Transtrauma, a New Framework for Conceptualizing and Understanding the Lived Experiences of Vietnamese American Youth

• In Event: Centering Marginalized and Lived Experiences of Asians and Asian Americans

Abstract

Drawing on empirical data from qualitative research I conducted with eight Vietnamese American youth in the Fall of 2020, this paper forwards transtrauma, a new framework for conceptualizing and understanding the lived experiences of Vietnamese American youth. The concept of transtrauma goes beyond the pathologizing of individual trauma, to examine how structures of domination inflict and extend trauma in marginalized communities, such as that of Vietnamese American communities. The workshop showcases the importance of the arts as a way to guide Vietnamese American high school-age youth to collectively share their stories of their parents and grandparents’ journey from Vietnam to the United States. These collective stories highlight the transtrauma that Vietnamese Americans continue to experience.

Author

• Khánh Lê, Queens College - CUNY
  Presenting Author