Hidden in Plain Sight: Situating the Identities and Experiences of AAPI Students at an AANAPISI (Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander–Serving Institution)

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: A Critical Examination of the Complexities of Being Asian in Higher Education Settings (Table 36)

Abstract

Asians and Asian Americans neither look alike nor speak the same language. Despite this, misperceptions about the commonalities that characterize the broadly described population of Asians in the United States abound (Teranishi, 2002, 2004). The homogenization of Asians and Asian Americans is also evident in education (B., Chang, 2017). Asians are often viewed through a singular lens of academic achievement (Wong et al., 1998) without consideration for their individual or collective identities. This qualitative case study examined the personal and university-based experiences of 15 AANAPISI attending AAPI students and offers clarity to and a greater appreciation of these students’ conceptualizations of their identities and experiences, which are based on their perspectives and truths instead of imposed stereotypes or misconceptions.

Author

• Trang A. Phan, University of Houston