Identity Formation of Vietnamese Immigrant Youth in an American High School
January 2004
ISBN-13: 978-1-931202-67-1 / Hardcover
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 / xiv, 285 pages
Centrie studies the identity formation of 20 Vietnamese high school students. Vietnamese students have a strong pro-school identity that arises from their immigrant or refugee experiences. The Vietnamese thus become model minorities in the eyes of their teachers. Vietnamese male students stress that their perception of freedom is closely linked to going to school and college. They also reported abuse by American students. Vietnamese female identity also centers on their refugee or immigrant experiences. Women, however, are less likely than men to have clear plans for the future, create an ideology of romance around Vietnamese males, and struggle to balance traditional female roles with American ideas gender equality. Vietnamese families and community also contribute to the student's pro-school identity by strictly enforcing Vietnamese cultural attitudes.