379 Appendix D TRANSNATIONAL DOMINICAN CULTURE THROUGH PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS Wilfredo Alvarez Northeastern Illinois University Mark P. Orbe Ewa L. Urban Nayibe A. Tavares Western Michigan University WHY DID WE STUDY THIS CULTURE? Transnational culture exists when individuals create a cultural home that resembles—yet is geographically apart from—their homeland. Recent enrollment of international students on U.S. campuses reached a record high number of 623,805 individuals (Institute for Interna- tional Education, 2008). Colleges and universities greatly benefit from international students’ presence and their cultural, academic, and financial contributions. However, many colleges and universities struggle with providing fitting support to this diverse group of individuals (Galloway & Jenkins, 2005). International students’ adjustment to college is much more dif- ficult than it is for their U.S. American peers due to a variety of additional challenges caused by cultural, social, linguistic, and educational differences (Fritz, Chin, & DeMarinis, 2008; Sumer, Poyrazli, & Grahame, 2008). Adjustment difficulties are more prevalent among inter- national students of color, those with stronger foreign accents or communication difficulties, Overview Based in social construction, Alvarez, Orbe, Urban, and Tavares provide a critical study using phe- nomenological analysis to explore how transnational Dominican culture is constructed through language and nonverbal behavior. As you read about this study, reflect upon how you interact with international students and, more broadly, those who embody a transnational culture.