While previous research has explored the academic adaptation or
acculturation processes of Chinese students studying abroad, limited
attention has been paid to students' own perspectives and narrations of
their experience. To contribute to a more nuanced understanding of this
highly mobile group, this study takes a closer look at the students'
self-identity narratives. How do they make sense of their foreign
adventure? How do they position themselves among their peers and their
family members, as well as within the greater transnational context?
Based on 29 in-depth, biographical interviews with Chinese students in
the United States, the findings show the participants' continuously
interpreting and revising their individual, academic, and cultural
identities. In the familial context, a recurring narrative of the
high-potential only-child could be observed. Many students (and their
family members) felt that their unique talents and personalities were
not appreciated within the Chinese educational system and thus sought
more holistic environments abroad.