Abstract
International students’ enrollment in higher education in the U.S has expanded considerably in the last decades. In 2015, the United States hosted more of the world’s 4.1 million international students than any other country (Institute for International Education, 2015). With the number of foreign students that come to study in the U.S, 14.5% of international students are African students with the majority of the population coming from Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana. The U.S. is often described as the land of opportunity abroad, but this research intends to explore that perception for international students, especially African students. Many consider African international students as the gateway to local business owners in the U.S seeking to expand a wider global horizon, especially in Africa. This research explored the different types of academic and social challenges faced by African international students in collegiate institutions in America through auto-ethnographic research, and to find possible solutions to those challenges faced by African students. This is a qualitative research approach that used the sequential autoethnographic experience of the author as the research tool in identifying and categorizing some of the challenges faced by African international students. It is the researcher’s intention that the findings in this research will be used as a guide for the next group of African international students aspiring to come to the U.S to study.
Highlights
Our journey in search of academic knowledge and literacy started as a dream
Some of the challenges African international students face in America include but are not limited to be racism, constant change in immigration policies, stereotyping, and adapting to a new educational system
This can be reduced or limited if academic institutions giving out admissions to African international students can help create a supportive system that will be in place to give help to international students before they are in need
Summary
Our journey in search of academic knowledge and literacy started as a dream. it seems like every African icon that we know started their journey to excellence with a dream. Evivie noted the media (e.g., televised charities such as Save the Children and Christian Children’s Fund as well as the Discovery Channel and National Geographic), and the curriculum in school, and the home environment of their fellow students perpetuate these myths, stereotypes, and misperceptions These African immigrant and refugee students, due to the color of their skin, are faced with the same legacy of prejudice endured by African Americans. Using auto-ethnography as the research tool for this study, we reflect on the series of experiences we had lived through since, arrived in the United States of America in 2016 - to the date of this research These experiences have in one way or the other made a major impact on academic and social life. By sharing one’s own lived experience with other participant observers, we set out to identify those common academic and social challenges faced by African international students in the United States
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Published Version
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