Privileged, Disadvantaged, or Both?: Comparing the Experiences of First-Generation and Continuing-Generation Chinese International Students at Elite US Colleges

Past studies have consistently demonstrated that first-generation college students in the US face structural disadvantages in navigating the college environment compared to their continuing-generation peers. However, international first-generation college students studying at US universities are rarely represented in the existing literature. This study aims to address this gap and diversify the scholarly discussion by examining the lived experiences of first-generation Chinese international students at elite US colleges in comparison to those of their Chinese international continuing-generation counterparts. Drawing on Bourdieu's theory and the concept of intersectionality, this research analyzes interview data from 10 first-generation and 10 continuing-generation Chinese international students at four elite US private research universities. The findings reveal that, unlike American domestic students, first-generation and continuing-generation Chinese international students generally share similar challenges and achievements in their college experiences due to the rise of the "capitalist class" during China's Reform and Opening-Up and the limited transferability of home-based parental capital across national borders. As a result, both groups similarly draw on the transnational capital they gained through elite K-12 schools to navigate the elite college environment. Despite these shared overall experiences, first-generation Chinese international students uniquely report intellectual disconnection from their parents and face distinct challenges shaped by China's regional inequality. Overall, these findings contribute to broadening the conversation on first-generation college students, expanding Bourdieu's theory into a transnational setting, and highlighting elite K-12 schools' role in facilitating transnational mobility and reproduction. This study encourages future researchers to explore how elite pre-college education influences global class structures and to reframe first-generation status as encompassing intersectional experiences shaped by the unique social contexts of different countries.