Transculturality, Anti-Asian Racism and Student Mobility: A Case Study of Chinese International Student Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The breakout and spread of the SARS-COV-2/COVID-19 virus in early 2020 caused a drastic increase in blatant racism and microaggressions against Asians/people of Asian descent. The rise of anti-Asian racism can be viewed as a repeat of a century-long narrative of Yellow Peril against Asian newcomers in western societies. While some reports/studies explained the phenomenon with the hegemony of race relations, it is imperative to examine the experiences of anti-Asian racism in the context of the fast-changing geopolitical economy and transcultural relations. Using the conceptual frameworks of Intellectual Migration and transculturalism, this study examines how the rise of anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic affected Chinese international students in Nova Scotia and if their experience of racialization was critical enough to change their post-graduation plan of staying in Canada or not. In order to provide an overview of international student experiences in Nova Scotia and to assess the significance of ethnicity and racism as factors in student mobility, we analyzed the data from two research projects. First, survey and individual interview data from the IM (Intellectual Migration) Halifax project provided detailed insights on Chinese international students' study and living experiences during the pandemic and their post-graduation plans. Second, survey and focus group data from the NSIS (Nova Scotia International Students) project allowed a comparison of pandemic experiences between Chinese and other international students in the province of Nova Scotia. This case study aimed to examine the experiences of racialization among Chinese international students in Nova Scotia and assess the extent to which their post-graduation mobility is shaped by racialization.