Comparative effects of belongingness on the academic success and cross-cultural interactions of domestic and international students

•Belongingness increased cross-cultural interaction for international and domestic students.•Belongingness enhanced average grade earned, especially among international students.•Intergroup dialog and multicultural courses increased cross-cultural interaction, but not sense of belongingness.•Leadership programs, cultural events, and community service enhanced sense of belongingness for all students.•Domestic and international seniors reported less belongingness than their first-year counterparts.

To advance resilience-based models of acculturation, we used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the buffering effects of a sense of belongingness on cross-cultural interaction and academic success, where belongingness refers to a sense of connection with one's university, a strong support network, and a balance of academic challenge and support. We analyzed a stratified random sample of international (n = 415) and domestic (n = 816) undergraduates at eight research universities in the United States who responded to the Global Perspective Inventory (GPI). International and domestic students who took courses involving intergroup dialog or multicultural content reported more cross-cultural interaction, but not a greater sense of belongingness. A sense of belongingness increased cross-cultural interaction between international and domestic students, and it substantially enhanced international students’ average grade earned. Cultural events, leadership programs, and community service enhanced a sense of belongingness, buffered the effects of racism, and provided a secure base for the exploration of cross-cultural relationships. Similarities and dissimilarities in how belongingness contributes to international and domestic students’ cross-cultural relationships and academic success are considered. We discuss implications for resilience-based models of acculturation and propose interventions to enhance a sense of belongingness for all students.