African Canadian Students Identify Strategies for Success

Abstract

Abstract

Cultural Experiences of International Students in Canadian and American Higher Education Institutions: Implications for Africans in Canadian Universities

“…While this may not be generalized or extended as sameness among other international students, the use of interviews and multi-participant descriptive case study method employed in the study were able to provide clarity on the negative preconceptions of the participants about their fellow Black Americans who were born in the United States. Another methodological implication in this study is the feeling and urge to be successful as international students in a foreign land which other studies equally addressed (Avolonto, 2019;Belkhodja, 2013;Chira, 2013;Finlayson, 2011;Inyama, 2016;Kanu, 2008;Rosbrook, 2020). Constantine et al (2005) while examining the cultural adjustment experiences of African international students in the United States also identified the pre-sojourn and post-sojourn dilemmas of interviewed participants on how they considered the United States a better place to study than their countries of origin prior to arriving at their destination, and eventually how they ended up with a broad range of cultural adjustment issues of White cultural values, hegemony, disappointment, depression, culture shock, verbal attacks, anger, racial discrimination, amongst others.…”

“…As evident in numerous pieces of literature, I discovered that the multiplicities of challenges being faced by Africans and other international students from different parts of the world align with my experiences in Canada. Some of these challenges include the living conditions of Africans, financial adjustments, learning methods, balancing work and study situations in a new environment, choice of cuisine, culture shock, language barrier, racism, and personal barriers (Boafo-Arthur, 2014;Codjoe, 2001;Dei, 1995;Finlayson, 2011;Hampton, 2010;Michalski et al, 2017;Okeke-Ihejirika, 2020;Okusi, 2021;Wilson-Forsberg, 2020).…”