A Collaborative Autoethnography of Southeast Asian American Women Doctoral Students Navigating Tensions and Building Resolve in the Academy

Authors

• Jacqueline Mac, Northern Illinois UniversityFollow
• Varaxy Yi, California State University, FresnoFollow
• Vanessa Na, University of California - San DiegoFollow
• Latana Thaviseth, University of California, Los AngelesFollow

Abstract

This critical race collaborative autoethnography explores the experiences of Southeast Asian American (SEAA) women in doctoral programs in higher education. Using a feminist refugee Asian critical approach, findings illuminate tensions that SEAA women encountered during their educational experiences and how these women built resolve. Findings include being seen amidst the invisibilization of SEAA identities, an insistence on the value of their SEAA research agendas, and navigating the unsettled emotions during academic displacement.

Recommended Citation

Mac, Jacqueline; Yi, Varaxy; Na, Vanessa; and Thaviseth, Latana (2026) "A Collaborative Autoethnography of Southeast Asian American Women Doctoral Students Navigating Tensions and Building Resolve in the Academy," Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement: Vol. 21 : Iss. 1, Article 4.
DOI: 10.7771/2153-8999.1429
Available at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/jsaaea/vol21/iss1/4