Thesis Format
Monograph
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Program
English
Supervisor
Raine, Michael J.
Abstract
Delving into the South-East Asian and Asian American postmigrant condition, this study examines how postmigratory experiences of migrant communities shape identity, home, othering, and belonging within contemporary racialized American society. Analyzing a curated selection of four artworks in multiple media by Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese American artists—Ocean Vuong’s novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, Do Ho Suh's Home-series installations, Julie Ha and Eugene Yi's documentary Free Chol Soo Lee, and Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda's graphic narrative Monstress—the research explores how postmigrant artists navigate transnational belonging and mixed cultural identities.
As generational successors to migrant communities, these artists offer intimate perspectives on their generation’s lifeworld, steering through complex themes of precarious existence, and cultural hybridity, constructing in the process a postmigrant social imaginary. Through depictions of evolving subjectivities and reimagined agency in a transnational, intersectional world, these creative engagements reflect a deliberate effort to reshape the realities of postmigrant existence. The study analyzes the community’s engagement with dynamics of assimilation and alienation, antagonism and complicity, to examine how migrant subjects negotiate discrimination while maintaining agency in everyday practices.
Through comparative analysis across multiple artistic mediums, this research demonstrates how creative expressions serve not only to document experiences of othering and resistance but also as a transformative tool for imagining multifaceted human diversity, creating inclusive narratives of identity and belonging in a transnational, cosmopolitan context.
Summary for Lay Audience
This thesis explores how second-generation South-East Asian and East Asian American artists use their work to reflect on the immigrant experience in the United States. It focuses on four modern pieces of art in different forms: the novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, the fabric-architectural sculptures in Do Ho Suh’s Home series, the graphic novel series Monstress by Marjorie Liu, and the documentary film Free Chol Soo Lee by Julie Ha and Eugene Yi. These works examine themes of identity, belonging, and home, addressing the challenges faced by Asian American communities in a society shaped by racial discrimination and cultural marginalization.
Through their art, these creators respond to the struggles of living between two worlds—feeling connected to both their heritage and their lives in America. They imagine new ways of belonging, promote solidarity within marginalized groups, and celebrate the diversity of human experiences. By doing so, they offer powerful visions of a more inclusive and multicultural future.
This study shows how art can inspire change, helping immigrant communities navigate their place in society while challenging racism and intolerance. It highlights how these artists use their creativity to address real-world issues, creating a sense of hope and possibility for a more unified and diverse world.
Recommended Citation
Barua, Kastoori, "Borderless Life Sentences: A Multimodal Exploration of the Liminality of Postmigrant Asian American Identity and Belonging" (2025). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 10851.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/10851
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Included in
Fine Arts Commons, Literature in English, North America, Ethnic and Cultural Minority Commons, Visual Studies Commons