Reclaiming Our Space and Redefining Inclusion: A Collaborative Autoethnography of Three Asian Women in Academia

• In Event: Reclaiming and Negotiating Space and Identity

Abstract

This collaborative autoethnography explores the marginalization of three Asian women in academia, challenging the black-white binary that dominates racial discourse in the U.S., even in DEI-centered spaces. Through personal narratives, the study highlights the unique struggles and invisibility faced by Asian communities, often overlooked in broader racial justice movements. Employing intersectionality as a theoretical framework, we share our experiences of social exclusion, cultural erasure, and anti-Asian sentiment in social and educational spaces. We emphasize the need for more inclusive racial discourses that address the challenges of traditionally invisibilized groups, advocating for a critical examination of diversity, equity, and inclusion discourse to foster genuine allyship and solidarity among communities of color.

Authors

• Jennifer Sawada Vega, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• HyeJin Hwang, University of Minnesota

• Rachel Rana, North Carolina State University