Constructing identities
Finding out and defining one's identity is hard enough for a typical American teenager. It is even more difficult for teenagers to define themselves in a society that they do not completely fit in, particularly Southeast Asians. Through many articles and films, the authors depict the lives of many Southeast Asian youths. They show the difficulties that many Southeast Asians go through in their struggle to find their identities. In the search for their identities, Southeast Asians have many different ways of exploring who they are. This construction of identity for Southeast Asians is greatly influenced and affected by the education system, their parents, and their peers in order to create a sense of identity regarding their race, gender, and sexuality. Identities are strengthened through a sense of connection. It is through this connection that individuals do not feel alone and feel comfortable accepting their identities. One of the women that was read about in Gina Masequesmay's "Emergence of Queer Vietnamese America," stated that "knowing that there are other queer Vietnamese out there provides a source of affirmation" (Masequesmay, 130). This shows that because she had found others that
Because the youth must create a balance between the two cultures that he/she is associated with, it often leads to resentment towards the parents. Education has a fundamental impact on Southeast Asian youth. The curriculum is often filled with little or no information about Southeast Asians. The equal opportunity that is given in America towards gender allows for this role reversal change. This can be seen in the short film, AKA Don Bonus. "For refugees in the United States, wage-earning is intimately related to male self-esteem. It is hard enough for American parents to empathize with the issues and problems that their children face, however, it is even more so for Southeast Asian immigrant parents because there is not only an age gap, but there is a gap in culture. Youth are often defined in their places of education and this can greatly affect their identities. This is often very confusing for the Southeast Asian. It is, however, difficult for youth to establish a positive identity for themselves because a lack of resources to educate and reach out to these communities. Being a provider is an important defining characteristic of masculinity" (Benson, 81). share particular similarities with her, she found it much easier to feel that being of a different sexual orientation is acceptable and not forbidden. Strength in numbers seems to be the theme throughout in finding identities.
Common topics in this essay:
Southeast Asians,
Southeast Asian,
Lam Matsuda,
Vietnamese America,
Don Bonus,
Identities Finding,
southeast asians,
southeast asian,
education system,
southeast asian youth,
Bonus Throughout,
don bonus,
asian youth,
Beevi Lam,
create sense identity,
create sense,
american values,
academic performance,
lam matsuda,
youth feel,
beevi lam matsuda,
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Acceptance Essays
