Southeast Asian American Women’s College Experiences: Exploring Their Ethnic Identities Across Academic and Social Contexts

• In Event: Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Research on the Education of Asian and Pacific Americans: Roundtable Session on Higher Education

Abstract

This interview study examines the ethnic identity development and college experiences of Southeast Asian American female undergraduate students at a public university on the West Coast. Twenty-four students of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese descent were interviewed. The research questions address the negotiation of ethnic identities across social and academic contexts, the impact of prior socialization on ethnic identity formation, the changes in the external and internal aspects of ethnic identity, integration in the university, and the ways ethnic identity is connected to academic development and academic outcomes. Preliminary results show that when compared to high school, participants have a stronger ethnic identity because of increased interactions with co-ethnics and a desire for a sense of belonging on their college campus.

Author

• Connie N. Tran, University of California - Santa Barbara