning from our experiences as international students.