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Turning a Mirror into a Window: A Duoethnographic Study of International Student Identity

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Title: Turning a Mirror into a Window: A Duoethnographic Study of International Student Identity
Language: English
Authors: Sarah Schiffecker, Joanna Abdallah
Source: New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 2025 (181):35-44.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 10
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Students, Self Concept, Ethnography, Study Abroad, Student Attitudes, Educational Experience, White Students, Doctoral Students, Group Membership, Intersectionality, Psychological Patterns
DOI: 10.1002/tl.20618
ISSN: 0271-0633
1536-0768
Abstract: This duoethnographical study explores the experiences of the two authors, Joanna and Sarah, as international students in the United States that do not quite fully fit in any of the categories described in research literature. Using a Borderland theoretical approach, the authors explore the in-between spaces at the intersections of their identities in order to understand their complex experiences as white/wwwhite-passing international doctoral students in the United States. Applying the Borderland approach to both intersectional and social identity frameworks, this chapter seeks to highlight the intricacies involved in the identity development of international students, especially when group membership is fluid. The results of this duoethnography challenge traditional notions of intersectionality of identity and uncover a dissonance in the identities of both authors.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1461611
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0184014664;ndt01mar.25;2025Mar27.06:35;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0184014664-1">Turning a mirror into a window: A duoethnographic study of international student identity </title> <sbt id="AN0184014664-2">INTRODUCTION</sbt> <p>This duoethnographical study explores the experiences of the two authors, Joanna and Sarah, as international students in the United States that do not quite fully fit in any of the categories described in research literature. Using a Borderland theoretical approach, the authors explore the in‐between spaces at the intersections of their identities in order to understand their complex experiences as white/www.ite‐passing international doctoral students in the United States. Applying the Borderland approach to both intersectional and social identity frameworks, this chapter seeks to highlight the intricacies involved in the identity development of international students, especially when group membership is fluid. The results of this duoethnography challenge traditional notions of intersectionality of identity and uncover a dissonance in the identities of both authors.</p> <p>As the United States welcomes new international students every year, education researchers continue to expand the literature about these students and their development on U.S. campuses. Over the past few years, the United States has had an average of 1 million enrolled international students, mostly from China, India, and Saudi Arabia (Institute of International Education [IIE], [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref1">10</reflink>]). As such, the literature on international students has focused mostly on predominant populations of international students' acculturation and acculturative stress as they culturally and socially adapt to the host country (Krsmanovic, [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref2">13</reflink>]).</p> <p>However, research has also shown that higher education institutions tend to externalize racial injustice and racism "as a global issue" (Buckner et al., [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref3">4</reflink>], p. 32), yet instrumentalize racial diversity "as a source of improving institutional reputation or diversity metrics" (p. 32). Identification by race and/or ethnicity is very prevalent in the United States, but a new concept to many international students arriving here. While many international students have felt alienated and less welcome in the United States (Horne et al., [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref4">9</reflink>]; Lee, [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref5">14</reflink>]), European, Canadian, and Australian students were less likely to have experienced discrimination (Lee, [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref6">14</reflink>]). In addition, Kiang et al. ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref7">12</reflink>]) presented another simplified dichotomy of international students' identity fusion at U.S. colleges and universities. In their study, Kiang et al. ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref8">12</reflink>]) explored whether international students were connected and aligning themselves to other international peers or to domestic students. Although international student research expands our knowledge of experiences and needs, the literature limits the international student identity to a general repeated assumption based on majority populations. Regardless of the country of origin, all international students are bound by the same policies and status as newcomers in the United States. Thus, not many studies have delved into the <emph>gray area</emph> and the <emph>in‐between</emph> spaces of international student identity development in US higher education. While legal classifications cover one aspect of what it means to be an international student, other facets of international student identities vary greatly between individuals and are subjected to constant negotiation and development (Tavares, [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref9">22</reflink>]). This fluctuation and ambivalence inherent to the international student identities reflects the <emph>in‐betweenness</emph> "neither entirely inside or outside" (Milligan, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref10">16</reflink>], p. 1) of one's home and host countries. At the same time, this positionality between insider and outsider enables the authors of this duo‐autoethnography to leverage their identities, positionalities, and reflexivity thereof to provide insights into the experiences <emph>in‐between</emph> (Wilson et al., [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref11">23</reflink>]).