Reconnecting with roots, negotiating with institutions, and struggling with identities: the journey home of transnational Chinese students during COVID-19

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigates how China’s COVID-19 prevention policy during the pandemic affected the physical and mental well-being of Chinese students overseas returning home, and how their perceptions of ‘home’ were both challenged and reinforced through their interactions with China’s virus prevention and control measures. We first review the literature on the vulnerability of transnational students during the pandemic, with a focus on transnational Chinese students. Then we explore the concept of ‘homing’ within the context of China’s cultural definition of ‘roots’ (gen, 根). Drawing from participant narratives, we identified three interwoven themes highlighting challenges faced during their journey home – reconnecting with cultural roots, negotiating with critical institutions, and struggling with in-between identities, and analysed their relationships with their health identity and the concept of home. Our findings offer practical insights for improving the well-being of these transnational migrants during times of crisis.