Self-construal refers to how individuals view themselves independently from others (Independent self-construal) or interdependently with others (Interdependent self-construal). Although the self-construal theory claimed a connection between self-construal and motivation, none of studies explored the relation between self-construal and reading motivation. To bridge the gap, this study examined country and gender differences in self-construal and reading motivation of 236 Hispanic American and 114 Japanese college students. Additionally, we investigated the relation between self-construal and reading motivation. Our data indicated that country and gender modulated reading motivation, particularly reading efficacy. Furthermore, self-construal significantly predicted reading motivation regardless of country or gender. Specifically, Hispanic American and Japanese students with higher independence showed higher reading efficacy, whereas students with higher interdependence exhibited lower reading efficacy. This is the first study to reveal the close relation between self-construal and reading motivation in the field of education.