Towards a Different Construction of Blackness: Black Immigrant Scholars on Racial Identity Development in the United States

Authors

  • Kathy-Ann C. Hernandez Eastern University
  • Kayon K. Murray-Johnson Texas State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18251/ijme.v17i2.1050

Keywords:

Black Identity, Women of Color, Immigrant, Intersectionality, collaborative autoethnography

Abstract

In this collaborative autoethnography, two immigrants interrogate their evolving self-definitions as Black women in the U.S. academy. Using a variety of data sources, they uncover several commonalities and differences in their experiences which have coalesced into a four-part model in their journey towards a different construction of Black identity: positioning themselves in the Black box, apprehending their outsider-within positionalilty, navigating the “us/them” to “we” switch, and integrating a different construction of Blackness while remaining true to their cultural/ethnic identity. In elaborating on these themes, they critique the journey towards apprehending minority identity status for people like them.

Author Biographies

Kathy-Ann C. Hernandez, Eastern University

Professor, Educational Psychology & Research Methods
Eastern University

Kayon K. Murray-Johnson, Texas State University

Doctoral Research AssistantSchool of Education - Adult, Professional, and Community Education
Texas State University - San Marcos

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Published

2015-06-28

How to Cite

Hernandez, K.-A. C., & Murray-Johnson, K. K. (2015). Towards a Different Construction of Blackness: Black Immigrant Scholars on Racial Identity Development in the United States. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 17(2), 53–72. https://doi.org/10.18251/ijme.v17i2.1050

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 2 (2015): Open Theme Issue

Section

Articles (Peer-reviewed)

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