“NO LONGER AT EASE”: EXPLORING SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ SENSE OF BELONGING IN A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTION.

Sub-Saharan African international students in U.S. predominantly White institutions (PWIs) face unique disadvantages from intersecting racial, cultural, and linguistic identities (Mandishona 2018; Wafula 2023). This research examines (West) African international graduate students’ experience. Utilizing raciolinguistics reveals how exclusionary practices reinforce linguistic racism and impact mental health, academic performance, and belonging. Through interviews with ten West African graduate students, the research explores critical questions: (1) What factors affect the integration of Black African students in a PWI in southern America? (2) How does sense of belonging affect the mental health of Black African international students?

Utilizing a cultural rhetorics methodology, this research aims to enrich the academic discourse within the field of Rhetoric and Writing studies, which has increasingly called for more inclusive and equitable approaches for diverse and international students. Emphasizing anti-racist pedagogy, curriculum design, and institutional support, the findings provide valuable insights for administrative personnel, professors, and other professionals who support African and other minoritized students. It adds to the discourse on raciolinguistics and the politics of belonging in higher education, advocating for systemic support to advance equity.

Keywords: Raciolinguistics, Sense of Belonging, Anti-Racist Pedagogy, West African International Students, U.S. Higher Education, Linguistic Racism, Cultural rhetorics