Fragmented Perspectives, Flattened Faces: Narrative Inquiry and Identity Representation in Immigrant Lives

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 11:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Knowing and Learning in Context

Abstract

This essay draws on an overheard scene in a Chinese hotpot restaurant to explore how young Chinese immigrant women in Canada imagine their futures while living between places, cultures, and expectations. Without systematic interviews or extended fieldwork, the analysis foregrounds the methodological and theoretical value of fragments—everyday moments of uncertainty, negotiation, and agency. Using the concepts of “fragmented perspectives,” “subjunctive realities,” and “flattened faces,” this narrative inquiry shows how ordinary dialogue becomes a space for resisting simplification and for making sense of identity, belonging, and possibility. The essay closes by reflecting on the ethical and analytic challenges of listening and representing difference, inviting educators to value uncertainty and multiplicity for supporting immigrant youth.

Author

• Hua Hua, University of Calgary