Written by An Pham
An international classroom is often framed as a space that celebrates diversity, yet, its lived realities may not reflect a place of inclusion, but a site where inclusion is unevenly distributed. Through reflecting on my experiences doing student research as an international student, about and with other international students, this blog shares how I, alongside others, navigated and gently confronted the exclusionary barriers we encountered. I anchor on how theories, often rooted in Western epistemologies, may be unsettled, not just expanded, through the lived experiences from peers of different intersectional backgrounds—those whose realities do not fit neatly within them. Amidst these challenges, I witnessed how simple acts of invitation, making space for the less often heard voices, may invite reflection and critical engagements, honoring more diverse ways of knowing.
Moments of doubt: Does my knowledge count?
“Sorry, but I just don’t think this cultural angle is important enough to pursue”
The proposal text that received this comment was written shortly after my arrival at a European university for an undergraduate degree. Several years have passed since, yet, they still linger within me as a reminder of the uncertainty that is my voice in Western academia. My migration experience has given me the sensibility to observe the changes that I embody, the environmental and cultural changes that shape and re-shape the ways I think, talk, and act. I am not alone with these shifting dynamics, as many others have also experienced this mobility as “becoming”, shaped and re-shaped by the desire to thrive in new territories. Yet, assimilation into the new academic culture did not spare me the alienation from its curriculum; the dissonance between its Western/Eurocentric paradigms against my histories and socializations. In this liminal temporality—suspended between cultural, social, and linguistic frames of the past and the ambiguity in the new environment—the language and practices at my disposal proved inadequate in translating my views into the sanctioned vocabulary of academia.
The comment, though lightly charged, unsettled my sense of positionality and the legitimacy of my epistemological repertoire; a doubt not unique to me but reflective of the collective sentiment shared by academic migrants negotiating structures that marginalize their presence and perspectives. The problem in this comment lies not in the challenge to defend my voice, but in the absence of the challenge itself. It was not an invitation to elaborate, refine or further support the argument, but rather a dismissal, issued by an authority who judged its merit—and, by extension, my lived knowledge—through an institutional filter that shapes knowledge hierarchies. My persistence faced both disillusionment and solace: Disillusionment in witnessing the guidance and patience withheld from my struggles given to others more likely to excel; solace through solidarity, collective knowledge making, creating sharing moments and spaces to honor marginalized voices.
Creating and holding space
Exclusion does not announce itself loudly; rather, it resides quietly in the background, invisible to those who are walking in tandem with the collective momentum of a crowd. This metaphor of the human traffic flow symbolizes the weight for those who diverge from the majority:
“The body who is ‘‘going the wrong way’’ is the one experienced as ‘‘in the way’’ of a will that is acquired as momentum. For some, mere persistence, ‘‘to continue steadfastly,’’ requires great effort, an effort that might appear to others as stubbornness, willfulness, or obstinacy.”
– On Being Included, Sarah Ahmed, pp. 186
Doing research with and about international students, I saw firsthand how knowledge production can exist as a dynamic process of negotiation, rather than a passive act of reception. Many of the students I spoke with, both formally as participants and informally as colleagues, did not simply accept theories as given—they questioned, modified, and expanded on them through their own epistemological lenses. To facilitate shared ownership of knowledge is to approach query with respect, curiosity, humility and empathy; to allow agentic voices to emerge and challenge conceptual, epistemic boundaries. The question pertains: How should these moments of exchange be nurtured and ignited both within and beyond the classroom? How can diverse voices be truly heard and valued?
While my own experience of being on the outside have deeply shaped my approach in engaging with diverse knowledge perspectives, I continue to draw inspiration from feminist pedagogies and critical participatory frameworks as an ongoing process in producing more meaningful research. However, being mindful of recent global political shifts that may put international student populations in even more vulnerable positions, I feel an urgency to move beyond doing “desk research” and contribute to movements advocating for policy changes that protect students’ safety and dignity both within institutional settings, and at their host destinations.
Further readings
Hayes, A., Lomer, S., & Taha, S. H. (2024). Epistemological process towards decolonial praxis and epistemic inequality of an international student. Educational Review, 76(1), 132-144.
Author bio
An Pham holds a Master’s in Communication Science. Her research focuses on the role of technology and culture in migration and higher education contexts. She is currently exploring the intersection of critical feminist theories and participatory methodologies in research, pedagogy, and societal engagement.