Survey of 30 years of Chinese students in US reflects pressures as well as satisfaction
- A large majority of respondents said they would repeat their time in the United States if they could do it over and would send their children to study in the US
- Many who answered the survey also reported incidents involving discrimination
Chinese students mostly have a fond impression of their time in the US, although they increasingly report experiences of discrimination and pressure to express certain political views, according to a survey of three decades of Chinese students in America released on Wednesday.
The survey, which was distributed online and through alumni and other groups, was conducted by the US-China Education Trust in partnership with the University of California, San Diego.
It received responses from 404 undergraduate and graduate students from China who completed degrees in the US between 1991 and 2021. It has the most expansive scope of studies focused exclusively on the experiences of Chinese students in America to date.
At least 3 million students from China are estimated to have studied in the US since the 1970s, and China remains the top origin country for international students despite declines in the past few years coinciding with the Covid-19 pandemic.
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The respondents, polled between October and February, skewed heavily towards those currently living in the US, and former graduate students rather than undergraduates.
