Examining Cross-Racial/Cross-Cultural Mentorship of Doctoral Student Womxn of Color

• In Event: Mentoring Diverse Populations

Abstract

We explore mentorship as doctoral students and womxn of color in a highly-esteemed higher education program at a research-intensive predominately white institution. We consider interplays of our social identities and academic social environments as a multiethnic Black queer femme anti-colonial transnational womxnist who is completing their dissertation and preparing for the academic job market, and a Chinese international transnational feminist in the coursework stage of our program. Our findings "talk back" (hooks, 1986) to scholarly suggestions that identity-matched mentorship yields better results for students of color. We make the case for a need to invest in more nuanced research about the confluences of race, culture, and mentorship in concert with mentors’ and mentees’ values, needs, and priorities.

Authors

• e alexander, The Ohio State University

• Wu Xie, The Ohio State University - Columbus