</p> <p>In an attempt to grow this underdeveloped area of research, we, Joanna and Sarah, as participant‐researchers of this study, will offer our experiences as international students who are currently situated in the <emph>in‐between</emph> space of fitting in while standing out. As white/white‐passing women in the United States, we have struggled to find a definitive claim to our identity fusion status as international students. This struggle is two‐fold: to other international students, we do not seem <emph>international enough</emph>; to domestic students and individuals, we are perceived to be <emph>like them</emph> unlike <emph>other</emph> international students when we truly may not feel that way. Being in this situation, our space of belonging is outside of the duality of domestic and international. The category of domestic students includes, for the purposes of this study, American citizens, naturalized American citizens, as well as permanent residents of the United States (green card holders). International students are considered individuals residing in the United States on an F‐1 or J‐1 visa, pursuing (higher) education. This chapter explores a larger question of identity that surpasses checking a box on a form; it involves experiences that are unmatched to current literature on us as international students and the classic and stereotypical separation of international and domestic students.</p> <hd id="AN0184014664-3">Theoretical framework</hd> <p>This study is supported by a Borderland theoretical approach to identity (Jones & Abes, [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref12">11</reflink>]), employing theories of intersectionality of identity, social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref13">21</reflink>]), as well as the concept of a third space where identity intersections and negotiations happen (Soja, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref14">19</reflink>]). A Borderland approach to theories focuses on a space <emph>in‐between</emph> theories, acknowledging intersections and refusing to limit research through harsh theoretical borders (Jones & Abes, [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref15">11</reflink>]). Approaching theory through the idea of a Borderland, a space in‐between that is neither fully here nor there, originated from student development and identity research (Abes, [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref16">1</reflink>]; Jones & Abes, [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref17">11</reflink>]). This understanding of the in‐between‐ness of the Borderland as "a constant state of transition" (Anzaldúa, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref18">2</reflink>], p. 3) lends itself particularly useful when examining the lived realities of international students who not only cross physical, national borders when leaving their home countries to pursue education abroad, but also move across cultural and social borders (Ernst‐Slavit, [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref19">7</reflink>]).</p> <p>For the purpose of this study, the theoretical frameworks of identity intersectionality (Dill & Zambrana, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref20">6</reflink>]) and social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref21">21</reflink>]) were overlapped, creating a third space of identity formation (Soja, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref22">19</reflink>]). This process created a framework that is able to capture the experiences of our experiences as two international women doctoral students from different backgrounds navigating the in‐between spaces of their identities as international students, researchers, and assimilated identities as white or white‐passing women in the U.S. higher education scape. It is at the intersections of these identities that our selected theoretical framework has developed. Aspects of intersectionality of identity are adopted within the Borderland approach in order to capture the plurality and mutual influence of the various identities both women hold, while at the same time acknowledging the power structures those intersections create and work within (Dill & Zambrana, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref23">6</reflink>]). Social identity theory overlaps with this understanding of an intersectionality of identity by integrating aspects of in‐group and out‐group membership dynamics the women find themselves in when negotiating their identities as advocates for international students while at the same time being perceived as "not international enough." When overlapping different approaches to capture identity dynamics, a third space "in‐between" emerges, where intersections and dissonance create a unique experience of identity (Soja, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref24">19</reflink>]). Figure 1 illustrates the different identities pushing and pulling us in different directions, creating a nondefined "third space" in the middle that is not fully part of either side.</p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/NDT/01mar25/tl20618-fig-0001.