Journal of College Student Development

Abstract:

The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to examine how Asian American college students made sense of themselves as racialized beings during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that saw a drastic increase in anti-Asian hate. We were particularly interested in how emotions that students experienced in response to racism shaped their meaning-making of racial identity. We embraced tensions of a constructivist approach and a grounding in Asian critical theory to gain a more nuanced picture of Asian American college students’ meaning-making of racial identity while also problematizing and critiquing racism. Data collection consisted of three interviews with 14 participants from the Midwest and East Coast of the US. To engage the reader’s imagination and tell a nuanced story, we present findings as a fictional conversation between four individuals using direct quotes from participants. Our findings highlight the importance of considering transnational context when examining Asian American college students’ racial identity development. Our findings further showcase the role emotions played in fostering development and the agentic ways participants responded to these emotions while also underscoring the high price participants paid for the more complex understanding of their racial identity. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.