Trans-local Circuits: Identity Formation among Thai American Youth
(University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
Identity formation of young Thai Americans often is a top concern of middle-class Thai transmigrants and the Thai nation-state. This paper analyzes two intertwined ongoing issues. First, how does a Buddhist temple, the most influential institution among Thais in the United States, along with the Thai state, reshape the identities of Thai American youth? Second, how do these youngsters practice “Thainess,” on the one hand, and tap into American individualism, on the other hand? These young Thai Americans must constantly negotiate between two different cultural codes to articulate their cultural and classed identities. Drawing from interviews and participant observation, the essay suggests that the formation of identities among Thai American youth needs to be understood not only in the country of destination, but also in the country of origin.