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="tl20618-fig-0001.jpg" title="1 A "third space" of identity." /> </p> <p></p> <hd id="AN0184014664-5">METHODS</hd> <p>This study employs a qualitative design since "[q]ualitative researchers are interested in understanding how people interpret their experiences, how they construct their worlds, and what meaning they attribute to their experiences" (Merriam, [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref25">15</reflink>], p. 5). The specific methodological approach of a duoethnography was selected as this study represents a reflective, collaborative exploration of what it means for two women international students to be in a space between international and "not international enough" on their educational journeys at U.S. higher education institutions. The focus within this methodology is placed on the uniqueness, individuality, and dialectic aspects of human experiences (Norris et al., [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref26">17</reflink>]). By sharing their personal accounts, the authors cocreated a duoethnography that captures both their individual experiences as well as the dialogic and shared journeys of identity formation. While the duoethnographic approach has similarities to the autoethnographic design, this study benefits from the inclusion of not just one, but two lived experiences of navigating the U.S. higher educational space as international students told within their own voices.</p> <p>The data was collected through a conversation via Zoom, in which both researchers/ participants engaged in a dialogue on how they experienced being white/white‐passing international students in doctoral programs in the United States. The conversation was recorded and subsequently coded collaboratively by both researchers employing content analysis (Strauss & Corbin, [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref27">17</reflink>]). The initial open coding produced codes that were then condensed into two major themes. Rather than entering into a hierarchical researcher‐participant relational dynamic, the two coauthors worked in a cocreational space of equality (Norris et al., [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref28">17</reflink>]). The duoethnography provides a research design that allows for the collaborative exploration of shared experiences (Bodine Al‐Sharif & Hassan Zadeh, [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref29">3</reflink>]). Joanna best describes our findings within the duoethnographic approach as an academic look in the mirror. She notes,</p> <p>As you said, it's like kind of the natural experience of coming to this realization or even coming to realization, but kind of unraveling that, yeah, something that never had a name or was just kind of living inside of us and never really got to be out there and actually be given words and a story and all this stuff.</p> <hd id="AN0184014664-6">Findings—Seeing the reflections in the mirror</hd> <p>By engaging in a deep and honest conversation, the researchers were able to produce the findings of this study. A general and thorough examination of the dialogue unraveled two main themes: (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref30">1</reflink>) Borderland of international identity at work versus at home, and (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref31">2</reflink>) Identity crisis induced by federal policies for international students. It is important to note that both themes are interrelated and may be observed simultaneously in some parts of the conversation. To honor the genuine and unique nature of the phenomenon, the authors chose to present the findings below in the form where they originally emerged: a dialogue between two international students.</p> <p> <bold>Sarah</bold>: I've just really developed this habit of just kind of blending in. And that is a lot easier for me because I physically don't look like I'm not American. As soon as I start speaking, people notice. But from a first glance, you would not know that I'm not American.</p> <p>...Thinking about that made me almost like, am I being a good ambassador of the international student community? Am I being a good ambassador of the international scholar community if I try so hard to assimilate and be like U.S. scholars? So, it almost put me in this kind of weird space of, like, torn identity. Like, what am I even doing? Like, I care about issues that pertain to the international community, but am I almost selling out by acting more like a U.S. scholar?</p> <p> <bold>Joanna</bold>: Yeah. And on the flip side, do you feel like you actually fit into, like, the U.S. context? So. Are you actually? Well, you're trying to blend in. Maybe you don't feel that belonging to the international student group anymore because you are kind of in a different space. But are you in that space where you feel connected to the U.S. context, or do you feel American? I don't know how to explain it, but...</p> <p> <bold>Sarah</bold>: Yeah, no, I don't... I think, I pretty much most of my life, I've always felt like I'm playing a role I've never been. This sounds so sad, and it's not meant to be, to sound as sad as it does right now. But I've always played a role that I found to be suitable in a specific situation.</p> <hd1 id="AN0184014664-7">***</hd1> <p> <bold>Sarah</bold>: ... I think I put it on myself [being an international student representative] more so than anything else. I also do a lot of work on international student experiences, so it is kind of a two edged sword. On the one hand, I really...I'm really interested in the topic. I really, I do think there's so much that needs to be done, and I do want to provide a voice to people who often don't have one. But sometimes I struggle with the fact that I do use my privilege for that because I know there's privilege that comes with being somewhat proficient in English and there's privilege that comes with looking the way I look, looking like the color of my skin and being able to easily blend in. So, I guess what I'm struggling with the most right now is just kind of this feeling of being a little bit lost in general, just in terms of what I want to do, who I am, how I fit in.