Abstract
In the fall of 2019, we each moved from our home countries of South Korea and Türkiye
to the United States to pursue our Ph.D. degrees in art education. Coming from countries where
we identify as the majority in terms of race and ethnicity, we have been coming to terms with the
changes in our understanding of our identities while residing in a new location. A Black feminist
scholar, Patricia Hill Collins (2015) discusses intersecting systems of oppression, such as racism,
sexism, and classism, shaping our experiences as women graduate students of color. Despite how
systemic oppression affects international graduate students’ experiences, the research on issues of
intersectional racial and gender inequality—which harms the emotional and mental well-being of
international graduate students of color—and studies that include their voices and stories in higher education are lacking (Koo et al., 2022). Given the lack of such studies in literature, as both cohorts and friends, we created a collaborative digital collage, Generative Experiences (GE), using an Augmented Reality (AR) program, Adobe Aero, to build a safe space where we share our experiences in academia which include our thoughts, concerns, doubts, and anxieties. The augmented reality platform allowed us to layer multimodal elements in various physical locations which aligns with our fluid and intersectional identities. Through GE, we address the complex sets of circumstances that are rooted in the power dynamics in academia that international students experience in the U.S. Also, the project was a way for us to support each other, form solidarity, and challenge the prevailing inequities in academia. We utilize the method of counter-storytelling informed by critical race theory (CRT) (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002), and feminist theorist Karen Barad’s (2007, 2014) concept of cutting together-apart together to explore the fluidity of our identities and the heterogeneity of our lived experience.
to the United States to pursue our Ph.D. degrees in art education. Coming from countries where
we identify as the majority in terms of race and ethnicity, we have been coming to terms with the
changes in our understanding of our identities while residing in a new location. A Black feminist
scholar, Patricia Hill Collins (2015) discusses intersecting systems of oppression, such as racism,
sexism, and classism, shaping our experiences as women graduate students of color. Despite how
systemic oppression affects international graduate students’ experiences, the research on issues of
intersectional racial and gender inequality—which harms the emotional and mental well-being of
international graduate students of color—and studies that include their voices and stories in higher education are lacking (Koo et al., 2022). Given the lack of such studies in literature, as both cohorts and friends, we created a collaborative digital collage, Generative Experiences (GE), using an Augmented Reality (AR) program, Adobe Aero, to build a safe space where we share our experiences in academia which include our thoughts, concerns, doubts, and anxieties. The augmented reality platform allowed us to layer multimodal elements in various physical locations which aligns with our fluid and intersectional identities. Through GE, we address the complex sets of circumstances that are rooted in the power dynamics in academia that international students experience in the U.S. Also, the project was a way for us to support each other, form solidarity, and challenge the prevailing inequities in academia. We utilize the method of counter-storytelling informed by critical race theory (CRT) (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002), and feminist theorist Karen Barad’s (2007, 2014) concept of cutting together-apart together to explore the fluidity of our identities and the heterogeneity of our lived experience.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Intersectionality of Critical Identities in Art Education |
| Editors | S. Willis, R. Shin, A. Richard |
| Publisher | InSEA |
| Chapter | 14 |
| Pages | 133-147 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-989-35684-2-2 |
| State | Published - 2024 |
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Visual Arts and Performing Arts
- Art Education
- Intersectionality
Disciplines
- Art and Design
- Art Education