Cultural Bridges that Connecting Futures: Asian Immigrants’ Cultural Identity Integration through Transformative Learning Theory

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Care, Motherhood, and Identity Work in AANHPI Communities

Abstract

This interpretative phenomenological analysis study examines how first-generation Chinese immigrants navigate cultural identity integration through transformative learning theory. Results reveal that perspective transformation occurs through a nonlinear process triggered by cultural misrecognition in social relationships, leading to critical reflection on heritage and host cultural frameworks. Participants' developmental meaning-making capacity significantly influenced their ability to filter contextual influences and generate internal value systems, which determines how identity integration takes place. Rather than replacing pre-migration cultural frames of reference, participants developed integrated "in-between" identities, functioning as cultural bridges connecting Chinese and American cultures. The findings contribute to understanding how individuals maintain connections to multiple cultural systems while developing integrated identities that facilitate intercultural understanding and model pathways toward more integral societies.

Author

• Yilu Guo, Teachers College, Columbia University