</p> <p> <bold>Joanna</bold>: ...the last interaction I told you about when I discussed it with the council [of graduate students, I was saying, Did you have any experiences with discrimination when you were trying to find a job on campus and all of that? And a lot of students were just like not responding or just not really engaging in the conversation. And in that moment, I kind of felt like I'm on my own. Yeah. And I just, I'm like, I don't know who I am. Am I really advocating for international students? Did I hear something wrong and all that? Some students were grateful and they're saying like: Oh, you're doing good work. But it just felt like I. Not in the same space as other people. And that goes for both sides, U.S. and international. I feel like I'm just not in anyone's space. Yeah. But I fit in more when it comes to us context, given physical attributes and my language skills. But internally my experiences and like how I operate and all of that without putting on the act of oh, I'm trying to be professional, etc. I am more likely to connect better with an international student on a personal level.</p> <hd1 id="AN0184014664-8">***</hd1> <p> <bold>Joanna</bold>: ...It's, it's just that weird spot between. Who am I? I'm not an immigrant yet. I'm still where I am... I just get complete anxiety. Just talking about or thinking about it, like, okay, how do I manage that? I probably will need to extend my I‐20 because I haven't heard anything from immigration yet. And yeah, how does it work with the policies at my institution? Can I actually extend? Will they actually accept it?... And I think this semester has just been a weird time period. I don't know how to explain it. Maybe I'm homesick or something. I've been homesick for a long time, but I think it has hit really bad right now to the point where I'm like, trying to be who I am and where I'm from.</p> <p> <bold>Sarah</bold>: And for me, I guess sometimes I just get tired of having to find out what role I'm expected to play. Right now, especially when it comes to like, anything diversity related or anything that has to, whether that's from an institution or just like in any conversation where diversity is, is a topic I feel like I'm expected to be extra international and kind of play that role of the international person. And then that gets in the way of me often feeling like I have to play the role of the non‐international researcher. Like I'm just, I don't want to be treated, like, differently than any of my U.S. colleagues. But then, I struggle with, I guess, still facing challenges that they are not facing. And then I don't really know how to navigate it because I'm so focused on acting like I'm not different than anybody else. And then sometimes I'm expected to be different and celebrated and like you said, just kind of be very open. And I mean, I got my little Austrian flag in the background that I still don't know if I feel 100% about, even though I put it up, which is another schizophrenic situation.</p> <p>...Like, it just. It's just Sarah. She's saying silly things in a silly accent, but she's not... And then it always was an issue when I was painfully made aware that I am, in fact, international and that certain things, you know, are a challenge for me. Like when we talked about Visa stuff. And then I think that's why that frustrated me even more, because I felt like I tried. So hard. To just fit in and be American and. I don't know. It's just the and I think that's also why I feel. Almost like a. What do you call it? An imposter in the international community. Which I am not. But I sometimes feel like I am. I feel like I'm almost an imposter in both worlds.</p> <p> <bold>Joanna</bold>: ...I'm like, kind of more of an observer at that point than I am like an international student... [At the international festival on campus] So I went to the Oman booth or something like that. And I started speaking Arabic, and some guy just went like, Wait, what? Like Arabic? I'm like, Yeah. So, when I speak my native language, they just look at me like. Like, hold up. That's suspicious. Like, you shouldn't be speaking.</p> <p>...For me, it is kind of the same thing [as you], but in a different way. So, what I try to do is show that I am capable as much as you are, and even more as an American citizen. But I want to let you know that I did not grow up here and I did not learn all these things in this country. And part of who I am is where I came from. So, I am proud of that. And I, and I do acknowledge that. But the fight is in trying to get people here in the U.S. understand that being an international student is not a barrier. And it's not like that badge that you're saying like to make me look different. It's not about that. It's more about. Just being who you are and seeing the people for what they are and what they can do. Yeah, not about like, Oh, you check this box, or you check this box. So, I'm kind of like trying to prove it for other international students, maybe, like, you don't have to do that hard work and try so hard to just prove your identity.</p> <hd1 id="AN0184014664-9">***</hd1> <p>While we both went into the conversation thinking that we were looking through a glass window, their exchange of experiences revealed otherwise. We discovered that we were looking at a mirror of our own selves by listening to each other. This mirror reflected similar frustrations that emerged from similar experiences as international students despite our differing nationalities and backgrounds.