Spurring and siloing: cultural and linguistic identity (CLI) navigation in scientific writing among Asian student researchers

Scientific writing and publication are critical sites where students must navigate between personal identities and presumed scientific objectivity. For non-white student researchers, particularly those stereotyped as ‘model minorities,’ this process involves complex negotiations. This qualitative study examines how Asian and Asian American students navigate their cultural and linguistic identities within scientific writing processes. Using an integrated theoretical framework combining cultural community wealth, narrative identity, and border crossing, we analyzed how participants deployed cultural resources while navigating institutional expectations. Drawing on interviews with 23 student participants who engaged with the Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI), we identified two primary approaches: ‘spurring,’ wherein ethnic and cultural backgrounds catalyze research questions, and ‘siloing,’ wherein these identities are deliberately compartmentalised during writing. Findings reveal that while participants drew upon familial capital to inform research interests, most practiced disciplinary compartmentalisation and adhered to perceived scientific norms. This tension demonstrates how students negotiate cultural scripts while developing professional identities. Our findings suggest that science educators could help students recognize their cultural backgrounds as valuable epistemic resources rather than sources of bias, explicitly address the myth of value-neutral science, and provide models of how scientists integrate personal and cultural perspectives into rigorous scientific work.