International students, intersectionality and sense of belonging: a note on the experience of gay Chinese students in Australia

Abstract

ABSTRACT This essay considers the experience of international students, contemplating their identity and agency in Australian society. Thinking through the potential experience of gay Chinese students, we argue that the community of international students is not homogenous. Working with and against the literature on studentification, we suggest more consideration should be given to the social and personal experience of students, not just their economic contribution to placemaking. The fluidity and dynamism of gay Chinese students’ identities reveals how geography plays an important role in shaping intersectionality. In this essay, we also question the generalised image of ‘Asian’ identity that is often used in academic approaches, and argue that geographers could make valuable contributions to the debate of intersectionality, by grounding the analysis in specific geographical contexts.