</p> <hd id="AN0184014664-10">Discussion—Turning the mirror into a window</hd> <p>The findings section illuminates the ways in which the data analysis process produced what felt like a scholarly, yet vulnerable, look in the mirror for us as the researchers. Joanna shares,</p> <p>[I]t's just like there's no masks, like in our conversations, like, yeah, we're vulnerable and we're really putting things out there, whether they're good or bad. And it does take certain people to be able to do this. It's not that you can't just have this conversation with anyone. Like, it can't be documented in any conversation with any international student because believe it or not, sometimes you have to gauge your conversations based on the other person. Oh, if you go international status doesn't mean that you'll always have that ultimate connection (Joanna).</p> <p>While this reflexive reflection initiated our analytical process, it is in this section that we seek to turn our reflexive mirror into a window, allowing for our experiences to be seen and explored by a broader audience. We will be discussing the themes as they relate to the theories we integrated as lenses, rather than frames. The use of frameworks felt limiting, as they are rarely applicable to the complex and highly varying international experience without modifications. By utilizing a borderland framework as our lens, however, we remain flexible enough to be able to examine complex lived realities like the ones experienced by international students.</p> <p>The findings of this duoethnography produced two major themes: (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref32">1</reflink>) the dissonance of the legal realities of being an international student and scholar while simultaneously finding ourselves integrated in the U.S. scholarly and nonscholarly culture, and (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref33">2</reflink>) the identity crisis resulting from the experience of an in‐between‐ness of cultures and identities, the quest and struggle for authenticity, as well as the frustrations of not feeling seen while not allowing to be seen. Both themes tell the tale of two women finding themselves in‐between both external and internal borders of their identities, in "a constant state of transition" (Anzaldúa, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref34">2</reflink>], p. 3). The discrepancy between the internally experienced identities and externally performed roles defined by legal status, professional environment and scholarly activities resulted in a blurring of the lines between the perceived in‐groups and out‐groups (Tajfel & Turner, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref35">21</reflink>]). Performativity, aligning with Butler's ([<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref36">2</reflink>]) work, emerged as a central way to both create and display identities. However, the high degree of various performed identities resulted in an experience of difficulty in separating "the actor from the act" (Harman & Zhang, [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref37">8</reflink>], p. 68). The question of what group we belong to extended into an even more fundamental question of who we truly are, turning a quest for group membership into one of identity itself.</p> <p>Going into this project, we expected to uncover various intersectionalities in the Borderland of our identities as white or white‐passing, international students and scholars. What the findings illuminated, however, challenges the notion of intersectionality as an intersection of multiple identities (Dill & Zambrana, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref38">6</reflink>]). What emerged from our reflections is an experienced dissonance rather than merely an intersection of our identities. We found ourselves navigating a Borderland defined by a notion of a "neither, nor," feeling torn while trying to merge dissonant aspects of our identities that seemingly resisted intersection. In a way, our identity borders have overlapped, making our zone a thirdspace that Soja ([<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref39">19</reflink>]) defined as "both a space that is distinguishable from other spaces (physical and mental, or First and Second) and a transcending composite of all spaces (Thirdspace as [a concept of infinity])" (p. 62). However, being in that ambiguous thirdspace, we have found ourselves trying to fit in both international and domestic spaces. In our attempts to be "normal," we recognize the privileges that we already have as white/white‐passing women as well as the privileges and power we seek that come with whiteness in the United States. These complex experiences of space and identity have taught us how to navigate the dissonance between the two identities we have (international and domestic). Although navigating this dissonance has been an internal struggle, we have learned that being in the "between" space has allowed us to be understanding and graceful toward others who are in either space instead of viewing others from one side.