The interplay between ethnic and academic identity construction among South Asian students in Hong Kong tertiary education

The interplay between ethnic and academic identity construction among South Asian students in Hong Kong tertiary education

• Gu, Ming Yue Michelle The Education University of Hong Kong
• Guo, Xiaoyan Grace University of International Business and Economics
• Lee, Chi Kin John The Education University of Hong Kong

Higher Education, 2019

Springer Netherlands

2019

• N Students & Student Services
  • NO Minorities & Immigrant Students
• P Social Context of Education
  • PH Minorities & Education, Racial & Ethnic Factors

Ethnic Identity Academic Identity Ethnic Minority Students Tertiary Education Hong Kong

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Unknown or Unspecified

This qualitative study investigates the interplay between the ethnic and academic identity construction of a group of university students with South Asian backgrounds in Hong Kong. The findings indicate that ethnic identity and ethnic socialization have protective and facilitative effects on learning motivation and academic achievement. It is found that these ethnic minority students receiving tertiary education, holding congruent views of ethnic and academic identity, display a sense of agency and critical reflectivity of both the host society and their heritage communities and see facilitating community uplift and developing a more positive social image of ethnic minorities as their generation’s responsibility. Reconstructing an ethnic identity and developing new social images therefore motivate them to pursue academic success. The findings indicate that the South Asian students figured out ways in which to interact with the outer world and set up new roles and spaces (i.e., a heritage community with more positive social image). The findings shed light on how to provide better opportunities for and assistance to ethnic minority students when they pursue higher education. Copyright © 2019 Springer Nature B.V.

• English

Journal Articles

• 00181560

• 10.1007/s10734-019-00391-7

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/ca1d9b0e

2019-11-01