Twenty-third International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

This literature review highlights the intersecting experiences of Korean international students in higher education. Unfortunately, there is not much understanding of the experience of Korean international students in U.S. society as People of Color. Also due to their status as students, there is an assumption of a temporary experience impacting their ability to ground themselves in society even though they spent years living in the U.S. It also important to note that while Korean International students use the international experience and visa acquisition as an opportunity to integrate into the U.S. culture as a lifelong engagement, they are almost always treated like they have one foot out the door. They are in a perpetual state of uncertainty that never goes away. Due to this explicit separation, Korean international students feel a sense of ambiguity in their belonging within U.S. society. This creates a subcategory of minority students who are completely invisible to others who may share similar lived experiences. This puts Korean international students in an especially vulnerable position having to always keep their visa status in mind when navigating higher education systems and other systems at large. Punitive policies surrounding visas and limited access to resources such as monetary support and primary residence, often send the message that Korean international students do not belong. This can be especially detrimental to those that have goals around building a future in the U.S.