Table 2.

Domains, themes and sample quotes.

Domain and themes	Sample quotes
I. In search of a lost identity
Straying from the path	“I can't explain it anyway, I went from all to nothing and I never thought I would get to this point” (Leila).
Becoming a stranger to oneself	“I don't even know who I am anymore, I've changed too much, I don't know how I would react to certain situations, I feel like I'm lying to myself” (Akash).
II. Suspending autonomy and empowerment
Experiences of parental pressure	“In the Middle East, to be successful, there are two jobs. Ideally either an engineer or a doctor. [Leaving medicine] was an atomic bomb. I was the hope of generations” (Amina).
Distancing oneself from familial roots	“[My father] has a strong accent. It bothers me. When he speaks in Arabic in front of my friends, I don't know, it's embarrassing. I'm ashamed of him” (Said).
III. Challenges integrating into the host society
Wanting to keep the peace	“Everyone needs a group of peers, not necessarily friends, but a group they can relate to. A group reassures you, a group makes you feel that you exist in society. When you are not part of society you feel a bit rejected” (Najib).
Envisioning hope: a cross-cultural integration into society	“What I would like to study is something where my Spanish language is an advantage” (Joseph).