"Becoming as Well as Being": A Systematic Qualitative Critical Review of Literature on South Asian Youth Identity Construction in Education

• In Event: Exploring Asian American Youth Identity Construction

Abstract

A Systematic literature search produced 24 articles which were then analyzed, synthesized using the work and theorizing of Stuart Hall. During the synthesis process, a storyline could be seen being woven through the studies. South Asian youth are constructing their identities under the influence of and are positioned by particular discourses.The profound influence of these discourses was shown to have an adverse effect on their sense of belonging. When it comes to the framing of the South Asian youth, they are described as creating new ethnicities, and new spaces from which they can contest and resist their ascribed labels and representations. Based on the information gleaned from this review, suggestions for future research are also made.

Author

• Nirmala Narayan, The George Washington University