Asian American identity question

[Christina Wasson]

Hi all,

This question is not just a linguistic anthropological one, but maybe you
will still have useful input.  I am trying to help a student find
literature that will help her illuminate her own highly complex identity.
Her father is from Thailand, her mother from the Philippines.  She grew up
in the US.  Her parents chose to teach her as little as possible about Thai
or Filipino culture/language.  So she speaks only English, and throughout
her childhood regarded herself as simply "American" - just like the other
kids in the largely white upper middle class suburb where she grew up.
However, she experienced the contradiction that other people often saw her
as "Asian" due to her appearance.

>From this student's point of view, not speaking the first languages of her
parents is a central aspect of her purely "American" identity.  But the way
others react to her appearance has led to an almost DuBoisean double
consciousness.  My question is, is there a literature on this kind of
issue?  I think children of Latino immigrants who don't speak Spanish might
be a similar case.

I have the feeling that I've come across articles that addressed this topic
but I can't seem to think of specific references.

Thanks for any help!

Cheers,
Christina