A Cultural Hybridization Perspective: Emerging Academic Subculture among International Students from East Asia in U.S.

This research examines the emerging academic subculture of international students from East Asia in U.S. academics from the cultural hybridization perspective. In a knowledge-based economy, international education plays a pivotal role in the global educational environment. Advocacy of international student mobility is essential; international student mobility fundamentally increases academic culture flows and the transmission and incorporation of different global cultural identity, while simultaneously leading to the breakdown of individual cultural identity in a new cultural context. In addition, the international students can be a catalyst and may generate new academic subcultures in new academic environments. This process contributes to the cultural hybridization process worldwide. The purpose of this article is to provide a qualitative research study on specific features of the international students' academic subculture. The research study findings display that East Asian international students cope in a vastly different academic culture by forming their own peer academic subculture and limiting interactions with faculty members and domestic students. The study recommends further research in this area and also promoting an effective relationship between faculty and international students as well as international students with domestic students.