Exploring the Stories of Asian-Canadian Women on What It Means to Be Bicultural

Abstract

Individuals who identify with two cultures, or bicultural individuals, often face unique challenges as they attempt to negotiate the demands of their ethnic and dominant cultures. While much of the research focuses on conceptualizing and measuring bicultural identity, studies investigating the lived experiences of being bicultural are scarce. This study explores the stories of four second-generation Asian-Canadian women about their bicultural experiences and what being bicultural means to them. Drawing from narrative inquiry, interviews were conducted to collect stories from participants. The findings of this study indicate that there are multiple definitions of being bicultural and elucidate some of the challenges faced by second-generation Asian-Canadian women associated with their multifaceted identity. The results provide a better understanding of how Asian-Canadian women define and interact with their bicultural identity.

Keywords: biculturality, culture, ethnies, identity, second-generation