Public Oral Defense: Leslie Boey

Anti-Asian Racism and the Critical Identity Development of Asian American College Students During COVID-19

Advisor: Tania D. Mitchell

This dissertation explores the racial identities of Asian American college students during a time of heightened anti-Asian racism amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In the early 2020s, political leaders blamed China for the global health crisis, resulting in a spike of anti-Asian violence and the need to investigate Asian American experiences with racism. Using critical narrative inquiry, this study explored how Asian American college students understood their racial identities amidst these conditions. Students’ lived experiences are retold as short stories, revealing how they negotiated race and identity through major social events. The findings indicate that language, hypervisibility, race-based education, social relationships, and cross-racial dynamics shaped Asian American college students’ racial identities. This research affirms the need to deeply recognize Asian Americans’ racial experiences, which are often sidelined in the fight for racial justice. This study offers practical recommendations for researchers, professionals, students, and non-academics alike to embrace the power of storytelling and work to make Asian Americans visible in the conversation on race.

Education Sciences Building 325 or Online via Zoom