A Grief Observed: Grief Experiences of East Asian International Students Returning to their Countries of Origin

Abstract

Most international students, at some point, return to their countries of origin. This article, drawing on research of East Asian tertiary students returning to their countries of origin after studying in New Zealand, highlights the grief encountered during the reentry process. This grief is “disenfranchised grief”: a longing for belonging. This grief may be cultural and its expression may be circumscribed. This grief is also specific: from renegotiating relationships with family and friends to consolidating a changed worldview and challenging expectations. However, although this grief can never be removed, it can be ameliorated: preparation programmes in both the host country and the country of origin can allow the students’grief not only to be observed but also to be expected.