Intergenerational Asian diaspora mentoring in the academy: mapping the terrain of allied political struggles through critical relational ethnography

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper investigates intergenerational Asian diaspora faculty mentorship within the context of higher education in North America. Drawing on intersectionality, rightful presence, and third-generation cultural historical activity theory (CHAT), the authors theorize across three activity systems—predominantly white academic institutions (PWI), a collaborative research project (LSP), and critical dialogue space (ADS)—to understand their collective work as part of a continuous arc of justice in the academy. The study explores the intersectional power dynamics and cultural conflicts that shape how junior and senior (South and East) Asian-identified authors negotiate reauthoring their rights in the pursuit of rightful presence within and across these activity systems. Through two vignettes, the findings illustrate the complexities of allied political struggles and intergenerational mentoring in higher education. In doing so, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how Asian diaspora faculty navigate can foster bidirectional intergenerational, critical, justice-oriented sociopolitical allyship within academia, advancing conversations on mentorship and equity in education.