Examining the Impact of Academic and Social Experience on Ethnic Identity Development of East Asian American College Students

• In Event: Roundtable Session 80
  In Roundtable Session: Using Multiple Lenses for Examining Asian Americans Navigating Bicultural Experiences in Higher Education Contexts

Abstract

Ethnic identity process is considered critical to the development of minority students during their college experience (Kawaguchi, 2003; Phinney J. S., 1990; Phinney & Alipuria, 1990; Phinney & Chavira, 1992; Phinney & Ong, 2007; Way, Santos, Niwa, & Kim-Gervey, 2008). During their college tenure, students engage in various experiences both academically and socially. These experiences may have either a positive or negative impact on how they develop their ethnic identity. In order to further investigate this notion when examining East Asian-American students, this study addresses the following research question: How do the academic and social experiences impact the ethnic identity development of East Asian-American students.

Phinney’s (1992) Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) was used as a theoretical framework to guide this study and develop an interview protocol. Within the model, Phinney names two processes: “exploration” and “commitment”. Based on the student’s level of development in these two processes, ethnic identity status of an individual is determined. In consort with the processes, he created four ethnic identity statuses: diffuse, foreclosed, moratorium and achieved. Using Phinney’s (1992) model, the interview protocol helped assess how the level of academic and social engagement impacted ethnic identity development of East Asian-American students.

Eleven students were interviewed using 40 interview questions which focused on three sections: a) demographics; b) general questions; and, c) academic and social experiences at college. The data was collected through in-person interviews. A chart was created to sort and organize the data. The first column listed all the questions and each subsequent column listed all the answers from respective participants. Content analysis was utilized in order to develop themes from the data. This study has been approved by IRB.

This study showed how the students’ level of ethnic identity development was impacted by their ability to explore their identity through various programs, events, and relationships with others who would encourage their ethnic identity development. Some students were able to find opportunities on campus to explore their ethnic heritage and felt supported by their peers through their experiences. Others could not find the support they needed on campus which forced them to seek out a supportive community office on campus, such as church. Some of the participants were satisfied with their overall campus experiences, but many of these students never felt encouraged or supported to explore their own ethnic heritage.

For many Asian-American students, their needs are often overlooked due to assumptions made about their academic and social success on campus. Findings from this study demonstrate the need for institutions to intentionally create campus environments that encourage East Asian-American students to explore and engage with ethnic issues through their academic and social experiences.

Author

• Shino K. Simons, Azusa Pacific University