Exploring racial literacies: international Asian students’ perspectives on Asian Americans

Purpose This study aims to examine the perceptions of first-year international Asian students regarding Asian Americans as part of a broader investigation into their racial literacies in the USA. Design/methodology/approach The study used composite vignettes and focus group discussions to explore how participants reflect on their own beliefs, change their attitudes, scaffold and draw on each other’s opinions and construct their perceptions of Asian Americans in the USA. Findings International Asian students who traveled to the USA for the first time and those who had their US high school education before starting their higher education held biased perspectives about Asian Americans. However, focus group discussion revealed that, when grouped and asked to analyze a racist incident with an Asian American, students agreed that in the face of a racist, Asians are alike, no matter whether one is an international or domestic. Research limitations/implications This study supports the addition of race-conscious workshops and orientation sessions for international students to have healthy racial talks with and about racialized groups in the USA, including Asian Americans. Originality/value This study contributes to the shift in the narrative of victimization regarding international Asian students and advocates for intra-racial talks among international and domestic Asian groups.