Study-to-work transitions of students-turned-migrants: ongoing struggles of mainland Chinese graduates in Hong Kong

In recent years, international students’ settlement experiences have emerged as a new focus in migration studies. This qualitative study examines the study-to-work transition experiences of 30 mainland Chinese graduates living in Hong Kong and deepens the current discussion of these students-turned-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHigher education Vol. 88; no. 1; pp. 243 - 258
Main Authors Chan, Anita K.W., Chen, Xi
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.07.2024
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Adaptation
Cantonese
Career transitions
College students
Cultural capital
Cultural competence
Culture
Education
Employment
Foreign students
Higher Education
Human capital
Immigration policy
Labor market
Language
Learning
Microaggressions
Migrant workers
Migrants
Migration
Qualitative research
Social integration
Society
Sociocultural factors
Workplaces
Socio-cultural adaptation
Students-turned-migrants
Workplace integration
Study-to-work transition
Intra-Asian mobility
Microaggression
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Summary:In recent years, international students’ settlement experiences have emerged as a new focus in migration studies. This qualitative study examines the study-to-work transition experiences of 30 mainland Chinese graduates living in Hong Kong and deepens the current discussion of these students-turned-migrants’ socio-cultural integration. Specifically, mainland Chinese students-turned-migrants experience ongoing challenges in their study-to-work transitions. Adaptation difficulties in their university years, including limited Cantonese proficiency, meagre cultural understanding of the host society, and weak connections with locals, continue to affect their subsequent employment and social integration. Our findings underscore the crucial links between international students’ prior socio-cultural adaptation and their post-study settlement experiences. We also reveal everyday workplace microaggressions, which should receive greater attention from scholars interested in international students’ and students-turned-migrants’ intra-ethnic interactions. Our findings have implications for immigration policy, university student services, and local companies.
ISSN:0018-1560
1573-174X
DOI:10.1007/s10734-023-01114-9