A Study on the Sense of Belonging of Chinese Students in the United States in the Post-epidemic Era

Abstract

The global pandemic has affected the entire world from all kinds of aspects. People were forced to stay up home to avoid the virus, which led to the great depression both economically and culturally. A great number of small and medium-sized enterprises closed down on the economic side. For the cultural field, one of the most affected fields tends to be education. Because of the worldwide pandemic, most schools were shut down and students can only have classes through online access. Under this circumstance, various education-related issues arose. Almost all the Chinese international students were forced to go back to China or quarantined in the foreign culture due to the restrictions of travelling. Many Chinese international students happened to be stuck in negative emotions, which can be concluded as a lack of sense of belonging during these turbulent times. The lack of sense of belonging can mainly originate from three factors: socialization, academic performance, and internship application. This article will first look into the troubles caused by these three main factors and then develop targeted solutions to remit the condition and improve Chinese international students’ sense of belonging in the United States.