Life as an ethnic minority ( EM ) university student: Comparing mental health challenges among local and international EM students in Hong Kong

Abstract University students globally face growing mental health challenges, with ethnic minority (EM) students—both local and international—being particularly vulnerable. Yet, limited research compares their experiences or identifies shared and distinct stressors, especially in non‐Western contexts. Drawing on interviews and participant observation with 27 non‐Chinese EM students by visiting 13 Hong Kong universities and colleges, this study compares how their needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness are undermined in the university campus life, based on the self‐determination theory (SDT). Findings suggest that the most distinct challenges between the two groups emerged in relatedness, while competence‐related issues were common to both groups. The relatedness challenges differ in form: international students report social isolation, exclusion, loneliness, homesickness and fear of missing out, while local EM students experience more chronically and deeply rooted ethnic segregation in social networks and discrimination. The common challenges of being an EM university student in a non‐Western multicultural society range from prevalent stressors for university students to specific stressors of institutionalized insufficiently diverse environment and the endemic nature of relatedness thwarting for EM university students. This study contributes to literature on marginalization and ethnic segregation in non‐Western contexts, while offering a comparative perspective on the well‐being of local and international EM students in diverse university settings. It also underscores the need for tailored mental health support addressing both shared and distinct challenges of EM students. Enhancing campus inclusivity through diversity promotion, mental health resources and efforts to reduce isolation and discrimination is essential to support their well‐being.