Abstract:

First-generation students have increasingly become focus of research due to the specific struggles they have with academic adjustment and belonging in college, and for composing a significant part of the student population. International students on their behalf struggle with language barrier and with the process of acculturation. However, there is a gap in the literature about the experiences of first-generation international students. In this research paper, I study how this double background affects the college experience of students at Harvard. I interviewed eleven undergraduate students who are first-generation and international, who come from all parts of the world: Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. I found that most of their experiences are aligned with what the literature suggests. An interesting finding is that they feel they do not fit either with first-generation or with other international students, feeling alienated in the community. At the end, I propose some suggestions for school administrators, such as to foster faculty-student mentorship relationship and the creation of a strong organization for international students with a focus on cultural adjustment.