The Few, the Proud, the Marginalized: Minority Student Veterans' Identity Rupture in Racialized America

• In Event: Identity, Climate, and Place for Students of Color

Abstract

This study explored the confluence of two competing identities, military and minority identities, as experienced by racial minority student veterans during civilian integration. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) the personal narratives of eight veterans were collected and analyzed. Findings revealed the tension and conflict that emerged between their self-chosen, proudly-retained military identity and externally-imposed, socially-stigmatized minority status. In this study, the disheartening consequences of returning minority student veterans’ identity rupture are poignantly captured and contextualized in the light of Critical Race Theory.

Authors

• Claudia G Interiano, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Jae Hoon Lim, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Peter Tkacik, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Jerry L Dahlberg