Meghan Phadke’s dissertation, “Being and Belonging in America: Second-Generation Asian American Teachers’ Stories of Negotiating Identity and Culture,” explores negotiations of identity and culture within second-generation immigrants through the lens of second-generation Asian American elementary school teachers. Within Chapter 2, Phadke offers a brief history of immigration highlighting The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, Asian immigrants, and second-generation immigrants. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as the Hart-Cellar Act amended the 1952 immigration act as it “removed all elements of second class citizenship from our laws by the [1964] Civil Rights Act (Phadke, 2021, pg. 30). After Jim Crow, the U.S. mobilized this to demonstrate commitment to human rights and democratic values. The policy privileged family reunification allowing entire families to immigrate and establish themselves in the U.S.. Immigrants made up only 5% of the population in 1965 while today, they make up 14% of the population. The impact of the 1965 immigration act is more pronounced for the Asian population as a 98% increase has been observed as Asians account for a quarter of all new immigrants since 1965. This influx of immigrants allows for a “new formation of horizontal rootedness, particularly amongst the children of these immigrants” (Phadke, 2021, pg. 33). Second-generation immigrants experience a distinctive identity in America as they have transnational linkages and identities. Phadke provides demographic data on second-generation immigrants noting that 20 million adults and 16 million children, about a quarter of all American youth, are children of immigrants. Data suggests that second-generation youth are also more economically stable, socially integrated, and educated than first-generation immigrants.
This dissertation is deeply connected to my project as it underscores how second-generation immigrants navigate and negotiate identity in America. The historical and demographical information that Phadke provides helps us understand the state of immigration within the U.S. and additionally what led up to this point. I find it shocking that a quarter of all American youth are children of immigrants as the issues surrounding cultural identity in my project are becoming increasingly relevant. Phadke additionally highlights the theoretical framework within her dissertation which can be useful in my research as we have related topics. Overall, this is a great resource for me to refer to as it offers a breadth of information on the topic of negotiating identity.
I really enjoyed hearing feedback on my initial media project. Everyone was very supportive and it seemed like many enjoyed the snippet of audio that I created. David and others thought that it would be interesting if I added a video component to my project. Although my project is music and audio based, I’m not opposed to creating a video that details my process. I think this could be a great addition and serve as a reflection for the overall piece. This is something I will definitely consider, but I’d have to do some training on video editing and camera operation. I’m not too familiar with video but It’d be cool to learn!
References
Phadke, M. (2021). Being and Belonging in America: Second-Generation Asian American Teachers’ Stories of Negotiating Identity and Culture (Order No. 28547900). Available from ProQuest One Academic. (2570180035). http://libproxy.temple.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/being-belonging-america-second-generation-asian/docview/2570180035/se-2