Untold mourning: The epistemology of naming and grieving the loss of identities

Abstract

This paper explores the epistemology of mourning through the lens of two Asian American scholars pursuing doctoral degrees at a Midwestern university. We examine how racialization in Midwestern educational institutions reflects a broader historical and cultural distancing from Vietnamese immigrants and refugees, despite a shared geopolitical past. Employing critical collaborative autoethnography as both method and remedy, we engage in a dialogic process of uncovering and understanding our collective memories and lived experiences. This approach empowers us to confront hegemonic narratives and reclaim our identities as immigrant scholars navigating predominantly white academic spaces.