Abstract
<jats:p>In higher education, internationalization has been associated with knowledge and intercultural exchange, global citizenship, and the positioning of international students (IS) as revenue sources supporting economic growth for host institutions and countries. In this chapter, we reconceptualize internationalization from a Canadian context by examining the imagined communities of IS, alongside policy discourses and their lived experiences. We underscore the expectations-reality dissonance, pointing to a misalignment between dreams sold to prospective IS and their lived experiences, especially for racialized international students (RIS). Drawing on Lave and Wenger's (1991) notion of legitimate peripheral participation as a framework grounded in social participation, we argue for a shift toward purposeful engagement for international students. Purposeful engagement emphasizes intentional, sustained, and relational opportunities for IS to participate meaningfully in their new academic and social communities.</jats:p>