“Even if I’m an international student, I have a voice and I should make a stand”: A Phenomenological inquiry into international students’ development of critical agency in U.S. higher education

International students’ experiences with race and racism in U.S. higher education have received increasing scholarly attention. However, few empirical studies explore how these students resist and develop critical agency in response to systemic racism. This represents a significant gap, as international students can serve as important transnational allies in racial and social justice movements both in the U.S. and globally. To address this gap, this dissertation employs a phenomenological approach to examine the development of critical agency among 19 international students of color in the U.S. higher education. This study contributes to the broader discourse in Comparative and International Higher Education by challenging deficit paradigms, offering a more empowering and nuanced understanding of this population, and highlighting the outcomes of international student mobility beyond economic rationales.