Reflections on Reentry: A Qualitative Study of Cross-Cultural Reentry Experiences of International Cultural Exchange Students

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the reentry experiences of eight J-1 cultural exchange scholars from Bangladesh, Colombia, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, South Africa, and Pakistan. Participants had spent 10 months in the United States as part of a college program designed to promote diplomatic relationships with developing countries. The theoretical framework draws from three major categories in reentry literature: affective, cognitive, and behavioral adjustments. The findings show how changes in habits and behaviors, the expectations of self and others, and changes in worldviews impact perceptions of self and cultural belonging. Also, the findings include a case study of reentry trauma as a result of returning to gender and religious oppression. The discussion section explores how global systems of oppression and U.S. relations with developing nations exacerbate the challenges during participants' reentry.