Black (and foreign) in the ivory: Exploring the sociopolitical integration of Black international students in Alberta, Canada
Abstract
Over the last three decades, the number of students pursuing higher education outside of their country of citizenship (i.e. international students) has increased five-fold (The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2022). In that same period Canada has become a popular attraction of international students, such that it is houses to the third largest concentration of this group globally. International student tuition and discretionary spending serve as an
important source of revenue for higher education institutions. Furthermore, federal, and provincial
governments identify international students as a valued source of skilled immigrants. In a bid to ensure a steady influx of students, Canada has recently turned to countries in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean – all regions where the population mostly identify as “Black” – as new source regions to target for intensified recruitment. Minimal research explores the integration experiences and daily lives of these students. Instead, studies employ monolithic categorizations, neglecting to analyze variations in racial/ethnic identification. To that end, the main research questions in this study are: (1) How do Black international students in Canada negotiate a sense of belonging amidst various forms of social inequality? and (2) In what ways are Black international students’ political proclivities shaping, or shaped by Canada’s political climate? I drew on an assorted mix of theoretical and methodological
perspectives to answer these questions. The discussions in this study are based on semi-structured interviews with 40 research participants, all international students from sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean studying at a higher education institution across Alberta, Canada. In theorizing the study’s findings, I drew on an eclectic, interdisciplinary collection on scholarship such as
international student mobility, Black politics, queer migration studies, and migration studies. What emerges from this approach is a detailed understanding of Black international students that accounts for the sociocultural reasons shaping their decision to study in Canada, relationship to Black-themed racial justice organizing/foregrounding, and navigation of queer identity making while managing the precarity of temporary legal status. Consequently, the project’s findings highlight the need to think of the respective populations “Black students” and “international students” as a heterogenous groups consisting of diverse viewpoints, experiences, and challenges.
Notes
Future research / gaps identified:
1) Popular approaches to studying international students are rarely attuned to intra-group variation based on race and ethnicity.
2) This study is among the first to foreground such analyses in Canadian research on international students. More research of this kind is needed.
Key findings:
1) Black international students’ perceptions of Canadian multiculturalism operate as an ideological attraction that initially assuages concerns about racial hostility.
2) Such preconceptions about a non-racist Canada, however, are complicated by experiences and knowledge acquired post-migration, such as encounters with interpersonal racism and learning about Canada’s colonial legacy.
3) Diverse factors shape Black international students’ understanding of and relationship to Black-themed racial justice activism in Canada. Different groups have varying degrees of political activity, and the role of diasporic and legal consciousness is highlighted in shaping their engagement with movements.
4) A case study is presented: the multifocal experiences of precarity encountered by a queer Nigerian student, involving complex negotiations of sexual, racial identity, and temporary legal status.
5) Collectively, these findings emphasize heterogeneous understanding of international students, acknowledging the diversity of social locations and experiences within this group. It contributes to broader conversations about race, racism, racial justice, and intersecting identities as they pertain to international student experiences.
Key population: Black international students studying in Alberta
Open access: Yes
Community organizations: n/a
Integration timeline: international students
Key recommendations:
1) Develop more nuanced approaches to research on Black international students that considers their heterogeneity.
2) Invest in creating more supportive environments in Canadian students for Black international students and the different intersections within this group.
Location: Alberta, broadly