The Great Wall of Australia: Barriers for Chinese International Students in the Australian University Setting

Australia’s much-vaunted reputation as a successful egalitarian, multicultural country has substantial merit, but it also has a chequered history, and the official narrative of egalitarianism and multiculturalism is experienced differentially by vulnerable, marginalised people and communities who bear the brunt of residual and new forms of racism and linguicism. One of the most vulnerable groups in Australian society is the cohort of Chinese international students, who face barriers of racism, linguicism, and exploitation. This paper presents the results of a study which consulted Chinese international students about their experiences in Australia. It found that while their experiences varied, a disturbing common thread of discrimination - from overt to more clandestine modes of aggression – occurred. Implications for Australian decision-makers are enormous, particularly for educational and governmental institutions, for whom Chinese international students seem to represent a commodity rather than real, often vulnerable, young people.