Article Title
Rules, Risk, and Racialization: Chinese International Students’ Experiences with Compliance and Care Through Institutional Policies in U.S. Higher Education
Abstract
This empirical study explores how Chinese international students (CIS) experience student conduct systems in U.S. higher education as racialized structures shaped by compliance and institutional opacity. Drawing on acculturation theory, racialization, and international student identity, the study highlights how CIS interpret conduct policies as exclusionary rather than supportive, reinforcing cultural distance and institutional mistrust. Findings from interviews with first-year CIS suggest that belonging is not fostered through current misconduct systems, which often amplify legal anxiety, racial hypervisibility, and emotional silence. The article advocates for a reframing of internationalization that prioritizes cultural responsiveness, relational care, and the lived experiences of international students.
