“Are We Real Americans?”: Cultural Production of Forever Foreigners at a Diversity Event

Abstract

Although the history of Asian immigrants dates back to the 17th century, their status as authentic Americans is still questioned today. With this in mind, this article looks at how a diversity event at a racially diverse inner-city high school produces the image of Asian Americans as “forever foreigners.” Using qualitative tools like observation and interviews, the article argues that mere celebration of cultural differences at a diversity event with a focus on teaching about the differences and improving human relations narrowly defines “real” Americans to mean cultureless Whites. Korean students are consequently portrayed as unauthentic Americans. The findings add to the ongoing discussions on Asian American school experiences, the construction of whiteness in schools, and schools’ approaches to diversity.