Cross-cultural Narrative Inquiry into the Experience of Three Transnational Mother Scholars/Educators in the U. S.

• In Event: Immigrants, Refugees, and International Students

Abstract

Rich (1976) argued motherhood is a socially constructed, historically and culturally specific relationship, rather than biological inscription, that connects to gender, class and ethnicity in mothering, and it aligns against patriarchy for female empowerment. This paper draws upon motherhood and mothering and is a cross-cultural narrative inquiry into three transnational mother scholars/educators (Hemans. 2020) pursuing doctoral degrees in a foreign country. The paper intends to dig into our dilemmas and challenges in raising children in another culture, how acculturation, transformation and enculturation shapes who we are, how motherhood and mothering influences our decision-making, and how differently we raise children than locals. We fight for American dreams, and against stereotypes and negative images of what socially constructed, historically and culturally specific presupposed in a patriarchal society. Our courage and spirit to defeat challenges and struggles becomes lights for our children and children of others to navigate successfully in a foreign land.

Authors

• Ru Li, Maynard Jackson High School

• Ming Fang He, Georgia Southern University