“I don’t understand why we have to favor just one ethnicity”: Stigma and coping experience perspectives from ethnicminority students in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines

Despite the growing movement towards inclusivity, the voices of ethnic minority students (EMS) in Southeast Asia (SEA) remain underrepresented, resulting in marginalization that hinders their academic pursuits, and well-being. However, past research often overlooked experiences of EMS and the role of sociocultural elements that drive oppression. This study seeks to explore the experience of stigma among EMS in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 37 EMS from university-based student organizations and analyzed them using the KJ method. The results indicate that sociocultural elements significantly influence their experiences, ranging from subtle microaggressions to overt acts of harm and violence. Furthermore, these encounters necessitate a variety of strategies, including coping mechanisms, stigma management, and the management of social standing, which characterize our understanding of how they navigate stigmatization. The findings illuminate the intricate interplay between socio-cultural elements and stigma among EMS in SEA, underscoring the urgency for more inclusive policies in higher education, facilitated by community-led initiatives, allyship, and activism.