Living liminally: how Korean women cope with the rise of anti-Asian violence in the United States as racialized, gendered, and liminal beings

Abstract

Abstract This study delves into the unique identity navigation of Korean women in the US who do not align themselves with the broader Asian American label as they make sense of and respond to targeted violence against Asian women. In-depth interviews reveal the interplay of racialization and gendering that these women contend with, as well as the nuanced strategies they adopt to align or disalign themselves from ascribed identities in the wake of such violence. Findings highlight the inadequacies of U.S.-centric racial paradigms in capturing the intricacies of these liminal identities; by illuminating alternative ways of being within liminal spaces, this study offers insights into their transformative journeys and broader implications for race and gender discourse in America.