| Brief purpose of the study: | Asian Americans have long been viewed as the “perpetual foreigner” (Wu, 2002, p. 14), and at times, fully “excluded from the concept of ‘American’” (Devos & Banaji, 2005, p. 453; Huynh et al., 2011a). The uptick in racial violence against Asians in the United States during and following the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to rise exponentially, with the number of hate crimes targeting Asians and Asian Americans increasing by 149% in comparison to the overall 7% drop in hate crimes within the United States in 2020 (Center for the Study of Hatred and Extremism, 2020). Having long being a part of “the Other” in the United States, it appears that Asian Americans continue to live in marginality and invisibility (Yip et al., 2021). For Southeast Asian Americans, this narrative may be even louder, given that the pan-ethnic label of Asian American does not always capture the background or experiences particular to the Southeast Asian American (SEAA) community, with “Asian American” holding cultural synonymity with that of East Asians (Bui, 2021; Museus, 2013; Yamashita, 2022; Yang, 2004). In living in marginality and by extension, invisibility, one may question the extent to which Southeast Asian Americans feel as though they matter within the United States. There also exists great need for additional studies on Southeast Asian Americans, particularly that of qualitative studies to explore in-depth challenges that this community faces (Maramba, 2011).
Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study is to better understand how those born to first-generation Southeast Asian Americans have experienced sense of mattering during their college experience(s) in the United States. Mattering, or the subjective perception and experience of one’s importance and value in the eyes of others, includes: the feeling that others depend on us, are interested in us, are concerned with our fate, experience us as an ego-extension, and appreciate us. A person’s intrapersonal recognition of the extent to which they matter is consequential to their personal and social well-being. This study will utilize critical reflexive thematic analysis to explore the research question. |
