The cross-cultural experience of the Mainland Chinese immigrant students in Hong Kong secondary schools

Abstract

The researcher studied the cross-cultural experience of the Mainland Chinese immigrant students in Hong Kong secondary schools. The qualitative data were collected from unstructured interviews, where twelve students and four teachers from two secondary schools were involved. The field notes which the author kept when participating in a project for supporting the learning of the immigrant students in seven Hong Kong schools, between 2001 and 2002, were used as a supplementary data. The researcher found that the immigrant students engaged in an on-going and dynamic process of identity transformation. Although their cross-cultural experience differed from one another, they used similar constructs to describe their identity development. Many schools in Hong Kong concern about the growing number of the abode of immigrant students from mainland China. These students experience academic, personal and social difficulties when they are enrolled into Hong Kong schools. How the schools meet the needs of diverse students was the focus of this study.