Student Identities Abroad

Some students choose to study abroad in a particular region, country, or culture because of a personal, familial, ancestral, linguistic, or cultural connection. These students are sometimes referred to as heritage seekers, diaspora students, or diasporic students. Rather than studying abroad in a completely unfamiliar place, they may be drawn to a location that feels familiar through family history, cultural traditions, language, identity, or community connections.

For many students, studying abroad provides an opportunity to connect more deeply with their family's history, culture, language, or place of origin. For others, it may offer new perspectives on their heritage, identity, and sense of belonging.

Studying abroad as a heritage or diaspora student can be both rewarding and complex. Students may feel an immediate connection to the culture and community of their host country, while also discovering important differences in lived experiences, cultural norms, language, or values. Some students find a new sense of belonging, while others experience moments of being viewed as both an insider and an outsider.

Students may be welcomed because of shared heritage, language, appearance, or cultural ties. At the same time, they may be perceived as foreign because of differences in nationality, upbringing, accent, language proficiency, or cultural experiences. These experiences can bring unexpected emotions and questions about identity, community, and belonging.

While every experience is different, many heritage and diaspora students find that studying abroad helps them develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their family history, and their relationships to both their home and host cultures.

We are here to help and offer the questions and resources below as a starting point. As always, your Education Abroad Advisor is available to assist you as you explore program options and navigate these questions.

Questions to Ask Yourself and/or Your Education Abroad Advisor

• How might I be perceived in my host country?
• How does my understanding of this culture compare to the experiences of people who live there?
• What expectations do I have about feeling connected to the local community?
• How might I respond if others make assumptions about my identity, background, language ability, or nationality?
• Will I be viewed differently because I am coming from the United States?
• How important is it to me to strengthen my language skills or cultural knowledge while abroad?
• Are there opportunities to connect with local communities, family members, or organizations that share my background or interests?
• Will there be other heritage or diaspora students on my program?
• How might this experience affect my understanding of my identity and sense of belonging?

Tips

Expect both connections and differences. Sharing an ethnic, cultural, linguistic, or ancestral connection with your host country does not necessarily mean your experiences will be the same as those of local residents. Be open to both similarities and differences.

Do your research before you go. Learn about the history, customs, current events, and cultural norms of your host country. You may discover important differences between how the culture is experienced in diaspora communities and how it is experienced locally.

Be prepared for assumptions. People may make assumptions about your identity, nationality, language ability, or cultural background. These assumptions may or may not align with your own understanding of yourself.

Think about language expectations. If you speak the local language, people may expect a certain level of fluency. If you do not speak the language, you may encounter questions about your connection to the culture or country.

Define your own experience. Seek opportunities to engage with local communities and cultural organizations, but avoid putting pressure on yourself to have a particular type of transformative or "authentic" experience.

Learn from those who came before you. Talk with returned students, Global Ambassadors, alumni, and program staff to better understand the wide range of experiences heritage and diaspora students have abroad.

Embrace complexity. It is possible to feel connected, disconnected, welcomed, challenged, and transformed all at the same time. These experiences are common and can be an important part of personal growth and identity exploration.

ON-CAMPUS RESOURCES