</p> <hd id="AN0184014664-11">Implications and future research</hd> <p>This duoethnography provides valuable insights into the complexities of international student identity development and the experiences of two international women in the U.S. higher education space. By sharing their conversation within the framework of a Borderland theoretical approach to identity (Jones & Abes, [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref40">11</reflink>]) that intersects theories of intersectionality of identity and social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref41">21</reflink>]), both authors reflected on their experiences and situate them in the broader context of international student identity development. The implications of this duoethnographic exploration are twofold and include a theoretical and practical component. The theoretical implication is a challenge of the notion of intersectionality of identities in international students. Rather than have different identities intersect each other, there appears to be a less explored, dissonant "third space" of identity that cannot be captured by a dichotomy of "either, or" but remains in an undefined "neither, nor." The practical implication pertains to the ways in which U.S. higher education institutions support and serve their international student populations. Being aware of the identity dissonance international students may experience throughout their educational journeys allows institutions to adequately respond to the varied needs of this student population.</p> <p>For future research projects, researchers could address the prevalence of the experiences exhibited in this paper to offer a more refined image of international student experiences in the literature. On a more exploratory level, researchers could study the impact of romantic relationships on international students' lives and identities while pursuing their degree in the United States.</p> <ref id="AN0184014664-12"> <title> REFERENCES </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref16" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Abes, E. S. (2009). Theoretical borderlands: Using multiple theoretical perspectives to challenge inequitable power structures in student development theory. 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Brooks/Cole.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Tavares, V. (2021). Theoretical perspectives on international student identity. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 13 (2), 83 – 97.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Wilson, C., Janes, G., & Williams, J. (2022). Identity, positionality and reflexivity: Relevance and application to research paramedics. British Paramedic Journal, 7 (2), 43 – 49. https://doi.org/10.29045/14784726.2022.09.7.2.43</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Sarah Schiffecker and Joanna Abdallah</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author</p> <p></p> <p>Sara Maria Schiffecker, PhD, currently serves as a lecturer and assistant director of International Graduate Student Affairs at the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University. She graduated from the Higher Education Research program at TTU and her academic background is in Cultural and Social Anthropology, Slavic Studies (University of Vienna, Austria) as well as Foreign Languages and Literatures (Texas Tech University). Her research interests lie in international and comparative higher education, intercultural communication, as well as global educational leadership.</p> <p>Joanna Abdallah is a PhD candidate in the educational leadership doctoral program at the University of Dayton. Currently, she is a copy editor for the Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education (JCIHE). Joanna also serves as the chair of the Comparative and International Education Society's (CIES) Higher Education Special Interest Group's (HESIG) awards committee. 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  Data: Turning a Mirror into a Window: A Duoethnographic Study of International Student Identity
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sarah+Schiffecker%22">Sarah Schiffecker</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Joanna+Abdallah%22">Joanna Abdallah</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22New+Directions+for+Teaching+and+Learning%22"><i>New Directions for Teaching and Learning</i></searchLink>. 2025 (181):35-44.
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Students%22">Foreign Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Concept%22">Self Concept</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethnography%22">Ethnography</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Study+Abroad%22">Study Abroad</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Experience%22">Educational Experience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22White+Students%22">White Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Doctoral+Students%22">Doctoral Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Group+Membership%22">Group Membership</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intersectionality%22">Intersectionality</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+Patterns%22">Psychological Patterns</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1002/tl.20618
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  Data: 0271-0633<br />1536-0768
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  Data: This duoethnographical study explores the experiences of the two authors, Joanna and Sarah, as international students in the United States that do not quite fully fit in any of the categories described in research literature. Using a Borderland theoretical approach, the authors explore the in-between spaces at the intersections of their identities in order to understand their complex experiences as white/wwwhite-passing international doctoral students in the United States. Applying the Borderland approach to both intersectional and social identity frameworks, this chapter seeks to highlight the intricacies involved in the identity development of international students, especially when group membership is fluid. The results of this duoethnography challenge traditional notions of intersectionality of identity and uncover a dissonance in the identities of both authors.
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