Sense of Place Among Vietnamese American High School Adolescents

Background and Purpose:

Vietnamese Americans (VAs) are one of the fastest growing racial groups in the U.S. Vietnamese American children become the newest 2^nd generation of Asian Americans.Little is known about how these adolescents conceptualized their sense of place as an integrative part of their sense of identity. Studies have found individuals’ emotional bond to places promotes a positive identity process. Studies have suggested that school institutions must create a nurturing sense of place (bondedness) where individuals’ heritage is  affirmed, voice cultivated, and identity developed to explore differing sets of values and norms that might impact their pedagogy and identity as teachers ). 

Method:

To explore sense of place, the study was conducted with 20 Vietnamese American adolescents who were 15-19 years old and attended public schools located in Vietnamese ethnic enclave in Southern California. Adolescents were asked series of questions about their favorite place in the community. Grounded theory approach was used to analyze the data. Author created categories based on the commonalities and differences in participants’ responses. Themes were developed based on established categories.

Results

Adolescents were asked to map their favorite place including any characteristics of their neighborhood. Their maps depicted elements that were considered worthwhile for them. Adolescents also reported major landmarks (such as popular supermarkets, department stores, 7-11) or familiar places (friends residences/relative schools) surrounding their “favorite place” that added special meanings to the place. Adolescents also identified their sense of place as to where they were able to socialize with friends. When asked reasons why adolescents like their favorite place, some designated places where they can make friends  such as fast food restaurants, Asian tea houses or a parking lot in front of a noodle places. Adolescents also identified their place in terms of their level of engagement and their ability to expand their social network. Although some adolescents were not able to articulate about their connection to places that carry cultural infra-structure, their interests toward these landscapes and the cultural socialization via festivals and cultural shops represent a process of integrating cultural elements their place identity. 

Discussion and implication

The findings illustrate adolescents make sense of the place through their active exploration and engagement.  The findings suggest adolescents exhibit a degree of competence in comprehending their “place” environment via knowledge of their community, and interacting with their “place” environment via reciprocal interaction with other individuals, and cultural connection and cultural integration.  

The study provided set of elements in conceptualization of sense of place in cultural context. The study also points out the importance of understanding adolescents’ attitudes and experience in the process of making sense of place is critical step in recognizing interactional transaction between social settings and adolescents’ sense of identity