Racialized Experiences with Host Nationals: The Experiences of U.S. Religious Cross-cultural Workers of Color

Abstract

Religious cross-cultural workers of color (RCCWC s) from the United States serve in international contexts with their own racialized dynamics. In order to explore how race shapes RCCWC s’ experiences with host nationals, sixteen qualitative interviews with RCCWC s were conducted. Three major findings emerged from the data: (1) sharing a similar racial or ethnic identity with host nationals results in perceived advantages and disadvantages, (2) racialized encounters prompted reflection on racial and ethnic identity, and (3) strategies developed to deal with racialized fatigue contributed to resilience. The findings of this study contribute to the academic literature on race in intercultural contexts and have practical implications for U.S. sending organizations and RCCWC s.