Seeking the “us” in our othernesses: Decolonizing the understanding of Chinese-ness(es) through lenses of transnationalism and thick(er) intersectionalities

This article explores the identity negotiation of transnational Chinese in the U.S., with a focus on the intra-ethnic identity politics among them. This study problematizes the dominant U.S. race logic for its limited capacity in understanding identity, communication, culture, and power in an increasingly interconnected world. It also calls for an alternative theorization of race and identity in the transnational context. In doing so, the author employs a mixed-methods approach that combines autoethnography and in-depth interviews to interrogate the complexities of Chinese-ness(es) and to build bridges to reach the “inter” across differential belonging among transnational Chinese (Bardhan, 2016). The study also sheds light on the identity negotiation of transnational bodies from the Global South who seek the “us” amid their otherness. As a decolonial project, this article contributes to critical intercultural communication scholarship by situating knowledge of race, identity, and power within a Global South perspective through a thick(er) postcolonial transnational lens. Furthermore, with the objective of provincializing the dominant U.S. race logic, it seeks to transnationalize and internationalize the theorization of identity and race.

Duke Scholars

Author Tao Zhang DKU Faculty