This study investigates the adjustment experiences of 23 Chinese-speaking foreignborn
students in a social climate where they form the largest cultural group in a secondary
school setting. The study's objectives were to determine initial adjustment issues, to examine
adjustment issues of international and satellite students as sub-groups within this population,
to identify students' lived experiences concerning racism and discrimination; to identify
adjustment concerns subsequent to graduation and to examine student perception of Canada's
multicultural policy.
Ethnographic interviews were conducted over a four-week period. Data were
subsequently categorized into 14 different categories: Agency, Chinese Population Concerns,
Comparing Education Systems, Cultural Considerations, Current Adjustment Issues, ESL
Program, Facilitating/Hindering Issues, Friendship/Peer Relationships, Initial Observations
and Concerns, Language, Mental Health Issues, Multicultural and Assimilation Issues,
Racism and Discrimination, and Satellite and International Students.
Adjustment issues were divided into two main categories: those pertaining to the
large numbers of Chinese-speaking foreign-born students and those that are independent of
their large numbers. Issues that seem to stem directly from the large numbers of Chinesespeaking
foreign-born students are language development, developing friendships outside the
Chinese cultural group, assimilation/integration issues, and EAL program concerns.
Language, peer relations, cross-cultural concerns and education and the school environment
are the adjustment issues identified in this study.
Satellite student results, further divided into satellite and full-satellite categories,
produced somewhat different findings. While mental health issues began to emerge in the
satellite category, they overrode the adjustment concerns of full-satellite students.
Students do not identify racism and discrimination as adjustment issues though they
are part of their everyday lives. Students were aware of Canada's reputation as a
multicultural country and understood the concept of cultural pluralism. Most students could
see the benefits of this policy to them as Chinese-speaking foreign-born students. Some
students felt the policy was good for Canada; others did not.
Recommendations included reviewing the current provincial EAL Policy in view of
the changing demographics in some of British Columbia's school districts, placing a priority
on identifying/addressing the needs of satellite students and increasing funding to develop
and implement a more comprehensive program concerning racism and discrimination.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/10702 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Minichiello, Diane Betty |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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