Influential Factors in Chinese American Students' Cultural Identities

• In Event: 69.057 - Roundtable Session 32
  In Roundtable Session: 69.057-2 - Identity and Formal Schooling

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore what factors influence American-born Chinese students’ cultural identities and how these factors influence them Under A University’s context. The aim of the study, conducted from an ethnographic perspective, was to explore how families, peers, education and the diverse society influence Chinese-American students’ identities. Through thirteen hours of observations in three sites, and four in-depth interviews, three themes emerged describing what kind of factors that influence Chinese-Americans students’ cultural identities. The results of the research demonstrate the significance of cultural awareness for these minority students, and the findings suggest that while multicultural experiences provide Chinese-American students with a broader choice of identities, but most of them choose to stay in their Chinese-American communities.

Author

• Tianxin Zhou, University of Virginia