Greener grass or the mirage of belonging: How Chinese traditional norms impact the identity and (re)acculturation of Chinese international students

Abstract

This qualitative study explores how traditional sociocultural norms influence the transnational mobility, identity trajectories, and (re)acculturation experiences of Chinese international students with a pro-host-nation cultural identity. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 14 Chinese international student returnees, this research examines the complex interplay between Confucian values, pragmatism, and contemporary individualization in shaping participants’ motivations for studying overseas, acculturation strategies and identity trajectories abroad, decisions to return, and reacculturation challenges. Findings reveal that while traditional hierarchical and pragmatic values may prompt cultural alienation and the pursuit of autonomy abroad, these same norms also shape return motivations and reacculturation difficulties. The study highlights the need for more nuanced, multi-dimensional models of (re)acculturation.