Unsettled belonging: a critical autoethnography by immigrant motherscholars on 1.5 generation Asian Americans

Two Asian American/immigrant motherscholars conducted a collaborative critical autoethnography to reflect on the lived experiences of their 1.5-generation sons, born in Asia and raised in the United States, from early childhood through adulthood. Their narratives uncover the complexities of cultural negotiation and identity formation faced by this often-overlooked group. Guided by the tenets of Asian Critical Theory, particularly Asianization, transnational context, and intersectionality, this study reveals how 1.5 generation young adults are juggling an in-between space, neither fully belonging to their birth cultures nor fully accepted in U.S. society. This study challenges linear models of assimilation and adds nuance to existing theoretical frameworks to better account for the fluid and transnational identities of 1.5 generation Asian Americans. Through their dual roles as immigrant mothers and scholars, the authors offer a personal and analytical lens that urges a refined understanding of this complex group.