Speaking Up, Amplifying Our Voices: The Significance of Transnational Identities in Asian Bilingual Education

• In Event: Breaking the Silence: Amplifying Asian/Asian American Voices in Bilingual Education

Abstract

Nearly 60% of Asian Americans are foreign-born, and among Asian American adults, 71% were born outside the U.S. (Budiman & Ruiz, 2021). These statistics highlight the profound impact of the immigrant experience on shaping Asian American identity. Numerous individuals within diverse Asian American communities face challenges when adapting to a new society while maintaining deep connections to their countries of origin in Asia. Additionally, we have seen growing concerns in recent years about the prevalence of negative discourse surrounding the Asian American community, which views their transnational identities through the lens of “yellow peril” or xenophobia (Li & Nicholson, 2021; Wu & Nguyen, 2022).

Recognizing this, the presentation examines the transnational identities of two Asian American scholars in their scholarly work and acknowledges the dynamic nature of their transnational identities. It poses the following questions that guide critical reflection on our transnational identities:
1) How have our transnational identities as scholars in bilingual education emerged and evolved? 2) Why does the sharing of transnational scholars’ identities and voices matter in Asian bilingual education in the U.S.?
3) How can the sharing of transnational scholars’ identities contribute to the promotion of racial justice and linguistic equity in Asian bilingual education?

We drew on AsianCrit (Museus & Iftikar, 2013) and critical consciousness (Palmer et al., 2019), particularly the combined tenets of transnational contexts and interrogating power, to analyze the impacts of oppressive structures on Asian American experiences within a network of global relationships and the actions against them. We employed narrative inquiry (Connelly & Clandinin, 2006) to guide our critical reflection on our scholarly work. Through a series of research meetings, we critically engaged in the exchange of our stories and experiences that serve as tangible representations of the phenomena to show our transnational identities and perspectives. Our discussions were also centered around critically examining English hegemony and raciolinguistic and US-centric ideologies (Rosa & Flores, 2021) embedded in our daily lives and academic experiences.

Our reflection highlights that sharing our transnational identities begins with recognizing their evolving nature. This recognition involves a recursive process of marginalization, reconciliation and affirmation, as our identities shift through interactions with multiple countries, including the U.S. and our Asian countries of origin. Initially, our identities were impacted by deficit frameworks and racialized hegemony, which marginalized our identities, knowledge, and accumulated experiences prior to arriving in the U.S. However, we both experienced a pivotal awakening moment that prompted a critical assessment of our identities and the influencing factors. This process extends beyond an individual trajectory, intersecting with various individual and social elements. These elements also intertwine with our ethnicity, culture, language, immigration status, and the political and diplomatic relations between the U.S. and our home countries. This understanding allows us to delve into the complexities of our transnational identities and the factors that shape them. It also invites diverse voices and experiences of transnational Asian students, families, educators, and communities, aiming to advance a more inclusive and comprehensive perspective on Asian communities in bilingual education in the U.S.

Authors

• Jongyeon Joy Ee, Loyola Marymount University

• Zhongfeng Tian, Rutgers University - Newark