The myths of “Melting Pot” and “California Dream”: Ethnographic accounts of separation, marginalization, and intra-group conflicts among east asian international students

Abstract

This study investigated the underexplored aspect of acculturation in the United States, focusing on analyzing the experiences of East Asian international students in California. Through layered accounts in narrative ethnographies, the study analyzed factors influencing separation and marginalization within two distinct national groups: (a) Chinese students in Northern California and (b) Korean students in Southern California. Thus, this study captured the subjectivities of two American authors, providing a rich and thick narration of the lived experiences of East Asian international students. The findings revealed that despite participants’ positive motivations and acculturation expectations, they encountered significant separation and marginalization. Notably, intra-group conflicts within the Chinese and Korean communities emerged as critical factors that exacerbated acculturative stressors, ultimately influencing decisions to leave their host communities. The study employed concepts from Confucianism within acculturation theory to analyze the experiences of these students, offering novel theoretical insights from emic and etic perspectives.